Local biz people, investors welcome coal-free Ilocos Norte

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

LAOAG CITY—Top officials and members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Ilocos Norte Chapter lauded the provincial government’s effort to keep the province clean, green and free from destructive coal power plants.

Ricardo Tolentino, PCCI president said the province is on the right track of safeguarding its resources and stay away from investments of coal-powered plants

“Declaring Ilocos Norte as coal-free manifests our effort to make use of clean and renewable energy like our wind mills. This is a good development on our part considering the stronger typhoons and floods that come our way due to climate change or extreme weather condition,” Mr. Tolentino said.

The more than 50 active members of the PCCI-Ilocos Norte are mostly engaged in construction, trading and local manufacturing among others.

According to Mr. Tolentino, the local business sector has minimal electric consumption hence the declaration of a coal-free province works more to their advantage.

For North Luzon Renewable’s (NLR), a joint venture of AC Energy, UPC Philippines Wind, Mitsubishi Corporation’s DGA and Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure Fund with a commercial operating wind farm at Brgy. Caparispisan in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte since November 2014, said the passage of Provincial Resolution 2016-07-003 declaring Ilocos Norte a “clean, green and coal-free province” is a welcome development as it acknowledges Ilocos Norte’s commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Conference of Parties 21.

“North Luzon Renewables remains a steadfast partner of the Provincial Government in this regard through its renewable energy production, as well as reforestation and forest protection efforts at its 81MW wind energy facility in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte,” said a statement of NLR led by its president, Roman Miguel de Jesus.

At the height of typhoon “Lawin”, the windmills of Ilocos Norte were spared from the typhoon’s wrath as the province’s strategic location is covered by the mountain ranges of Sierra Madre and Cordillera.

As Ilocos Norte is a gateway to the largest markets in the world like China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Mariano “Nonong” Marcos II, main sponsor of the resolution, reiterated earlier that Ilocos Norte continues to promote renewable energy programs and it should be kept that way as the country’s first clean, green and coal-free province.

The coal-free measure of Ilocos Norte took effect on August 22, 2016.

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