KIANGAN, Ifugao – With the dual objective to maintain and improve the quality of life of local communities engaged in rice terraces farming and to rehabilitate the rice terraces, the 200-kilowatt Ambangal Mini-hydro plant here is now fully operational to make the area energy self-sufficient which is part of the Philippine energy development plan of the Arroyo administration.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DoE) and the provincial government, the “e8” Ifugao mini-hydro project was implemented under the leadership of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in behalf of the e8.

The local government units (LGUs) of Ifugao, Kiangan, and the villages of Ambabag, Pindongan, and Mungayang helped in the development of a run-of-river mini-hydropower plant at the Ambangal brook coupled with the establishment of a rice terraces conservation fund to be financed by the revenues generated from the project’s power sales.

The said project seeks to support local activities to conserve the 2,000-year-old Ifugao rice terraces world heritage site, provide a model for local sustainable energy-based development and regional vitalization, and promote the development of sustainable mini-hydro power resources in the rural areas of the region and the country.

Launched in 2006, the project’s development included extensive environmental and social impact assessment. During the ten-month construction phase, over 180 workers were mobilized daily under the supervision of competent engineers and foremen.

The Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera is strongly advocating for the development of renewable sources of energy that are environment-friendly in order to spare the region’s watersheds and forests from being heavily devastated.