Leaders of the Iwak Tribe grant Filinvest Group’s FDC Renewables Corporation (FDC Renewables) consent to construct the 33.400MW Pampang Hydro Electric Power Project within their ancestral domain in Brgy. Fianza, San Nicolas, Pangasinan.

The Iwak Tribe of Barangay Fianza, San Nicolas, Pangasinan, has officially granted its consent to Filinvest Group’s FDC Renewables Corporation (FDC Renewables) for its proposed 33.400-megawatt Pampang Hydroelectric Power Project, a facility to be developed within the tribe’s ancestral domain.

“We formally approved Filinvest to develop its hydro power plant within our land. The Project not only addresses increasing power needs but promises to stimulate economic growth for our tribe and neighboring communities,” said former Iwak Tribe Chieftain Felixfrey Lorenzo, who currently sits as the Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Nicolas.

The consent was granted following a series of consultations, assemblies, and dialogues under the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples’ (NCIP) Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process mandated by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997.

Facilitated by the NCIP Pangasinan Provincial Office, the FPIC ensures that the Iwak Tribe is fully informed about the specifics of the Project and its potential impact on their land. The FPIC process now advances to the next stage.

NCIP Pangasinan will submit the signed Memorandum of Agreement, along with the complete FPIC report, to the NCIP Region 1 Office. After a thorough review, the regional office will then endorse it to the NCIP en banc for final deliberation on the issuance of the Certificate of Precondition (CP).

The CP is a critical requirement before the project can proceed to construction. Throughout the FPIC proceedings, FDC Renewables worked closely with the Iwak Tribe to ensure that the community’s voice was respected and their concerns addressed.

The Tribe’s decision underscores a spirit of partnership and recognition of the Project’s potential to generate lasting benefits.

“We are privileged to gain the trust of Iwak Tibe. After years of dialogue, careful deliberation, and a genuine process of consultation, we are happy to finally reach an agreement on the specific benefits that will accompany the development of our hydroelectric power project,” said FDC Renewables Vice President for Project Development Roderick Fernandez.

The Philippine Board of Investments has previously awarded the Project a Green Lane Certificate of Endorsement, identifying it as a Strategic Investment pursuant to E.O. 18.

The weir will be in Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, while the powerhouse is in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, and is projected to generate 127.2 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually. Utilizing a run-of-river hydroelectric scheme, the Project will have minimal environmental impact, as it will harness the natural flow of the river to generate electricity without requiring large dams or reservoirs.

The Project forms part of the Filinvest Group’s broader commitment to build a balanced energy portfolio across the Philippines. By placing equal importance on sustainability and community development, the company strives to contribute to nation-building in ways that are both environmentally sound and socially inclusive.

“This project will give rise to various benefits to our IP community. We expect this to create livelihood opportunities, improve infrastructure, and provide other similar social and economic improvements in our ancestral domain,” added IPMR Lorenzo.

As the FPIC process progresses, FDC Renewables reaffirms its commitment to transparency, respect for indigenous rights, and ongoing collaboration with the Iwak Tribe, the NCIP, and local stakeholders to ensure that the project sets a standard for responsible renewable energy development.

To read the original article, click Iwak Tribe of Pangasinan grants consent to Filinvest’s hydro power projectFDC Misamis deepens sustainability efforts through multi-sector partnerships