Watershed

President Ferdinand Marcos issued Proclamation No. 120 on Nov. 25, 1966 declaring 9,700 hectares in Atok and Bokod towns as watershed areas. He also issued on April 19, 1969 Proclamation No. 548, declaring 6,365 hectares in Atok and Bokod as the Ambuklao-Binga Watershed Forest Reserve.

Former President Corazon Aquino issued Proclamation No. 75 on Feb. 20, 1987 declaring 11,550 hectares in Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and Ifugao as the Mt. Pulag National Park.

The maintenance of the upper areas would make a difference on the life span of the dam, hence they should support projects for the environmental conservations, added the Bokod resident who spoke at the press conference.

Hostillos clarified that these kinds of projects are among those they plan to implement in their future partnership with Napocor and the LGUs.

More benefits

Hostillos added that the communities would benefit from the operation of the dam.

Among their projects are the subsidy for the electric bills of the host communities and employment. “It will also allow them again to collect the national wealth tax which ceased when the plant stopped to operate,” added Hostillos.

In relation to compensation for affected families, he said, Napocor is the agency more concerned as they just entered as a private party.

SN Aboitiz manages Ambuklao, Binga and Magat dams. It is a consortium between SN Power of Norway and Aboitiz Power Corporation. SN Aboitiz claims to be a majority Filipino-owned power-generation company. (Northern Dispatch / Posted by (Bulatlat.com))