When Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc. started working in Mindanao, Philippines in 1993, the situation in off-grid areas was bleak; there were thousands of households without access to electricity and  perpetually living below the poverty line. Government efforts to extend the grid to far-flung areas, using fossil fuel, miserably failed. By aiming to build sustainable communities driven by renewable energy – specifically community-scale micro hydropower  (MHP) – Yamog was, in a way, dreaming of the almost impossible. Without the necessary expertise in developing water-driven energy systems, scant financial and human resources, and constantly buffeted by precarious socio-economic and political hindrances that characterized Mindanao, Yamog boldly embarked on a journey to build MHP systems in off-grid areas one at a time. It was mostly learning by doing, absorbing the technical and social engineering lessons on the fly. Not many people – including grassroots communities – shared Yamog’s vision, opting to be skeptical about the concept of harnessing water for electricity. Understandably, for them, to see is to believe.

Fortunately, sometime in  1996, after about three years of floating in utter uncertainty, Yamog finally found someone who would  believe. Mr. Walter Skrobanek, Project Officer for Southeast Asia at Terre des Hommes-Germany, provided a small grant to enable Yamog to establish a pilot 3-kilowatt pico hydro system in the village of Megkawayan, an off-grid community in Calinan District, Davao City. The learnings from an earlier training in Nepal that pioneers of Yamog were able to attend were put into good use. As if by miracle, the pico-hydropower system was successfully installed providing clean energy to 30 households. This was the milestone that turned out to be a game changer for Yamog. Although some technical difficulties were still encountered, particularly the system controls, the experience proved that, indeed, it is possible to generate electricity from water coming from the river.

A few communities and local government units in Mindanao took notice of the Megkawayan experience. A few international development and funding agencies began to look favorably on Yamog’s plans to build bigger hydro systems. A very significant part of the journey of Yamog is its membership in the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET), a network initially comprising MHP practitioners in South and Southeast Asia. This contributed tremendously to the steady growth of Yamog as an advocate of renewable energy – particularly micro hydropower. This international organization enabled Yamog to link up with the best minds in the MHP sector, and to gain access to valuable support, including technical know-how, material and funding support. The sharing of experiences and the opening of pathways for technology transfer have inspired and strengthened the valuable commitment of Yamog to continue to reach out to those left struggling in the margins of society through the provision of clean, sustainable energy.
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Twenty-six community-scale micro hydropower projects later, Yamog became much more confident in its ability to handle the technical aspect of MHP development. Project feasibility study making, and executing the civil, electrical and mechanical works (except turbine and electronic load controller fabrication) were coming to be not-so-difficult tasks after all. Yamog’s holistic community development framework anchored on a strong community participation and ecosystems regeneration approach emerged from the experiences gained over the years and continued to evolve to become more relevant to the current realities in off-grid areas in Mindanao.

IMPROVING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN OFF-GRID COMMUNITIES IN MINDANAO THROUGH SUSTAINABLE ENERGY (I-POSE)

A little more than two decades later, the situation in off-grid communities in Mindanao remains more or less the same with still many households having no access to electricity. With this familiar context, Yamog chose to carry a hopeful spirit when it started the project “Improving the Lives of People in Off-Grid Communities in Mindanao through Sustainable Energy (I-POSE)” in 2019 with the financial and moral support coming from the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (EU-ASEP) and Misereor-KZE Germany. The Yamog staff was filled with excitement. For years, they could only dream of such an opportunity; a chance to replicate  their community development model and reach out to more families suffering from energy poverty.

The implementation of the I-POSE project was the most challenging that Yamog has ever experienced in its more than two decades of community development work. Reaching out to poverty-stricken households in geographically isolated villages located in 26 barangays, 6 municipalities and 5 provinces proved to be very grueling – physically, emotionally and psychologically – especially for Yamog field personnel.  It did not help that field personnel would often encounter increasingly unpredictable and punishing weather conditions on top of the challenges of having to hurdle dangerous terrains and rivers. With the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic in early 2020, Yamog workers  thought that they would never be able to finish the Project. 

Eventually, a total of 4,331 households (around 21,655 people) in off-grid communities have been afforded access to renewable and sustainable energy, using an energy mix of micro hydropower and solar power: 
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• Five community-scale hydropower systems (ranging from 5 – 30 kilowatts) have benefitted 13 villages in the municipalities of Don Marcelino (Davao Occidental), Kapalong (Davao del Norte), Arakan (North Cotabato), and Picong (Lanao del Sur). 

 

• A total of 103 villages in the municipalities of Kapalong and Talaingod (Davao del Norte), Pantukan (Davao de Oro), Don Marcelino (Davao Occidental), Arakan (North Cotabato), and Magpet (North Cotabato) are now energized by solar home lighting systems (SHLS). 

Overall, the Project approach has benefited 116 off-grid villages in 26 Barangays (local term for municipalities)  in the following ways.

Enhanced Local Governance

A rich base of community human capital has been cultivated resulting from various capacity building activities undertaken. Sustained efforts in community capacity building led to the facilitation of 60 trainings on organizational development, gender mainstreaming, leadership and conflict management, financial management, basic electricity & household wiring, operation & maintenance, watershed protection & conservation. It is worth noting that of the total 1,897 participants who completed the various trainings conducted by Yamog, a total of 818 (or 43%) are women. 

Overall, a total of 55 Energy Users Associations (EUAs) have been organized which are now utilizing, managing and sustaining their renewable energy systems. This has metamorphosed into the creation of the Federation of Renewable Energy Users Associations, the first grassroots-based renewable energy association of its kind in Mindanao.

Ecological Restoration through Micro Hydropower

More than 60,000 tree seedlings have been planted in watershed areas protected by micro hydropower-driven communities. Watershed Protection and Management Plans (WPMPs) have already been formulated by the Energy Users Associations (EUAs) in the following MHP communities: 1) Sitio Camansi, West Lamidan, Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental, 2) Sitio San Malbino, Lapuan, Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental, 3) Sitio Tinanan, Ganatan, Arakan, North Cotabato, 4) Sitio Lower Tagasan, Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, and 5) Sitio Karibang, Ramitan, Picong, Lanao del Sur. These communities have also established their central tree nurseries as their local counterpart.  

Technology Transfer & Training Center

A very important component of the Project, the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technologies (ReSET) Center, is already up and running. The financial support coming from the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (EU-ASEP) and Misereor-KZE Germany has enabled Yamog to procure the basic equipment and tools necessary to support the operation and maintenance tasks of its partner Energy Users Associations. The ReSET Center is not only a hub for technical support and services, but it is also gradually fulfilling its role as a research and training facility for renewable energy advocates. As an offshoot of the technology transfer initiative of HPNET under the stewardship of Ms. Dipti Vagela, Yamog was able to establish a partnership with PT Entec Indonesia. Yamog is now in the process of fabricating its T15 turbine. Moreover, the ReSET staff are also working on a research project to look into the possibility of putting in place a remote monitoring system for Yamog’s MHP systems located in various places in Mindanao.

INITIAL OBSERVATIONS:  SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

Maybe it is too early to gauge the impact of the Project, but at this point the following initial gains can be observed:

• The Project has definitely improved the quality of life of poor households in the 116 off-grid villages benefited by the Project. The development interventions made possible by the Project have enabled the residents in these communities to have access to the essentials in life – clean energy, capacity to help themselves and regenerate their natural habitat. 
• The community has sufficient supply of electricity to address basic household needs like household lighting, energizing simple appliances like sound systems, radios, flashlights, cellphones, computers and other chargeable gadgets. A few who could afford to do so have started buying refrigerators. This situation had served them in good stead during the pandemic as news from outside became accessible through their radios, cellphones or TVs that made them more resilient and prepared. 
• The sufficient energy supply provided by the MHP systems create an opening for addressing productive  end-uses that could bolster agricultural production, food security and household incomes. Except for the 5-kilowatt MHP system in Lower Tagasan, Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, the four other MHP systems (West Lamidan -15 kW, Lapuan – 19 kW, Ganatan – 27 kW, Ramitan – 30 kW) are ready for PURE (productive use of renewable energy). Based on local needs, PURE projects that can be supported by these MHP systems are corn shelling/milling, abaca stripping, feed milling, coffee milling, food processing, and the like. 
• The communities succeeded in organizing themselves into cohesive social formations (i.e., energy users association, watershed committees, water users association) that serve as effective vehicles for collective planning, decision-making and problem-solving. Coupled with the emergence of a pool of human capital made up of 1,247 first and second-line leaders trained in various fields of knowledge, the communities are well on track to becoming more resilient and successful in sustaining their initial gains in the years to come.
• Access to electricity has brought forth a conducive learning environment for elementary school children. Aside from making clean energy accessible to households, the MHP systems also provide electricity to elementary schools and teachers quarters or houses. As such, teachers have been able to prepare their lesson plans better and powergadgets such as laptops, TVs and projectors that help make learning activities enjoyable for the children. A comparative look at the performance of schoolchildren (Grades 1-6) in all communities covered by the Project (except Picong, Lanao del Sur) in school years 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 indicate a slight increase in their average grades from 80.34 to 81.43. Even in the face of the pandemic, children have learned to adapt well. Teachers also attribute this mainly to the presence of household lighting which motivates children to do their homework at night. 
  

• In many communities, women have shown a very high capacity to play an important role in the implementation and management of the renewable energy sub-projects and their components. Without the very active participation of the women in these communities, many sub-projects would not be implemented successfully. In many instances, they were the driving forces that made community mobilization possible. Worthy of note is the fact that 41% of the officers holding positions in decision-making and management bodies (i.e. EUA Board of Directors, Operation and Maintenance Teams, special committees) are women. The active participation of women in various aspects of project implementation and management is an indication that men in the communities have gradually accepted the role of women in community development, especially the participation of women in decision-making. 
  

• In regard to the five MHP communities, the watershed protection plans, activities, policies of their respective EUAs, coupled with changes in people’s behavior towards the forest and river ecosystems, have effectively led to the safeguarding of a total of 1,560 hectares of forest (123% more than the target of 700 hectares). 
  

• An initial survey of 2,000 households reveals that 94% of them have totally stopped using kerosene for household lighting. This has resulted in the generation of significant cash savings (i.e. the baseline data indicate that households spent PhP 300-600 PhP per month on kerosene). The remaining 6% said that they sometimes use kerosene when it rains for days on end, limiting the capacity of the solar home lighting systems to absorb sufficient sunlight. This is not the case, however, with beneficiaries of micro hydropower systems who are assured of energy supply 24 hours a day (except when the EUAs execute their regular cleaning and maintenance chores which could be completed in a few hours). Still, the overall amount of carbon emissions avoided – through the implementation of both micro hydropower and solar power – is very significant.

​It has been a long and arduous journey for Yamog. It would not have been possible for this organization to sustain its work in Mindanao without the kindness of people in distant and forgotten villages, international and local development organizations, enlightened local government units and agencies who extended a helping hand when the going got tough. 

ENVISIONED NEXT STEPS
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There are 6.4 million households in Mindanao, of  which 1.5 million households (or 23%) still do not have access to electricity.  Sen. Win Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, pointed out that an  alarming number of 2,779,530 households, or 12 percent of the total number of households nationwide, still have no access to electricity. Most of these households are located in Mindanao. Furthermore, he also noted that at least 45% of areas serviced by the National Power Corporation – Small Power Utilities Group (NPC-SPUG) – are receiving only 4 to 8 hours of electricity while 19.9% of areas receive only 9 to 16 hours of electricity service per day. Hence, there are many households in Mindanao considered by the government as "unserved". Many more are considered as "underserved".

At a time when Mindanao will most likely go through an energy crisis in the coming years resulting from its heavy dependence on fossil fuel especially coal (which makes up more than 60% of its energy mix), Yamog is committed to continue its work to empower neglected communities to explore the path towards a clean energy future. For Yamog, access to renewable, sustainable energy matters; but what the people can do together to transform and regenerate their communities is the power that really matters. 

Yamog is actively seeking funding partners for the next phase of its work.  Please contact [email protected] for details.

For nearly four decades, SIBAT (Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya)  has supported sustainable rural development throughout the Philippines, including through the advancement of community-based renewable energy solutions.  SIBAT has always championed a highly collaborative approach prioritizing community involvement and leadership at every stage of the micro hydro project lifecycle, from project initiation to completion and beyond.  The following provides a glimpse into some of SIBAT’s micro hydro endeavours from 2022 with communities in the Cordillera region of Luzon. 

System Upgrade in Brgy. Mataragan, Malibcong, Abra

In January 2021, SIBAT began working with the community of Brgy. Mataragan, Malibcong, Abra to install a new micro hydropower system (MHP). This new system will be an alternate system for their existing system during summer.  The pre-existing and new system have the same source and forebay but have different penstocks and powerhouses. The old system has a higher head but cannot accommodate their needs for irrigation during Summer, since its tailrace goes directly to the river. On the other hand, the new system has a smaller head but can accommodate the community’s needs for irrigation since the tailrace will be connected to their irrigation system. The old system’s capacity is 25kW while the new system can only produce up to 15kW.  The project is nearing completion following unforeseen delays in 2022.

Crossflow Turbine Fabrication - Sitio Saltan Brgy. Balbalasang

SIBAT has also been supporting an ongoing project to install a new micro hydro system in Sitio Saltan Brgy. Balbalasang, Balbalan Kalinga.  A machinist at SIBAT completed the fabrication of the crossflow turbine for the new system at SIBAT's Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATech).  The new system has a design power output of 15KW which will power the whole sitio (i.e. hamlet/territorial enclave).  It is hoped that the installation of a system separate from the Brgy. Balbalasang micro hydro will completely allow the communities to power their other appliances and machinery.

Operator’s Training - Apayao Cluster

From April 20-21, 2022, SIBAT ran an Operator’s Training in Apayao Province, in the Cordillera mountains of Northern Luzon.  As part of the training, 50 participants were grouped into small teams of 5 members each to disassemble and reassemble a crossflow turbine, in order to learn its components. They were guided by SIBAT staff.

​The 6-wheeler truck of the Katablangan Indigenous Farmer’s Association (KIFA) did not survive the challenges the road posed on the journey to Upper Katablangan, Conner, Apayao. Thus, SIBAT’s 4WD pickup truck helped to haul the materials. After the 15km travel (approximately two hours), materials needed to be transferred again since the materials can only be hauled by a motorcycle or by manually carrying them because of a narrow road. It took four round trips for SIBAT’s pickup truck to haul all the materials since it is not that big.

Operator's Training - Kalinga Cluster

From October 20-21, 2022 SIBAT held another Operator’s Training in the Kalinga Province, which involved both theoretical and hands-on lessons to train local micro hydro operators on calibration and troubleshooting for synchronous alternators. 50 operators and officers attended the training from 10 different communities in Kalinga Province. 

​In addition, a separate workshop was conducted for the officers of the MHPs. The workshop was attended by officers with operating MHPs and non-operating MHPs. During the workshop, officers of non-operating MHPs shared the reasons why their systems shut down and indicated that they want to rehabilitate their MHPs to operate again. Officers of operating MHPs also shared what are the current issues and problems they are encountering in operating and maintaining the MHPs. Before the workshop was finished, the whole group formulated solutions to prevent shutdowns and solve the current and future issues that they might encounter.

Rehabilitation of Brgy. Talalang, Balbalan, Kalinga Micro Hydro System

Finally, a success was celebrated in Brgy. Talalang, Balbalan, where the community’s MHP system was successfully rehabilitated. After 2 decades of frequent shutdowns and 8 hrs/ per day operation, the Talalang MHP system almost shutdown for good, but with the help of SIBAT, the system now operates for 24 hrs/day. 

We recently launched the SEEED Accelerator to unlock the full potential of hydro mini-grid practitioners and communities.  The knowledge exchange aspect of the Accelerator incorporates E-Learning and impact-driven, customized capacity building to facilitate hydro mini-grid sustainability and optimal socio-economic benefits.  To this end, we launched the SEEED E-Learning series with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.  So far we’ve hosted three virtual courses (with more to come) focused on community hydro fundamentals, climate resilient solutions, and agroecological benefits.  In conjunction with the virtual E-Learning courses, iwe recently supported local experts to conduct a field-based workshop in Sitio Gawaan Proper, Kalinga Province, Philippines.  ​

Next Steps

Next steps include working with community leaders and appropriate local and regional experts to facilitate steps towards resolving challenges expressed by workshop participants, including:

• Continue to unite against the development of mega dams repeatedly proposed to be built on indigneous territory but benefitting external populations
• Demonstrate the viability of Indigenous-governed micro hydro against the sporadic and expensive central grid
• Alleviate common pitfalls of community-scale hydropower by integrating methods for greater climate resilience and agroecological benefits.

​More broadly, the successful workshop in Kalinga has led us to reflect on possibilities for future HPNET workshops.  While E-Learning has enabled us to reach practitioners in over 40 countries this year, overcoming pandemic-related challenges, we were thrilled to also resume support for field-based capacity building with the workshop in Kalinga Province.  We see much potential for further hybrid formats going forward. 

Learn More

To learn more about community hydro in Kalinga, check out StreamSide Chats Edition 4, in which we take a virtual tour of the Balbalasang micro hydro project and discuss the Indigenous governance systems that support its success. 

You can also check out the SEEED E-Learning platform to explore course offerings and read more about the SEEED Approach.

We are delighted to present the fourth edition of our video podcast series, StreamSide Chats!  The podcast features deep-dive conversations with grassroots innovators and international experts of small-scale hydropower, offering insights from the ground, framed within multi-thematic analysis. 

​In this edition, we take a closer look at social and environmental aspects of community hydro, discussing small-scale hydropower from the perspective of Indigenous communities.  Through the case of a cluster of 12 micro hydro projects in Kalinga Province, Philippines, we explore important connections between community-scale hydro, Indigenous rights and livelihoods, and environmental stewardship. 

We had the privilege to speak with Ms. Jade Angngalao, Coordinator of the Renewable Energy Program at SIBAT.  Jade has worked with micro hydro communities for eleven years, focusing on various technical, social, and environmental aspects.  We learn from Jade how micro hydro is supporting socio-environmental resilience in Kalinga, bolstered by long-standing, robust self-governance structures and traditional ecological knowledge.  Don’t miss this chat, featuring a “streamside” tour of the Balbalasang micro hydro system and community! 

PART A: ​

In Part A, Jade reflects on her experience growing up with micro hydro and shares about the ways in which her social and cultural context influenced her view of ‘development’.  We learn how projects are developed and managed by Indigenous communities in Kalinga province, and discuss how local governance structures and traditional environmental protocols support sustainable energy access, climate resilience, and community development.  Jade shares about key challenges and future priorities, highlighting the opportunity for various stakeholders to support and uplift Indigenous-led, nature-based solutions like the community hydro initiatives in Kalinga.

​​Highlights:

03:44 - Cultural and environmental values
05:41 - Natural resource management
08:48 - First exposure to community hydro
12:04 - A rewarding role
13:40 - Productive end use 
15:48 - Rights and self-governance through community hydro
17:33 - 'Lapat' environmental protocols
21:00 - Governance structure
21:45 - Climate change and watershed restoration
26:00 - Challenges
28:50 - Load management
34:20 - From villages to towns
35:38 - Micro hydro versus the grid
38:05 - Need for government support 
40:00 - Nature-based solutions and climate finance

​In Part B, join us for a tour with Ms. Jade Angngalao, Coordinator of the Renewable Energy Program at SIBAT, Eng. Ver Ian Victorio, Head of Micro Hydro Power Turbine Testing Center, Univ. of Rizwal System, and Eng. Roy Andrada, the Project Manager of the URS-MHP Program.  First, Jade shares an overview of the Balbalasang micro hydro project, including its technical components, evolution, and local impacts.  Next, the team shows us around the project, chatting with key community members along the way.  From a computer lab at the local high school, to hostels and a carpentry workshop, the tour offers a glimpse into the various community assets enabled by the micro hydro system.

Highlights:

02:11 - Project location and governing body
02:53 - Technical layout, components, and evolution
04:30 - Project funding
05:03 - Community contribution of labor and land
05:21 - Productive end use and impact on local economy
06:43 - Social services end uses
07:58 - Household end uses
08:23 - Load Management
09:15 - Opportunity to upgrade the system
10:15 - Community-initiated fund for upgrade
11:09 - System running for two decades
11:46 - "StreamSide" tour of the project!

In case you missed it

Check out earlier editions of StreamSide Chats on our YouTube channel.  
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• In Edition 1 we spoke with decentralized renewable energy specialist, Divyam Nagpal, and Director of Clean Energy at Winrock International, Bikash Pandey.  We discussed the role of micro hydro in contributing to long term rural economic recovery and resilience in the pandemic era.  

• In Edition 2 Bikash Pandey spoke with Ashoka Fellow and micro / mini hydro developer Bir Bahadur Ghale from Nepal, where over 3000 small-scale hydro projects have been developed, supporting local job creation and economic resilience, even in the aftermath of the devastating 2015 earthquake.

• In Edition 3 we focused on Pakistan’s unique small-scale hydro sector, which has been scaled up over several decades.  We spoke with Sherzad Ali Khan, the Coordinator of the Aga Khan Development Network (or AKDN) for Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral regions.  We discussed gender-aware planning, productive end use, successful management practices, grid interconnection, climate finance and more. 

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay updated on future releases!

Was there a particular person or situation that inspired you to focus on renewable energy and community hydro?

I became part of a movement, doing advocacy work in objection to big dams.  The World Bank was funding huge dams in the Northern part of the Philippines.  Well, the objection was led by communities.  They fought over several years and the people won, and the World Bank withdrew from the area.  It wasn’t only the dams, but issues related to logging as well.  When Ferdinand Marcos was president, under martial law, he allowed his cronies to exploit the resources up in the mountains, the watersheds.  And again, the Indigenous people in that area resisted and they won – the big corporation withdrew from the area.  So, I witnessed this and that, of course, was immense and very important to me.  I realized that only the people can make change.  Actually, it was a tribal community (the Butbut tribe) who articulated and requested  that a small-scale hydro be built in their community, as the alternative to the big dam. They realized the importance of hydropower, but at a scale that would not hurt them, that would not displace communities.  So they provided us the insight on what to do and that was the birth of the community-based micro hydro.  Reflecting now, I think that was, in fact, a key element of our framework for renewable energy development. 

So, basically, it was in that region where the micro hydro work started.  We provided the technical support and the community contributed as well, and that became our framework going forward.  And we leveraged this to reach out to funding agencies such as the UN Development Programme Small Grants Program and the Department of Energy, who then supported a number of our projects.  Then that experience in that area inspired other tribal, Indigenous communities in the North to build similar systems, which in turn set an example for other Indigenous provinces to do the same.

I built a team of effective people.  Not all were engineers; we especially paid attention to involving people from the ground.  In time they all learned the theories behind the civil works.  And, most importantly, we built all of the micro hydro components locally.  We were in collaboration with a university in the North, who had good people who understood community-based work.  There was one very good engineer, who has since passed away, who  really provided strong, technological knowledge to our team, who we are very thankful for.  

That was a period in the Philippines when policies were being drawn up to embark on renewable energy.  We advocated for a community-based approach, but the government was influenced by the big energy companies coming in.  So we continued our work even without policy to support us and, in the Cordillera Region, we built 27 micro hydro systems in collaboration with the communities and with local government units who recognized the role of the communities.  The people, women, men and even children, came to do the physical construction work.  The micro hydro organizations were built coming from the collective work in construction,  and each organization formulated and enforced the policies to maintain and sustain the plant over these many years.  The community organization provided the guidance to manage and sustain the micro hydro.  Certainly, women have important roles to play in managing the micro hydro organizations, such as enforcing policies, and collectively sustaining the waterways and hillsides along these. 
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Following a period of rehabilitation after some 10 years or more, all the projects there are further improved and made to function up to the present, delivering the required energy per household and per community, providing 24-hour lighting, use of household appliances and powering livelihoods.  

​So we started with resisting the big dam and won.  And then the anti-logging struggle also played an important role in making the people understand the importance of defending their forests.  In that province, where most of the micro hydro projects were implemented, the communities experienced a learning process around watershed protection.  This strengthened the lappat system, the traditional system of forest protection in the indigenous communities.  With that understanding of the need to protect the water source to enable electricity generation, the communities have been able to sustain their systems for more than 20 years now. 

What kind of changes have you seen in the sector since you started out?

There are more and more people in the science and technology sector, including students and professionals, who are interested to volunteer and come with us to the field and take part. ​

​In addition, the government’s energy programs are very strong and they look down at what we’re doing; but in recent years we’ve been able to show the economic impact of our approach.  In 2018, we convened a conference addressing the impact of about 20 years of work.  Looking back, earlier on a number of us were working on advocacy in our organization but not very systematically. Of course, we wrote papers and convened big, national conferences, especially at the start when we were trying to promote our work nationally; but now there is evidence we can leverage, standing side by side, something we can show the big systems of the government. 

A few years back you established a new organization called RESILIENCE. Can you tell us about RESILIENCE and what led you to initiate it?

So, this was after my work in SIBAT.  I thought of broadening the focus to embrace climate change because that is a very big threat to societies and it will have a very adverse impact on resources, and even on the micro hydro systems that we were advocating for.  SIBAT already focused on sustainable agriculture, so we had that framework for addressing how different issues are connected, but climate is something that had to be addressed.  So I organized RESILIENCE with a few people, but it will take us some more years to develop.  With the pandemic it really had slowed down due to movement restrictions; but once the situation improves we will get back to it.  And it will involve connecting with organizations that focus on climate change and us contributing our strength in sustainable agriculture, in watershed management, as well as renewable energy.  It has yet to take off strongly, but the concept is there.
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Why is climate resilience important in micro hydro communities?

Well, it's for the protection of the systems themselves against landslides, the lowering of the water level – all those aspects that affect the resources in the communities.  Now communities are seeing an increase in specific impacts of climate change, such as typhoons and landslides.  When these things happen we have to rehabilitate the systems, strengthen the civil works, and strengthen the role of the communities in conserving the forests and maintaining the water channels.  In micro hydro communities, climate resilience encompasses a lot – the lives of the people and the protection of their innovations, successes and achievements.
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We’ve heard from other colleagues in the Philippines how Indigenous communities have long traditions of environmental stewardship.  How does that come into play?

We have seen many communities that lead in this – they have formulated community policies that govern watershed management, including the cutting of trees and protection of resources in the watershed area.  But there are communities that still have to formulate theirs. So the traditional system that’s at the forefront of sustainable watershed protection is called lapat, which is a very important policy that people hold sacred and that they abide by. That is a great tradition being sustained up until now, but not all communities have done that.  And only Indigenous communities have that; others should learn from them.

What challenges have you faced as a woman practitioner? How did you overcome these obstacles? 
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​Of course, men dominate this field, but I am intrinsically strong and I have to keep showing that strength in order for other women to be strong.  So, I have built small women’s groups in the city and while in the rural areas.  And I have tried to show by example that you can speak, that you can act, that you can contribute to the discussion and take the lead where you are needed to take lead. I think mobilizing women is my strength.  When I go to a rural community, the first people I engage are the older women.  

You have to keep yourself strong and not be intimidated, by organizing more women to add to their number in the field.  And I've seen my former students really take strides in leadership in community work.  So reflecting back, I think it’s about leading by example.  I am also a member of the national women's organization here; I was part of building it during my younger days.  So the importance of the role of women is very strong in me.  

What do women leaders have to offer in energy access efforts? 

Access to energy has an impact within households on women and children.  Women are really impacted by everything that energy is used for inside the home, because of the care work that they do.  So, I have seen rural women speaking very strongly for the sustaining of the micro hydro, and even taking a strong role in the physical maintenance of the hillsides, keeping the water channels clean.  They're quite strong in that because it has an impact on their life.  Electricity reduces their work in the household, it allows the children to study longer hours, and they can go to the fields with less risk because there is light outside the homes.  

Traditionally, women are often not present at community meetings and instead stay home to care for the kinds.  But when it comes to rural electrification, we’ve seen that women are quite strong in community meetings.  The mothers come even together with the children and that provides insight into the importance of energy access to women, and the important role of women within these innovations.
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What solutions could we employ to address gender challenges in the sector?

Well, the livelihood opportunities that energy access enables should be more accessible to women.  And during my time in SIBAT we worked on innovating on some machines so that women can handle them easier, with less physical strength required.  And when it comes to maintenance of the powerhouse, women can do that.  So first help develop a fair opportunity for them to be part of what is supposedly a men’s domain, especially in livelihood matters.  You can develop a specific approach to address that; maybe a women’s committee can be formed among other committees in the community, in order to address women’s particular needs.  It’s important to look at technical matters, as well as the broader impacts.  Always consider how women are affected and strengthen these aspects. 

Within SIBAT, I have advocated for technical training for women and, although we have more men, we do have women engineers.  But renewable energy development is not just technology and from the start of designing a program you have to look at the projected impact.  So, you should not leave out the participation of women, especially in designing their livelihood paths.  For example, sugar cane pressing, which is traditional in the mountain areas – with electricity they can develop the sugar industry, beyond just pressing.

Food is important to rural women, it is important to households.  So agriculture can also be strengthened by micro hydro, for instance by enabling electric machines and equipment.  Such activities have always concerned women in particular because of their role in sustaining the household.   

​What brings you hope for the future?

Again, that there will always be change.  And I know if people can really work together then they can encourage the authorities to involve them.  Right now during the pandemic, when the roles of local people are being addressed, there should be room made for community-based initiatives to build the change. I know that in my more than 30 years in this, when I began as a student activist in a small corridor of the university doing science, there had been great changes already.  But not very structurally.  But you could see the people’s minds do change. 

And our efforts in micro hydropower development should – at least up to the municipality level – make them realize that community-based efforts should be a big, big part of the Philippines national program for development.  In the mountains of Abra in Kalinga, there are 30 micro hydropower systems, not resulting from the initiative of the government, but from the initiative of the people. And there are those coming to a realization that this is something that they should study and perhaps multiply.  My hopes for that are high.​

Is there anything we have missed about your journey that you would like to share with our readers?

I look forward to seeing what big collective efforts will come about through the work of RESILIENCE, looking at all aspects, from water, to energy, economics, agriculture.  That’s something that I hope to be a part of.  

As part of the SEEED Accelerator, HPNET launched the SEEED cohort for the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Salween River Basins, in partnership with International Rivers, to advance community-scale hydropower in the region. 

​With support from TROSA and funding from the Government of Sweden and WISIONS, the SEEED cohort engaged in capacity building, multi-actor dialogue and peer-to-peer exchange, including through a two-day virtual exchange event. 

​You can find video recordings, session summaries, presentation slides, and other event resources at this link!

For nearly three decades, Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group Inc. has been advancing clean energy solutions to improve socio-economic and environmental well-being in rural Mindanao, Philippines. Yamog’s holistic approach prioritizes local capacity building, watershed restoration and sustainable development—resulting in sustainable projects with high value-add that illustrate the wide-reaching potential of community-based, small-scale hydropower.

Keep up to date on Yamog’s impactful work by liking their Facebook page where they frequently post insightful and inspiring updates. A quick scroll reveals just how active the organization is — leading watershed resource mapping, facilitating workshops to build local technical capacity, supporting women-led enterprises, and so much more. Be sure to hit the ‘like’ button and show your support for Yamog’s dedicated efforts to advance sustainable, community-led development.

Since 1984, SIBAT has fostered a network of dedicated, local champions committed to advancing sustainable solutions in their communities. A country-wide Filipino people’s network, SIBAT supports renewable energy applications, sustainable agriculture techniques, and water access solutions.

SIBAT’s community-based, sustainable approach has enabled long-lasting energy access for many communities in Abra, Philippines. Last year, SIBAT upgraded the Barangay Dulao micro hydro system, which had been in operation for 25 years! Local capacity building is an important element of their sustainable approach, and is supported through training offered at SIBAT’s Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATech) in Capas, Tarlac, Philippines. In fact, SIBAT takes part in knowledge sharing to build capacity across the region; for instance, in 2019, practitioners from Philippines and Malaysia gathered for a training session on Pelton micro hydro turbine fabrication, organized by SIBAT and HPNET.

To stay in the loop on SIBAT’s inspiring community-centred work, we encourage you to scroll through and ‘like’ SIBAT’s Facebook page. There you’ll find insightful updates on technical training for local community members, open source mini-grid management tools, videos featuring socio-economic impacts of energy access, and much more. Recently, SIBAT has shared updates on their efforts to distribute facemasks and supplies to vulnerable, indigenous communities. Be sure to ‘like’ SIBAT’s page to show your support and learn about their ongoing initiatives.
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Since 1993, Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc. has been working with rural, indigenous populations to improve socio-economic and environmental well-being in Mindanao, Philippines. Since its inception, Yamog has championed a holistic approach to rural electrification and development, leveraging co-benefits of clean energy solutions to catalyze sustainable positive change in marginalized communities. 
 
Currently, although operations have been significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Yamog has several promising, ongoing initiatives underway. Two significant projects were initiated in 2020, and the Yamog team is hopeful that progress on these initiatives will pick up  later this year. 

Sustainable Energy and Safe Drinking Water in Davao Occidental

One of Yamog’s main ongoing projects centres around the promotion of a locally-operated electricity and water supply system in Sitio Danao, Barangay Pangaleon Municipality of Malita Province of Davao Occidental-Mindana, Philippines. Funded by Misereor-KZE Germany, this project will establish a 26 kW capacity micro hydro system in Sitio Danao. 

The Yamog team is grateful for the contributions of HPNET Board Member Gerhard Fisher and company from Pt Entec Indonesia, who fabricated the turbine and electro-mechancial equipment for this project. Following up on a collaboration facilitated by HPNET in 2018, and knowledge exchange activities in 2019, Pt Entec and Yamog continue to collaborate to advance high quality micro hydro equipment in community based projects in Mindanao. 

Through this project, Yamog aims to improve the quality of life of the Tagakaulo tribal community, via a participatory approach to community development. Substantive community involvement is prioritized, in order to harness local social capital and build the community’s capacity to manage and sustain the project. This collaborative, participatory approach is very much in line with the local culture, reflecting the spirit of “bayanihan” (communal activities). 

Community collaboration has been central, not only in the establishment of the MHP, but also in the promotion of watershed protection and restoration in the Tagakaulo’s ancestral land. The community association, watershed committee and volunteers have collectively carried out resource mapping and planning to mitigate and prevent further environmental destruction and strengthen the watershed ecosystem. They aim to conserve 390 hectares of the watershed, plant 5,000 fruit-bearing and native trees and establish a community-managed nursery, mandating that each member of the community association plant 5 trees every year. To date, they have successfully transplanted around 30% of their total target number of trees. 

Yamog, furthermore, aims to promote gender equity through the project, and women have played an important role in activities thus far. One of the project’s core activities focuses on developing sustainable livelihoods for women, to respond to the gendered impacts of energy poverty and limited economic opportunities, and to leverage the valuable role that women play within community development. The community association’s general assembly also voted for a woman to be their chairperson, acknowledging her strong leadership capabilities. 

The project team has not yet been able to install the electro-mechanical equipment for the MHP, as their engineers aren’t able to travel to the beneficiary community due to COVID-related restrictions. However, Yamog hopes to complete installation by September or October 2020, so that the community will have electricity access before Christmastime.

Last month, practitioners from Philippines and Malaysia gathered for a training session on Pelton micro hydro turbine fabrication. The session was the second part of a two-part training organized by HPNET and Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya (SIBAT), to strengthen local capacities in fabrication and manufacturing.

The training responded to the knowledge exchange needs of HPNET Members in the Philippines and Malaysia who require skills to design and build Pelton micro hydro turbines.

Following an online training in November, the in-person training ran from December 2 - 7 and was held at SIBAT's Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATech) in Capas, Tarlac, Philippines. The overall aim was for participants to acquire knowledge of the design, manufacturing and testing of Pelton turbines, including fabrication of the Pelton runner assembly.
Participants benefited from an opportunity for hands-on learning, in addition to technical and theoretical presentations. 

Within Pelton Turbine Design, sub-topics covered included:

• Single and multi jet turbines;
• Vertical and horizontal axis turbines;
• Direct and belt drive systems;
• Net head calculations and shaft calculations;
• Pelton runner sizing;
• Bearing and belt selection;
• Other components.

The resource person for this training was HPNET Member Mr. Ajith Kumara from Simple Engineering, a senior micro and mini hydropower specialist based in Sri Lanka. Mr. Kumara has extensive experience training practitioners in design and fabrication aspects of various electro-mechanical components of small-scale hydropower.

This training was made possible by SIBAT, WISIONS and Simple Engineering.

HPNET members in Indonesia and the Philippines are joining forces to provide high quality micro hydro equipment to community-based projects in Mindanao.

The ASEAN Centre for Hydropower Competance (HYCOM) and Pt Entec Indonesia, both global experts for micro hydro technology transfer, are supporting the Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc., the pioneering NGO committed for nearly three decades to providing electricity to marginalized communities in Mindanao, to explore establishing local manufacturing of cross-flow turbines.  

After multiple online exchanges, in June 2019 HPNET Board members Gerhard Fischer and Ardi Nugraha visited Yamog in Davao City to gauge the local team's capacity for local manufacturing.  Then in October 2019, Yamog's technical leads visit Pt Entec and HYCOM in Bandung, Indonesia to better understand quality standards practiced in Indonesia.  The collaboration is gradually moving toward the goal of locally manufactured cross-flow turbines in Mindanao.

HPNET facilitated the start of collaboration between PT Entec and Yamog in 2018 and the network has benefited immensely from the ongoing contributions of both organizations. It is great to see continuous knowledge exchange (often self-initiated, as in this case) between these long-standing HPNET Members.

This week, the SIBAT and CREATech team, from Luzon, Philippines, took the initiative to complement their 25 years of micro hydro development in the northern Philippines with a learning visit to Tonibung and CREATE’s work in Sabah, Borneo Malaysia.  Tonibung has been the pioneer of community-based micro hydro systems in Malaysia for 25+ years, focusing on indigenous communities and social enterprise.  Tonibung closely collaborates with Green Empowerment.  HPNET's collective knowledge has been greatly enriched by the active membership of all five organizations.

The SIBAT team took time to understand Tonibung’s local manufacturing developments and their approach to linking MHPs to social enterprise for scaling productive end use.

The team visited Longkogungan village and Kalanggaan village, along with Tonibung staff members Bill Baxter and Willery Larry, and Green Empowerment staff member Dan Frydman.

Here is what SIBAT engineer Ms. Benazir Bacala has to say about the recent visit:

“Visiting the sites of Tonibung made me appreciate more the work of NGOs. It was an adventure that we could never forget, risky hiking,  lots of crossing rivers...Very inspiring how Tonibung and its staff were also able to reach those villages in remote areas to provide sustainable energy to the communities and their efforts and dedication to help the people.

We learned a lot about their MHP with Pelton turbines, both direct couple and belt-driven systems, that were locally manufactured at CREATE.”

For more journeys of women micro hydro practitioners in our Hidden No More  series, please sign up below to receive our newsletter!  ​

To commemorate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples this quarter, marked annually on August 9 by the United Nations, we are introducing Earth Voices to spotlight indigenous micro hydropower (MH) communities across the region who are sustainably managing communal natural resources and successfully empowering themselves through energy access. 

​Indigenous communities of South and Southeast Asia are highly diverse, with unique traditions, languages, religious/spiritual beliefs and social structures. One commonality is the link between environmental conservation and indigenous heritage. Indigenous communities play a vital role in safeguarding the region’s rich biodiversity and forest ecosystems. They are often deeply reliant on ecosystem services, and carry an intricate understanding of local ecological relationships.

Written by Lara Powell, HPNET Communications Coordinator

HPNET and WISIONS hosted a Deep Dive Workshop at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) 2019, entitled Hydro Mini-Grids in the Asia-Pacific: Scaling Inclusive
Enterprise-Based Approaches.  Special thanks to the ACEF team, our speakers, and WISIONS for making the rich dialogue possible!

The agenda and speaker bios can be found here.  Watch the videos below!  Or listen to the audio here.

Part 1 - Examples and Opportunities for Enterprise-based Hydro Mini-Grids
Moderator:  Divyam Nagpal
Panelists:  Bir Bahadur Ghale, Hydro Concern Ltd., Nepal; Satish Gautam, UNDP Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihoods, Nepal; Sandra Winarsa, Hivos Southeast Asia; Meherban Khan, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) Pakistan, and Dipti Vaghela, Hydro Empowerment Network

In partnership with the WISIONS of Sustainability Initiative and Energypedia, we are conducting a 4-part, quarterly webinar series on hydro mini-grids -- starting this month.   Join us!  Details below.

Renewable energy mini-grids are a cost-effective and reliable solution for energy access. Within the technologies available for mini-grids, micro/mini hydropower (MHP) has added advantages. It's techno-economic characteristics, such lower levelized cost of electricity, per kilowatt cost, and no need for battery storage, make it economically viable for grid interconnection and productive end use applications.

​Because MHP hardware can be manufactured locally and maintained by local actors, MHP development imparts local skills and jobs, which can evolve into local MHP enterprises. In addition, MHP strengthens catchment area and watershed protection, in turn increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in hilly regions.

The number of hydro mini-grids in rural areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America far exceed other types of mini-grids. As a proven technology with an extensive track record, micro and mini hydropower is the focus in this mini-grid webinar series. The objective of the series is to facilitate exchange among diverse actors advancing small-scale hydro, and promote approaches that lead to long-term success and optimal local benefits. Each of the four webinars will respectively provide insight on MHP reliability, sustainability, financing, and planning for scalability.

WEBINAR 1, MARCH 28, 2019
MINI-GRID RELIABILITY:  THE ROLE OF TRAINING CENTERS FOR MICRO/MINI HYDROPOWER
Watch here:​

The 10 poorest provinces of the Philippines are located on the island of Mindanao.  As with other marginalized places in our world -- where rural, indigenous populations face social exclusion, frustration, and hopelessness in the face of extractive and inequitable economic and political systems -- portions of the island are controlled by separatist movements, with innocent indigenous communities caught in the crossfire between the government and the rebels.  The situation exacerbates efforts to bring infrastructure for basic needs (e.g. potable water and electricity) and magnifies the innate challenges of rural development work in developing contexts.

In March 1993, a small, young, and local group of alternative development professionals came together with the mission to improve the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental well-being in rural Mindanao, by promoting the sustainable utilization and management of appropriate renewable energy sources and other natural resources.  Versed in technical, ecological, and social aspects of sustainable rural development, the group was called Yamog, translating as dew drops in the Cebuano language. 

Distinct from the conventional community development approaches at the time, the pioneers of the Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc., pursued a path that was anchored on renewable energy as a springboard towards positive, meaningful and enduring change at the grassroots level, to end decades of deprivation.  It pioneered utilizing renewable energy, not only to lessen the dependence of poor communities on fossil fuels, but also to offer it as a vehicle for marginalized communities to become sustainable.

When Yamog was established 20-years ago, nearly half of Mindanao was un-electrified.  Even now Mindinao's largest city faces daily blackouts lasting 12 hours.  Yet, the nearly 2500 households that have electrified their villages with Yamog's help do not have to rely on the central grid and can access 24/7 electricity.  Yamog continues to facilitate other communities in rural Mindanao and Visayas in generating their own electricity from micro hydro or solar power.​

The effectiveness of Yamog's work is rooted its integrated approach to community-based micro hydropower.  In each project, Yamog's long-experienced staff of 7 are committed to instilling the environmental, institutional, social, and technical aspects that are critical to the project's life.

Involvement of local government

A key aspect to Yamog's work is facilitating communities to generate support from the leaders of their barangay (the most local administrative unit) for watershed strengthening and micro hydropower implementation.  Although challenging, this process has resulted in community hydropower units that have greater vested stake from the local government, and a paved path for the community to reach out to local officials regarding other village development needs. Support from local government can also help establish productive use for community income generation from micro hydropower, e.g. financing of agro processing units such oil mills and rice hullers.​

With a small team, instead of quantity of projects Yamog's work has focused on process and quality to ensure long-term sustainability.  Every year the team typically commits to 1-2 projects and implements them with utmost care, focusing on the elements explained above. 

While larger organizations, with greater number of staff and funding, can easily implement many projects in parallel, they can be prone to frequent staff turnover and prioritizing targets over processes.  In some cases this has led to micro hydropower units that are not long-sustained and soon need rehabilitation.  In this context, HPNET takes inspiration from Yamog's steady and process-focused momentum to establish community micro hydropower. 
​
To give you a glimpse of the Yamog's work in action, below is a brief case study of Lubo village's micro hydropower project.
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Case Study:  Sustainability of Lubo Micro Hydro Project -- Two Years Later 
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The residents of Sitio Lubo continue to enjoy the benefits of having a 35-kilowatt micro-hydropower system. Since the renewable energy project was handed-over by Yamog to the Lubo Renewable Energy Community Association (LURECDA) in June 2013, the lives of the people in this isolated and marginalized community have steadily changed for the better.
 
Situated deep in the highlands of Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu in the province of South Cotabato, Sitio Lubo is an off-grid community inhabited by mostly Christian peasant settlers. It is about 65 kilometers from Koronadal City, South Cotabato.  It is populated by 150 households who, for many decades, have been resigned to their dismal fate of being deprived of opportunities that would improve their socio-economic situation. No one among them could have imagined that their vast water resource would someday lift them up from their collective sense of hopelessness and helplessness.

In the realm of integrated approaches to community-based micro hydro, we take inspiration from SIBAT, a country-wide Filipino network and people's organization advancing community-based renewable energy applications, sustainable agriculture techniques, and water access solutions.

Organization Evolution
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SIBAT's Filipino name, Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya, translates as a wellspring of science and technology.   In 1984, several non-government organizations, including science and technology leaders  of the country, synergized to help alleviate the struggles of rural communities with the use of appropriate technology   The endeavor established SIBAT as a network to coordinate capacity building for organizations that develop technology for rural areas.  Over the next decade SIBAT led the country's movement for sustainable agriculture, in empowering communities to return to organic farming with improved techniques.  In 1994, SIBAT began capacity building work on rural energy and water solutions.  

Challenges

With 30 years of commitment to rural communities, SIBAT's work faces the following challenges and opportunities:

Practice-to-policy

In the late 90’s and onward, SIBAT joined efforts for policy development on sustainable  agriculture.  It participated in the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Organic Agriculture Law which took effect in 2012. While the law is in place, it lacks mechanisms to strengthen the small-scale, organic farmer.  SIBAT faces a similar uphill in reforming the country's renewable energy law, so that small and community-based power producers are part of the national strategy. To scale community-based energy projects, SIBAT seeks to change the current Renewable Energy policy. Towards this goal, it has taken the lead in facilitating partnerships and exchange events among practice, policy, advocacy, and academic stakeholders.