As the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prepares for its next Conference of Parties (COP), the Philippine government is set to report its progress in transitioning to renewable energy. But have they considered the social cost?
Two sisters, Monique and Princess, squealed with delight as they dashed toward the clear, cold waters of the Apayao River in Nacagman village, Kabugao town, in the northern Philippines, splashing in the shallows on a dry-season afternoon.
Unknown to the 9- and 7-year-old girls, the river, the valley they cherish, and the house they grew up in, just minutes away, will be submerged when a 94-meter dam is constructed on land their Isnag ancestors have called home for 10 generations.
The dam, known here as Gened-2, is one of the 427 hydropower projects awarded to private corporations all over the country as of February 2024. Of this number, 72 are already operating commercially while 355 are in various stages of project development, as part of the government’s shift to renewable energy sources.
