Fishing communities ask for jobs, profit share from Laguna de Bay floating solar project

MANILA, Philippines – Some local fishing communities of Laguna de Bay are pushing for jobs and a share of the profit from the the large-scale floating solar project planned for the lake, even as they continue to call for a more inclusive and comprehensive consultation for the project.

Some members of the community have asked for construction and maintenance jobs, and at least a 1% profit share.

“Ang unang pinagkasunduan namin at hiningi na ang mga laborers ay galing sa mga mangingisda kagaya ng sa Sun Asia na ang siyang tatrabaho ay mga mangingisda… talagang malaking bagay”, said Cornelio Replan Jr., fisherman and president of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMC)-Bay, Laguna when asked about their livelihood concerns, last December 11.

(What we agreed upon and asked for is that the laborers for the Sun Asia project will be the fishermen… It’s a big deal.)

“‘Di naman tayo nagmamalabis. Gusto lang natin na kung may epekto sa atin sana ay may benepisyo rin. Iyan ang esensya ng just energy transition na isinusulong natin,” said Alen  Espinoza of Reboot Philippines Renewable Energy Transition Institute (RebootPH). 

(We are not being too demanding. All we want is that, if a project will affect us, it should also benefit us. That is the essence of the just transition we are pushing for.)

In Biñan, San Pedro, fishing communities say they should still be consulted even if solar panels will not be installed in the portion of the lake nearest their area.

“Kasama rin po ang ang Biñan, San Pedro at iba pang hindi lalagyan ng solar panels sa maaapektuhan… Bakit hindi ninyo kami ipinatatawag? Dapat kasama rin kami sa consultation na ginagawa ninyo,” said Vernan Magundayao, president of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMC)-Biñan.

He was speaking at the Lusong Laguna forum last December 11, 2024, a forum organized by Kasama Ka! Laguna to give vulnerable sectors a space to raise their concerns about both the floating solar project, and the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network.

Just transition

Fishing communities have the right as main stakeholders of the lake, said Maya Quirino of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC). LRC is a non-government organization (NGO) committed to protecting the rights of indigenous people and upland rural poor communities to land and environment.

Paralegal training initiatives by LRC are conducted to ensure community awareness of this right. Such training with the community focuses on the principles of just energy transition.

“In our work on energy, we follow the principles of just energy transition with four tenets of justice: procedural, distributive, remedial, and restorative justice,” said Quirino.

Procedural justice means  that local fishermen should be consulted for any project concerning the lake. No project should be pursued without having a consensus among fisherfolk communities. That there is a sentiment from some fishing communities that they are excluded means procedural justice has not been attained in the process for the floating solar  project, said Quirino. 

Distributive justice requires that alternative livelihood and profit shares be provided to affected fishing communities.

Remedial justice means communities have the right to file a case in case of violations and concerns. Early on in the stages of the project, LRC is hopeful that things will not escalate to this point.

Restorative justice requires that renewable energy players and concerned government agencies conduct environmental impact assessments.

When asked about how just energy transition can be codified into Philippine laws, Quirino said: “Right now, we don’t have a law legislating just energy transition and, because of that, LRC is drafting a just energy transition bill which we want to present to congress.”

About the floating solar project

Laguna de Bay is known as the largest in-land body of water in the Philippines covering 90,000 hectares within Calabarzon  and Metro Manila.

The floating solar project will cover 2,000 hectares of the lake. It is expected to be completed by 2027.  There are three developers involved: Sun Asia, Singapore-based Vena Energy, and Ayala-led ACEN.

“Floating solar technology addresses societal issues while simultaneously providing a platform for the expansion of renewable energy generation,” said Sun Asia.

Proponents of the project promise a four-fold increase in LLDA revenue, and is expected to contribute around P70 million in local taxes, boost eco-tourism, electrify 850,000 households, and support industrial power needs near the region.

It is also supposed to create jobs and help the Philippines achieve its 50% renewable energy share  target by 2040.

‘No one should be left behind’

Laguna de Bay provides  for the needs of more than 24,000 people in the fishing industry, according to the Phil-WAVES 2016 Philippine country report. This includes the 14,000 fishermen who depend on the lake through capture fisheries and aquaculture. 

“Kaming mga mangingisda ay hindi naman ayaw, pero sabi nga natin sa pag-unlad, sana ay walang maiiwan – kumbaga, hindi maisasantabi ang mga mangingisda,” said Cornelio Replan Jr., a fisherman and president of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMC)-Bay, Laguna, when asked about their concerns on the floating solar project.

(We fishermen don’t totally oppose it, but there is a saying that, in progress, no one should be left behind – meaning, the fishermen should not be ignored.)

How the floating solar project could affect the ecology of the lake and access of fishermen to the lake and its resources were among the major issues raised by communities Kasama Ka! Laguna spoke with.

The group plans to continue its awareness-raising campaign and policy lobbying, said Espinoza. – Kyla Mae Simbahon/Rappler.com

Kyla Simbahon is a Rappler volunteer from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños. She is a third year BS Economics student majoring in Environmental Economics. Currently, she is the incumbent Secretary of the UPLB Economics Society and the Associate Director for Legal Affairs of the UPLB Career Assistance Program.