17/10/2025
Progress in Harmony with Nature
In 1992, shortly after assuming office as Vice Mayor, one of my first priorities was to address the long-distance communication challenges in our area. I reached out to my cousin, Ricardo Rosales Zarate, then Executive Vice President of PLDT, for assistance. This collaboration led to the installation of a microwave radio relay system, forming part of PLDT’s backbone transmission network in Barangay Baay, Tinambacan District, significantly improving connectivity for the community. That early experience underscored the critical role of reliable infrastructure in enabling economic activity and improving residents’ quality of life, a lesson that later shaped my approach to energy development.
Decades later, the Philippines continues to face structural constraints in attracting industrial investments, particularly in manufacturing, largely due to high electricity costs. Today, about 42.9% of installed capacity is coal-fired, and 15% is oil-based, meaning roughly 57.9% of the energy mix is import-dependent. This exposes the sector to foreign exchange volatility, and when the peso weakens against the dollar, electricity tariffs rise, affecting both businesses and households nationwide.
Recognizing this vulnerability in 2006, I saw the imperative to develop renewable energy infrastructure. In consultation with the Department of Energy, I studied national wind corridor maps and identified Tinambacan District as a high-potential site, fully aware that feasibility studies would require years of wind monitoring to confirm consistency, while also awaiting the passage of the Renewable Energy Act in Congress, which included a feed-in tariff policy in its framework.
To validate preliminary data, I brought colleagues from City Hall to spend an evening at the PLDT facility in Brgy. Baay, located atop a mountain ridge along the mapped wind route. We experienced Baguio-like temperatures, and security personnel confirmed consistent, strong wind conditions, reinforcing the site’s technical viability for a wind farm.
The envisioned wind farm runs along the ridge parallel to the National Highway, facing the Samar Sea, spanning northwards from Baay over coconut-planted terrain. Crucially, the ridge runs adjacent to the NGCP 138 kV transmission line, ensuring grid connectivity. This configuration allows dispatch of surplus generation beyond local demand (SAMELCO 1) across the National Grid, enhancing both financial and operational viability. A preferential rate for SAMELCO 1 was part of the vision, helping reduce power costs for local consumption.
Beyond its technical function, the wind farm also offers a symbolic and aesthetic dimension: travelers moving between Luzon and Mindanao will witness the turbines as a landmark of sustainable energy. The project aligns with the DOE roadmap, which targets 50% of the national power mix from renewables by 2050.
My vision for siting the turbines on coconut land along the ridge prioritizes ecological and hydrological safeguards. The plan minimizes impact on protected areas while preserving water security for future generations. As part of this vision, I facilitated a memorandum of agreement between the local water district and the DENR National Greening Program, ensuring forest restoration in the watershed without passing the cost to consumers, demonstrating that sustainable development and renewable energy expansion can coexist, effectively balancing energy production with environmental stewardship.
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