Keep in Touch

Subscribe to stay up to date on Seacology’s events, trips, and projects.

  • Email Address
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

top-cap-white

Philippines

Sitio Lobo and Barangay Ned

top-cap-bluetop-cap-white

Conservation benefit: Protection of watershed forest

Community benefit: Micro-hydro power generator

Date Approved: 07.2010

Energy

This project promotes sustainable energy production, helping reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and slowing global warming.

Forest

This project protects forest, preventing the release of greenhouse gases and reducing erosion that damages coastal and ocean ecosystems.

Lake Sebu is in the southern Tiruray Highlands of Mindanao Island, at an altitude of almost 1,000 feet. It is surrounded by rolling hills and forested mountains. The lake and surrounding rainforest provide habitat for several endemic bird species, as well as wild boar and Philippine deer.

The area is home to the T’boli, a highland tribe known for their colorful costumes, intricate beadwork, woven work, and brass ornaments. The Manobos, who also live in the region, inhabit the river valleys, hillsides, plateaus, and interiors. The tribes have committed to work to get the village (barangay) of Ned to issue an ordinance, declaring a 6,178-acre watershed as a no-take zone for at least 30 years.

The community of Sito Lobo does not have electricity. In support of these conservation efforts, Seacology will fund a 30-kilowatt micro-hydro power station for the village. Our partner NGO, YAMOG, will provide technical help. YAMOG coordinated another Seacology-funded micro-hydro project in the Mindanao community of Old Bulatukan, in support of watershed protection.

Project Updates

June 2012

Construction of the Lobo micro-hydropower stalled in early 2011 due to bad weather and virtually impassable roads. Since then, the Lake Sebu government has made significant progress in rehabilitating the access roads used to haul sand, gravel, and transmission poles to the site. The weir/intake, headrace canal, and forebay tank have been completed, following the design specifications. There is still some uncertainty as to when the civil works will be completed because of delays in the delivery of the turbine and electronic load capacitor. Our partner, YAMOG, is following up and keeping us updated. As for the watershed, the community-organized forest guards have been constantly on patrol and are reporting no irregularities. High school students have also been planting trees as part of their school activities.

Read more

January 2012

Unusually frequent rains throughout the year are hampering progress on delivery of materials and construction. Partner organization Yamog is revising its project completion estimate to June 2012. The community is making use of the on-again, off-again construction to work on the reforestation component of the project.

Read more

June 2011

The weir/intake, headrace canal, forebay tank, pressure pipes and powerhouse are nearly completed. Heavy rains in the early months of this year have made trips to and from the remote site difficult, and have hampered the delivery of materials to the site. Because of this, our partner organization, Yamog, revised its project completion estimate to January 2012.

Read more

January 2011

Work on the micro-hydro power generator began after simple ground-breaking ceremonies September 16, 2010. The weir/intake, headrace canal, forebay tank, pressure pipes and powerhouse are being constructed. The turbine has been ordered and is being manufactured. Partner organization Yamog estimates that the project will be finished by September 2011.

Read more
- +
top-cap-bluetop-cap-white