CATBALOGAN CITY (October 27, 2025) — The Region 8 Media Citizen Council (R8MCC) has joined the growing public outcry against the planned construction of 37 wind turbines within Calbayog City’s forested and protected watershed areas, warning that the project could cause irreversible harm to the environment and local communities.
In an official statement released Monday, the council called on government officials, project proponents, and the public to “reconsider and desist” from pursuing the wind farm project, which it said threatens Calbayog’s last remaining source of clean water and vital forest ecosystems.
“Renewable energy development is vital in addressing the global climate crisis,” the statement read, “but it must not come at the expense of the environment and the well-being of local communities.”
The R8MCC said it joins the growing number of voices — from the public, youth groups, church leaders, and civil society organizations — that have also expressed strong opposition to the controversial wind project.
Nearly 5,000 individuals in Calbayog have already signed a petition organized by the Save Calbayog Rivers Foundation – Concerted Effort (SACRIFICE), a group leading the opposition movement. Just yesterday, hundreds of residents and advocates took to the streets in an advocacy march calling for the protection of Calbayog’s forests and watershed.
According to the R8MCC, 13 of the 37 proposed turbines would be built within the Calbayog Pan-as Hayiban Protected Landscape — an area described as a “living ecosystem” that sustains both wildlife and people. The council warned that constructing large industrial structures in the area could lead to deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and contamination of the watershed.
“The destruction of this ecosystem will expose Calbayog to greater risks of flooding, water scarcity, and long-term environmental decline,” said R8MCC President Ricky J. Bautista in the statement.
“True development must protect, not destroy, the environment.”
The project, spearheaded by the Gemini Wind Energy Corporation (GWEC), has faced mounting criticism from local communities and environmental advocates who say renewable energy efforts must not come at the cost of ecological destruction.
The R8MCC urged provincial and city officials to listen to the voices of affected communities and prioritize sustainable, science-based energy solutions that do not compromise ecological integrity.
“Protektaran an Kagurangan. Protektaran an Katawhan. Protektaran an Kabubwason han Calbayog,” the statement concluded — a Waray call to protect the forest, the people, and the future of Calbayog.
