VILLAGERS from six sub-tribes of Kalinga have given their consent to the proposed exploration project on geothermal energy in Pasil.
Natividad Sugguiyao, provincial officer of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-Kalinga, said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) and a free prior and informed consent (FPIC) signed by the council of elders from each community affected reflect the decision of all members of the tribes after undergoing the process of grassroots consultation and consensus building.
“The application for a geothermal service contract of Aragorn Power and Energy Corporation-Guidance Management Corporation (Apec-GMC) filed with the Department of Energy (DOE) covers a total of 14,724.16 hectares of ancestral domain. It affects 1,074 households of 6,500 indigenous peoples in Kalinga,” Sugguiyao said.
Sun.Star Baguio
