By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated August 25, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel
Corp. (SMC) and Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water) will start next month the
P1-billion Angat Dam rehabilitation project after securing the approval of
affected indigenous community, according to the National Power Corp. (Napocor).
Angat Hydropower Corp. (AHC), which
is co-owned by SMC’s subsidiary SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. and K-Water,
has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Dumagats tribe, as
represented by tribal governor Salvador Cruz and tribal vice governor Norma
Roque.
The MOA includes the relocation of
15 Dumagat families and provision for their houses, while livelihood programs
will be provided by AHC, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.
(PSALM) and Napocor to the Dumagat community.
“This marks the culmination of the
full circle of Free and Prior Informed Consultation (FPIC) of the National
Commission of Indigeneous People (NCIP), a process required before the start of
project construction scheduled this September by the private corporation Angat
Hydro Corp. (AHC),” Napocor president Gladys Sta. Rita said.
AHC has earlier reported it secured
an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources last June and completed all the
pre-construction works last July.
SMC and K-Water sealed their
partnership to rehabilitate Angat Dam and the 218-megawatt Angat Hydroelectric
Power Plant (AHPP) in June 2015.
AHC has tapped US-based Poyry for
consultancy services on the dam upgrade.
The project is part of Angat Dam and
Dyke strengthening project, which also includes the upgrade of the Flood
Forecasting and Warning System for Dam Operation. The rehab project also aims
to make the facility withstand a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, among others.
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