Green groups seek relocation of planned wind farm outside Masungi

MANILA, Philippines — Environmental organizations have called for the relocation of a planned wind energy farm away from the Masungi Karst Conservation Area (MKCA) to safeguard the fragile ecosystem from degradation and encroachment. 

Over 30 groups asked the Rizal Wind Energy Corporation (RWEC) and its parent company, Singapore-based Vena Energy, to explore “alternative, less ecologically sensitive” sites for its renewable energy project. 

Shifting to cleaner energies like solar and wind is essential to mitigate the impacts of climate change. However, environmental organizations stressed that clean energy initiatives should not come at the expense of the country’s natural heritage.

“Our plea is for a thoughtful consideration of the balance between progress and preservation, a balance we find dangerously compromised by the proposed project,” the groups said. 

The joint petition sent to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Tuesday also asked the government to immediately revoke any permits allowing the exploration or development of RWEC’s wind farm.

It also called for a halt to the processing of applications for similar projects within the MKCA and the broader Masungi Geopark Project, a 2,700-hectare reforestation initiative in the Upper Marikina watershed.

Over the years, the Masungi Geopark Foundation, the caretaker of the conservation area, has fought with entities who want to use the land for quarrying, building resorts and growing crops. 

In 2023, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced its plan to transfer its headquarters to a parcel of land within the Masungi Georeserve, but shelved it following public opposition.

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According to the groups, the MKCA is covered by the Presidential Proclamation 1636, which declared parcels of lands in Rizal as a national park, wildlife sanctuary and game preserve. The MKCA management plan also designated the site as a strict protection zone. 

The area is home to more than 500 documented flora and fauna species, including the endangered Philippine hawk-eagles, serpent eagles and flying foxes. 

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