As more solar farms rise, Ilocos Norte community fears worsening climate impacts
“When you cut a tree…you destroy the forest, the watershed that has been the source of livelihoods and other eco-services to the people and the community, definitely it will intensify climate impacts on the community,”
CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte – It was a hot and humid morning, but like always, Sionita Gurion, 85, woke up early and was in front of the fire cooking breakfast when she suddenly felt dizzy and lost consciousness. This was in July 2023, the first time she suffered a stroke. She suffered another one this year. Her doctor told her that extreme heat is one of the factors why she suffered a stroke.
For years, residents of Barangay Paguludan-Salindeg in Currimao town have endured the impacts of solar energy projects in their community, including extreme heat and worsening flooding. These issues began with the construction of solar power plants by Mirae Asia Energy Corp. in 2016 and intensified when Nuevo Solar Energy Corp. started operating in 2023. Both power plants have a combined capacity of 85 megawatt (MW).
Now, residents face another threat with the planned expansion of two more large-scale solar power plants—Astra Solar Energy Corp. and Northern Sun Power, Inc., a subsidiary of Aboitiz—which will cover around 300 hectares of land and generate a combined 300 MW of energy. These projects are expected to begin operations in 2026 and 2028, respectively. As the push for renewable energy intensifies, the community is caught between the promise of “green energy” and its benefits and the growing toll of its climate impacts.
Guiron shared that in all her years living in the community, she had never experienced this kind of heat, and now often stays outside of their house during the day.
“ It’s too hot, it’s like we’re being grilled like fish. If the [remaining] trees here are cut down, we’re going to die here because of the heat,” said Gurion in Filipino while fanning herself.
Too hot to work
Work in the fields near the solar power plant has been affected because of the extreme heat caused by fewer trees and the field of solar panels.
Elnora Gonzales, 54, told Bulatlat that it has been more difficult to work in their corn field ever since the second solar power plant was built in 2023.
“Because it’s so hot now, we really can’t stay long in the fields anymore. Before, we used to stay until 10:00 or 11:00 a.m., but now that’s no longer possible. We have to be home by 8:00 a.m.,” said Gonzales.
She added that because of the extreme heat, many are now afraid to hire farm workers to help them in the field.
“Even if the farm workers want to get hired, I’d rather do the work myself because I’m afraid they might faint while working,” said Gonzales
Worsening floods
As the rainy season enters, some residents fear that they will experience higher floods than before.
In 2024, Norma Labrador, 74, a retired teacher and former barangay official, experienced the worst flood when Tropical Storm Enteng (International name: Yagi) hit the northern Philippines.
Because they live near a river, she shared that their yard usually gets flooded during heavy rains and typhoons, with water reaching up to their ankles. But last year, for the first time, the floodwaters rose to chest level in their yard and reached waist-deep inside their house.
“The water was unusually strong. It was not like that before. I start to feel anxious when June and July come,” said Labrador.
She added that even rescuers were not able to reach them because of the strong current, so they stayed in their house. It took them one month to dry out their belongings that had been flooded.
The boom of solar power
The Ferdinand Marcos, Jr administration has repeatedly stated that it will aggressively push for renewable energy sources to meet the Philippines’ commitment of a 35- percent share in the power mix by 2030, and 50 percent by 2040. The plan has also been outlined in the government’s National Renewable Energy Program.
As of April 30, the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded 517 solar projects for commercial use, with 107 already operational and 410 still under development. With 53 projects, the Ilocos region ranks fourth among regions with the most solar projects.
Of the 1,319 commercial-use renewable energy projects awarded by the department, solar is 39 percent, the highest number among all renewable energy sources.
The DOE has awarded another set of renewable energy projects, with a total capacity of 6,000MW, to private corporations in its recently released Notice of Awards after its Green Energy Auction 3 held last February. The auction under the Green Energy Auction Program facilitates the bidding of potential energy sources to private investors and developers.
The energy department is also boosting floating solar projects in the next round of bidding. This technology “utilizes bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs, and dams for solar panel installations.”
Minimal benefits?
In a session of Ilocos Norte’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan on March 10, where Astra Solar Energy’s solar project was endorsed, Roger Ruadap, officer-in-charge of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, warned that around 30,000 trees would be cut if Astra’s application for a 50-hectare Forest Land Use Agreement (FLAG) area is approved.
“We did not recommend the area that was planted by the Batac Farmers Association for the forest renewal agreement applied by Astra for the reason that we must balance the development and the exploitation of our natural resources,” said Ruadap during the session.
During the session, the company’s corporate social responsibility projects were also discussed. These include donations to the community, such as monobloc chairs, jetmatic pumps, and a daycare center, among others, as part of its 25-year contract.
However, in a June 9 statement posted on their social media page, Ilocos Norte Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Victor Dabalos clarified that they have already issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the expansion of a solar power plant and approved a tree-cutting permit for 6,716 trees. He did not mention which project, but a Northern Dispatch report confirmed that Dabalos was talking about Astra Solar Energy’s project.
Bulatlat sought out Dabalos for an interview but has not yet responded.
Northern Sun Power also conducted its public scoping last April 23. Public scoping is part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, where the proponent presents the project to the affected community and gathers their concerns. These concerns will be used in the company’s Environmental Impact Statement and will serve as a basis for the approval of their ECC application.
In an interview, former Barangay Captain of Paguludan-Salindeg, Rufino Malasig, 66, narrated that barangay officials then agreed to construct the first solar power projects because they believed it would benefit their community.
“What we wanted back then, and what we requested in return, was for them to provide us with free electricity,” said Malasig in Ilocano.
According to him, the community has not been provided with free electricity until now.
He added that they also requested a 30-meter barrier of trees between the plant and the community to help block the extreme heat from the solar panels from reaching their homes.
“Because when it gets hot, the residents will suffer, there should be a defense, a wall,” said Malasig.
Gonzales, who actively opposed the first two projects, chose not to attend the latest public scoping. She lamented that there was no point because their previous concerns were unheard. Although she admitted that the barangay’s budget increased because of the first two projects, she said that the households of their community cannot feel the benefits.
“We have the biggest budget. But the truth is, it has no impact on us residents…it’s not as if residents could access the barangay’s budget. And the company doesn’t hire many people,” Gonzales said.
She shared that although many were employed from their community during the construction of the solar power plants, the jobs were only short-term. She counted only around five residents from their community who are currently employed at the plant.
With construction for Astra’s project expected to start soon, Gonzales confirmed that foreign workers are already in their community conducting site surveys for the solar power plant.
Just transition
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) believes that transitioning to renewable energy is important because it ensures people today can access affordable electricity, and at the same time, it contributes to the global effort to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, which exacerbate the climate crisis.
“However, renewable energy projects, like any development projects, should not sacrifice the people and the environment,” said Arturo Tahup, Director for Community Resilience at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC).
He added that if utility or large-scale solar power plant projects are inside a protected area or have a rich biodiversity, they should not be constructed there unless mitigating efforts are in place to ensure that the adverse effects of setting up a solar plant would be reduced.
“When you cut a tree…you destroy the forest, the watershed that has been the source of livelihoods and other eco-services to the people and the community, definitely it will intensify climate impacts on the community,” said Tahup.
For the group, one of the pillars of a just energy transition is ensuring that the voices of the people at the center of these projects are heard.
“It is ensuring that the people’s welfare and interests are not trampled down, including prevention of the destruction of fragile ecosystems,” said Tahup.
For Labrador, the two existing solar power plants in their small community are enough, adding that she does not want another one to be constructed near them.
“For me, this is already unjust…that’s enough…I’m definitely not in favor of it,” said Labrador. (AMU, RVO)
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