Friday, October 24, 2008 Pact inked for Kalinga geothermal energy potentials
THE Department of Energy (DOE) signed recently the Kalinga Geothermal Service Contract (GSC) with Aragorn Power and Energy Corporation (Apec) and the Guidance Management Corporation (GMC).
The contract authorizes Apec and GMC to explore for a geothermal power source in the municipalities of Lubuagan, Pasil, and Tinglayan.
The GSC was signed on September 24 this year in Manila by Secretary Angelo Reyes for DOE, Willy Ocier and Joaquin Rodriguez for Apec and GMC respectively.
A separate memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between the communities who have given their Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) for the project and the two geothermal companies.
According to the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Provincial Office here, the contract allows Apec and GMC to explore an area of 26,250 hectares for the duration of 50 years: five-year exploration period with 2 years extension; 25 years production and 18 years extension.
As of this writing, of the 11 ancestral domains covered by the application for exploration, only the IPs of Colayo, Balatoc, Guinaang, Dangtalan, and Dalupa-Ableg, all of Pasil have given their FPIC for the project.
Earlier, IPs in the ancestral domains of Tulgao, Dananao, Sumadel, Tonglayan, Bangad all of Tinglayan; and Uma in Lubuagan, complained to DOE why they were included in the coverage of the exploration when in fact no FPIC came from them.
According to NCIP-Kalinga Field Office, the GSC stipulates that only the areas with the FPIC of the indigenous peoples (IP) affected are to be explored.
While conducting consultations with the remaining IPs to get their FPIC, the NCIP assured the communities that the provision of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (Ipra) is strictly followed by the power and energy companies.
DOE also assured complaining IPs that although their barangays were included in the application for exploration, Apec and GMC are not permitted to explore in their areas unless their FPIC on the project is obtained.
Under the separate MOA between Apec-GMC and the four communities who gave their FPIC on the project, terms and conditions were clearly stipulated for compliance by both parties.
If geothermal power is found positive, another MOA will be forged to govern the production stage, this time under the terms of the Philippine geothermal law. (Press release)
