The Bangui windmills (Alaric Yanos photo) |
By
Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Burgos, Ilocos Norte—After failing to construct a landing ramp in the
coastal village of Bayog, in this town, the Northwind Power Development
Corporation, now on the third phase of constructing six additional wind
turbines along their Bangui bay wind power farm is set to post a bond to comply
with Ilocos Norte’s newly approved ordinance mandating all business investors
to submit a detailed list of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
projects prior to endorsement.
Northwind
Chief executive and president Ferdinand Dumlao said the bond, amounting to
about P4.6 million will be directly deposited to the Ilocos Norte government
the soonest possible time to minimize delay of transporting three more wind
turbines to complete the third phase of the 51-megawatt Bangui windmill project.
Earlier,
the Burgos local government through Mayor Cresente Garcia was quick to stop a
private contractor, Scan Global Philippines Inc., commissioned by the Northwind
to construct a landing ramp in Burgos town due to several environmental issues,
including threatening an established fish sanctuary near the area.
According
to Mr. Dumlao, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) granted SGPI a permit to
construct the jetty in Burgos town. However, the contractor was prompted to
transfer the construction to Pasuquin town, which was found to be more feasible
for landing the barges without compromising the environment.
Through
the landing of initial barges in Pasuquin town was successful, the PPA
temporary put on hold SGPI to land the last two more barges needed by Northwind
in view of the Ilocos Norte government’s intervention that the latter must
comply first with the CSR ordinance.
Following
a meeting with the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on July 28, Mr. Dumlao
clarified it was never an intention of the company to disregard the CSR
ordinance of the province should it had been communicated to them earlier.
Mr.
Dumlao pointed out that Northwind was never informed of the CSR ordinance neither
were they invited to a public hearing
during the passage of said law.
Nonetheless,
he said the company is much willing to comply to avoid any further delay and
avoid incurring financial losses for the company.
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