Unbridled Thoughts

Bomas-ang Urges Sagada, Besao Leaders To Back Windmill Farm Project

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE- Engr. Rufino Bomas-ang urged community leaders in Sagada and Besao, Mountain Province to support the proposed windmill farm along Pilao- Langsayan Ridge on the boundary of the two towns, during two separate public consultations with renewable energy firm PhilCarbon on March 2, 2013.

“I believe in the project,” stressed PhilCarbon’s chairman, who is a native of Besao and an alumnus of St. Mary’s School (SMS) of Sagada in his talk at the Besao Multi-purpose Coop Building during the town’s Ubaya Festival.  Later the same day, he reiterated the same conviction during another dialogue with the elders of Sagada at the St. Joseph Inn.

 

During the consultations, locals raised concerns on possible water supply diminishing, farm animal harm, health problems, and environmental hazards. Among the attendees were Gueday Barangay Captain Paul Casiwan, retired teacher Soledad Belingon,, and Besao Vice Mayor Harry Baliaga.  Also in attendance were Doctor Leoncio Carlin, a native Sagadian and former Medical Director of St. Luke’s Hospital who is currently based in Ohio, USA, and Professor Andrew Bacdayan, another native Sagadian with a Master’s degree in forestry and a Ph.D in economics and is currently a retired professor based in Texas, USA. Both Dr. Carlin and Professor Bacdayan expressed support for the wind farm.

 

In response to the various concerns raised, Bomas-ang talked about the company’s responsibilities prescribed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and community benefits that PhilCarbon is providing over and above what the law requires.

He denied environmental, agricultural, and health threats saying windmills are safe as evaluated by international standards.

“Nu dati ay um-a, um-a met laeng (crop farms will still be crop farms even with the windmills),” responded Bomas-ang when asked if wind turbine blades would scare cows away.

Bomas-ang also showed a video clip of windmills in other countries along the shoreline and on top of mountains to give the locals a better picture of windmills.

Ruth Yu- Owen, President of PhilCarbon, explained to the locals the distribution of taxes and other benefits as mandated by laws.

“We are here to help and we are here with you,” said Owen after revealing that PhilCarbon has decided to allot a community fund- on top of the royalties- that will go directly to the host communities.

In an interview, Bomas-ang lamented the fact that a group is spreading misinformation about and campaigning against the project.

“Our elders came to be clarified on the various allegations being made by this group. With simple science and common sense, we hope we have  shown that these are baseless claims,” said Bomas-ang.

He also announced that PhilCarbon is sponsoring another batch of locals to see the Bangui, Ilocos Norte windmill farm to help them better understand the project.

It is clear that the key element of the assessment of the energy production of a proposed wind farm site is the prediction of the long-term wind regime at the site. Therefore, a 100-m meteorological mast (met mast) was constructed atop the Pilao-Langsayan Ridge. The construction detailed locals employed by the Sagada-Besao Wind Power Corporation as part of their (SBWPC) aim to give benefits to the community.

A meteorological mast (met mast) or measurement tower is a free standing tower or a removed mast, which carries measuring instruments with meteorological instruments such as thermometers and wind velocity measurers. Measuring towers are an essential component for putting up a wind farm, since one must know exact wind conditions for a turbine to generate electricity. Before developers construct a wind farm, they first measure the wind resource on a prospective site by erecting temporary measurement towers. Typically these mount anemometers at a range of heights up to the hub height of the proposed wind turbines, and they log the wind speed data at frequent intervals (e.g. every ten minutes)^[1] for at least one year and preferably two or more. The data allow the developer to determine if the site is economically viable for a wind farm, and to choose wind turbines optimized for the local wind speed distribution.

A video below was taken at the met mast site installed along the Pilao-Langsayan Ridge.

1^ "Anemometer Loan Programs". Wind Powering America, NREL, USDOE. 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2010-05-04.