TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Advocacy group SAVE Kalinga Inc. has raised an alert following the announcement by Kalinga Governor James Edduba that the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) released the necessary permits for the 52-megawatt Karayan Hydropower Project.

The announcement sparked concern among members of affected indigenous communities, who have publicly opposed the development for months. Community leaders and residents are questioning whether the process genuinely satisfied the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) requirement mandated by the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA). They alleged that portions of the process involved undue pressure, the exclusion of key stakeholders, and agreements obtained without full transparency.

The Karayan Hydropower Corporation, a joint venture of San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group and Union Energy, plans to construct a run-of-river system featuring a 25-meter weir and a 14-million-cubic-meter headpond. Projected for commercial operation in 2028, the project directly affects the Dallac, Naneng, and Minanga sub-tribes across several local barangays.

Specific areas facing physical impact include Barangay Lucog, where the weir and headpond impoundment will alter the river flow, and Barangay Naneng, where coffee and citrus plantations in Sitio Nabnab and Sitio Kurngokung risk submergence. Planned tunnel works and access roads in Barangays Dupag and Bagumbayan are slated near areas identified by residents as ancestral burial grounds.

Although developers have offered roughly P15 million annually in corporate social responsibility commitments and benefit-sharing schemes, residents maintain that ancestral lands and cultural heritage cannot be replaced by monetary compensation. Community members also expressed apprehension regarding potential long-term disruptions to downstream agricultural water supplies, particularly for the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS).

The group stressed that under "paniyaw" (taboo) and "Bodong" (peace treaty between tribes), land is not merely an economic resource. "It is history, livelihood, identity, and the legacy entrusted to future generations."

SAVE Kalinga Inc. called on the government and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to conduct an independent review of the contested consent process. The advocacy group urged affected residents to remain informed and participate in peaceful, constructive engagement to protect their environmental and indigenous rights through legal channels.