Kalinga elders move to halt FPIC for hydropower projects

BAGUIO CITY — Kalinga elders and leaders trooped to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)–Cordillera office on 15 September 2025 to submit a letter calling for the termination of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) activities for two proposed hydropower projects in the province.

These projects include the Upper Tabuk Hydroelectric Power Project (UTHP) by DPJ Engineers and the Saltan Hydroelectric Power Projects by JBD Water Power Incorporated (JWPI).

The UTHP is a proposed 15-megawatt mini-hydropower facility planned for the Tanudan River in Kalinga. The Saltan Hydroelectric Power Projects are a set of proposed and awarded hydropower projects along the Saltan River in northern Kalinga, including Saltan D (49 MW) and Saltan E (45 MW).

The two projects have been opposed by indigenous peoples in the affected communities, who believe the projects pose threats to their resources, livelihoods, and ancestral lands. They also claim violations of their FPIC rights have occurred.

The elders invoked Section 29 of NCIP Administrative Order No. 3, Series of 2012, which states that inaction by applicants within six months of the last FPIC activity, without a justifiable reason, is grounds for termination. The petitioners insisted this is sufficient basis for terminating the projects.