Winds of change turn isolated village into a vibrant community

Riding on the winds of change brought by the Nabas Wind Power Project, all 93 households of Bgy. Pawa in Nabas town, Aklan are enjoying self-sufficiency after opening their community to the development of the wind farm.

Before the wind power project started, the isolated village of Bgy. Pawa struggled with a host of problems. The steep and narrow dirt road connecting it to the lowlands made the village practically inaccessible to basic government and medical services. They had no access to stable water supply and electricity. The remoteness of the area also made it an ideal lair for insurgents.

In 2013, PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI) came to the community and brought along with them a systematic process of enhancing, enriching, and empowering the community through its Corporate Social Responsbility (CSR) Program. The Program aims to enhance the natural and human resources in the community, enrich the community by developing sustainable opporturnities, and empower community members through trainings and capacity building.  The Program focuses on health, education, and livelihood projects and is implemented following a systematic approach from community profiling, social preparation, capacity building, program development, and regular evalutation.

PWEI’s intervention in the community led to the creation of the Pawa Agri-Ecotourism and Livelihood Development Association (PAELDA) in 2014, with members composed mostly of women. PAELDA was envisioned to be the organizational and main driver of change and development in the community.The Barangay road going to the community was rehabilitated, literally  paving the way for the improved access to basic services and more economic activities.

“Malaking pasasalamat namin sa PetroWind dahil sa pagbabago na dala nila tulad ng maayos na daan na malaking tulong sa pag-transport ng mga produkto namin (We are thankful to PetroWind for the big change that they brought here like the paved road, which helped us a lot in transporting our goods),” says PAELDA Chairman and Barangay Councilor James Balyguat.

PWEI also rehabilitated and improved the community’s water system which now enables residents to have clean water for drinking and washing and for growing vegetable garden in their backyards. In 2017, through PWEI’s coordination with the National Electrification Administration (NEA), Brgy. Pawa was successfully supplied with electricity. Every house and street are now well lit, and residents appreciate the benefits and comforts brought by electricity. Families enjoy watching TV and occasinal videoke sessions and bonding, and students can make greater use of computers. A WiFi internet service initiated by one entreprenueral resident has sprung up in the barangay. Through a vendo machine, one can enjoy 59 minutes of internet access for only PhP5.

PAELDA is presently focused at enhancing their indigenous bariw weaving tradition and developing it into a sustainable income generating livelihood. In collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Aklan State University (ASU), PWEI provides technical trainings on design and business management to help the organization achieve its objectives. The members are also encouraging the younger generation to learn the craft to keep the weaving tradition alive. The pandemic may have restricted movement to the lowlands, but the residents still manage to distribute their products such as bags and mats to lowland markets through the coordination between PAELDA and PWEI.

“We are confident that Bgy. Pawa can sustain their growth as a community given the wealth of potential that this location has in terms of eco-tourism, livelihood, and further employment when we expand our wind farm,” says Yrel Ventura, CSR and Environment Manager of PetroGreen Energy Corporation (PGEC).

Even as quarantine protocols are still in place, Bgy. Pawa residents have been bracing for the reopening of borders when they can welcome tourists and experience again the excitement that progress has brought into their once timid community. A modern view deck funded and built by PWEI now stands near the wind farm’s control building to serve as information center and also give visitors a majestic view of the area.

The Nabas Wind Farm supplies clean and renewable energy to the Visayas grid. It is owned and operated by PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI). PWEI is a joint venture of the Yuchengco Group of Companies’ members PetroGreen Energy Corporation (PGEC) and EEI Power Corporation (EEI Power), and Thailand’s BCPG Public Company Ltd.. The joint-venture partners have the collective goal of using their renewable energy investments and projects to improve the quality of life to host rural communites.