EMB suspends hydro project Danao Bohol town mayor cries foul

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Heeding the request of the Bohol Provincial Board, the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau slapped with an indefinite suspension the proposed P1.3 billion Cantakoy mini-hydro project at barangay Cabatuan in Danao town.EMB-7 regional director Fernando Quililan issued the order dated May 23, 2012, suspending the initial operations of the project “until after all the terms and conditions set forth in the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) are complied with,” according to PB Member Josephine Socorro Jumamoy.

This prompted Danao town Mayor Tom Gonzaga to react by defending the project as having no shortcuts as alleged by its detractors. “The proponents have faithfully complied with what were required of the project to commence,” he said.

The mayor said in radio report that he still has to verify the veracity of the report that the project was halted by the DENR last week.

Gonzaga said there have been “wrong signals” given by those who want to put their hands in the project and he lamented that criticisms against the project were unfortunate as detractors would like to make it appear that is irregular or anomalous.

The mayor also raised the question on why no one hoisted similar criticisms when hydro plant projects in Hanopol, Balilihan and Sevilla towns were constructed. “Why single out Cantakoy,” he asked, adding that Danao folk have been saddened by this latest development.

Gonzaga said that he and his officials are willing to confront the PB who invited them “to shed light” on the project in the furtherance of the investigation.

The EMB said that, after judicious examination, the project proponents “failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the ECC,” said Quililan, citing that such failure was “even admitted by Ryan Alvin Acosta, the authorized representative of Quadriver Energy Corp. during the technical conference held last May 23.

Acosta promised in behalf of Quadriver to abide by the ECC terms, said the EMB, which suspension order was in adherence to the PB’s resolution requesting the agency to “stop the construction and operation” of the project.

The EMB however clarified that the suspension order was not entirely following the PB’s request but was issued based on the investigations and the findings submitted by Nestor Canda, OIC of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Bohol.  

The PB has remained steadfast in resolving the project’s lapses and controversies, and Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim even lauded PB Members Jumamoy and Romulo Cepedoza who worked for the project’s stoppage. 

The PB accused the project proponents for not conducting social preparation, inflicting environmental degradation on project site and alleged short-changing Jumamoy and Cepedoza’s towns of Inabanga and Danao, respectively. The project traverses both towns sharing Wahig-Inabanga river as the main source of water for mini-hydro power plant and generation.

The project’s ECC issued on August 11, 2009 by then EMB-7 director Rolando Luego showed the proposed 5.2-megawatt project in Cantakoy covers about 53 hectares.

Canda said the project includes the development and operation component of the small 30-meter high dam “fitted with radial gates as well as sluice gates will be constructed to create head and small impoundment penstock, pipe of approximately 53 meters long embedded in concrete, 2.4/69kv step transformers in the open air, tailrace, switchyard and access road to the power plant.”

The ECC, as amended on September 9 last year, has raised to 8 MW the project’s capacity, and increased the dam’s height from 30 meters to 40 meters. - THE FREEMAN