BULACAN – The national fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) is opposing the proposed 2,000-megawatt BuhaWind Offshore Wind Farm, warning that it would displace over 6,500 fishers and threaten traditional fishing grounds in four coastal towns of Ilocos Norte.

The protest, led by local fisherfolk through a fluvial demonstration in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte on April 20, raised concerns about the potential displacement of thousands of fishers from the towns of Pasuquin, Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud. 

Citing data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), environmental group Saluadan said the project would affect over 6,339 registered fisherfolk, excluding many unregistered ones. 

BuhaWind Offshore Wind Farm is a P360-billion (6.48 billion USD) joint venture between Danish firm Copenhagen Energy and PetroGreen Energy Corporation. The facility is planned to be constructed 1 to 18 kilometers from the shore, in waters 80 to 800 meters deep.

PAMALAKAYA cited the proposed 50-meter no-sail zone around each wind turbine as a major concern, warning that it would severely restrict access to traditional fishing areas.

“We strongly oppose any project that would harm the livelihood of small-scale fishers and marine resources,” said Ronnel Arambulo, PAMALAKAYA Vice Chairperson and Makabayan senatorial candidate. 

Arambulo emphasized that while they recognize the need for clean energy, renewable projects must not compromise the livelihood of small-scale fishers or damage marine ecosystems.

The group also raised environmental concerns, including the risk of underwater noise pollution, destruction of fish habitats, and long-term impacts on marine biodiversity.

Despite Ilocos Norte being a long-time hub for renewable energy, PAMALAKAYA noted that local communities have yet to benefit from these projects. Much of the electricity generated is sold to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and traded in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), leading to continued high electricity rates and frequent power interruptions in the province.

PAMALAKAYA vowed to continue resisting what it called the “corporate plunder of marine resources under the guise of a renewable energy program.”

Meanwhile, Makabayan senatorial candidate and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas leader Danilo Ramos demanded that Congress launch an immediate and independent investigation into the BuhaWind project and its economic, environmental and social impacts. 

“It is not right to give businessmen the liberty to profit from our oceans. Congress should investigate this project, which is clearly driving away fishermen and destroying natural resources,” Ramos said in a statement in Filipino.

Ramos called for a genuine support to fisherfolk, including the provision of modern fishing tools, livelihood assistance, and coastal protection programs instead of “displacing them for destructive and profit-driven projects such as reclamation and black sand mining.”
“Let us raise the voices of the fisherfolk. Let us fight for the right to livelihood and the environment,” Ramos said. (with reports from Anne Marxze Umil) RVO