Exeter, Alternergy team up for Ifugao hydropower project
BY LENIE LECTURA – NOVEMBER 4, 2022
from Business Mirror
Exeter Portofino Holdings, the holding company of civil society leader Sara Soliven-de Guzman, has partnered with Alternergy Holdings Corp. for its run-of-river hydropower project in Ifugao.
The Lamut-Asipulo hydropower project will harness the flow of water from the Cawayan River to convert to clean and environment-friendly renewable power. The project site is within the Ancestral Domains of the Kalanguya, Ayangan and Tuwali Indigenous Cultural Communities.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the indigenous peoples have been signed and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) En Banc has issued the Certification Precondition.
With the entry of Exeter as co-partner, the Lamut-Asipulo hydropower project is in an advanced stage of development and is expected to issue Notice to Proceed to early construction works in the coming months.
The Lamut-Asipulo hydropower project forms part of Alternergy’s goal of building 1,370 MW of renewable energy capacity in the next five years.
“Exeter and Alternergy share the same commitment to sustainability and improvement of the local communities and cultural heritage. The Lamut-Asipulo Hydro Power Project is also an opportunity for us continue and expand the work our family has started in Ifugao,” said de Guzman, chairperson of Exeter.
Her family through Dr. Preciosa Soliven, who was UNESCO Secretary-General of the Philippine National Commission, actively promoted the preservation of Ifugao Heritage Sites under the UNESCO Program and supported educational improvement among children in Ifugao through their Operation Brotherhood Community Foundation.
“Our family has deep ties in Ifugao and we look forward to strengthening this together with Alternergy in harnessing renewable energy and helping uplift the lives of the Ifugaos,” she added.
“We are happy to bring in Exeter as we create transformative partnerships in promoting clean energy and impacting the lives of the people. While the development of hydropower projects could be long-gestation, the benefits of clean and renewable power are long-term and significant,” Eduardo Martinez Miranda, president of Lamut-Asipulo Mini Hydro Corp. said.
Image credits: www.alternergy.com
