AboitizPower renews tieup with Benguet IP community

March 15, 2021
https://malaya.com.ph/index.php/news_business/aboitizpower-renews-tieup-with-benguet-ip-community/

Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary Hedcor renewed its partnership with the Tuba Ancestral Domain Indigenous People Organization (TADIPO) in Benguet through a memorandum of agreement in the operations of the 1.3 megawatts (MW) Irisan 3 hydro power plant.

The agreement outlines the terms and conditions of the cooperation of the parties in granting the free prior informed consent for the project which among others, provide that the indigenous community will get a royalty share from the facility.

Hedcor said the royalty share can be used by TADIPO for community programs that will continue to enrich their culture and traditions.

The company has helped the community build an indigenous peoples’ (IP) office and roll out programs involving education, health, livelihood, enterprise development and environment conservation in Benguet.

Hedcor said the Cordillera Administrative Region office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has withdrawn a show- cause order issued last year for the 2.4 MW Sal-angan hydro power plant upon verification of full compliance with the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.

“As we enter Irisan 3 hydro’s 30th year of operation, Hedcor’s continued partnership with TADIPO and the NCIP will allow us to continue upholding and protecting our IPs culture and rights. This is a fulfillment of our promise of advancing business and communities in the years to come,” said Rey Rafael, Hedcor assistant vice president for operations, in a statement.

AboitizPower has the biggest share in installed generating capacity in the entire country at 4,973.4 MW equivalent to a share of 21.3 percent of the total 23,409.7 MW. – Jed Macapagal