Solar project reshapes Aeta lands in Zambales(First of 3 parts)

SUNKEN CHURCH A submerged church in Mapanuepe Lake, San Marcelino, Zambales, stands partially visible above the waterline, a silent reminder of the area’s flooded past and the landscape reshaped by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. A planned 147-megawatt floating solar project here has raised hopes and concerns. —PHOTOS BY JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT

SAN MARCELINO, ZAMBALES — On clear mornings in this upland town, Mapanuepe Lake shimmers against forested ridges as the country accelerates its shift toward renewable energy amid global fuel price volatility and growing energy security concerns.

For generations, Aeta communities—Ayta Ambala, Ayta Mag-Indi and Ayta Zambal—have lived in these mountains, relying on forest knowledge, small farms and seasonal harvests. Today, however, the landscape they depend on is changing as renewable energy projects expand, including a proposed floating solar facility on Mapanuepe Lake that has sparked both hope and concern among residents within ancestral lands.

At the center of this is the proposed 147-megawatt San Marcelino Floating Solar Power Project, which could become one of Southeast Asia’s largest once completed. The project, led by Northern Sun Radiance Inc. (NSRI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation, has been declared an Energy Project of National Significance by the Department of Energy as part of efforts to expand renewable energy and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.

For residents, the project represents both opportunity and uncertainty—particularly on how Indigenous communities will share in benefits from developments within ancestral domains.

TERRITORY CLAIM Liza Balario, Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory representative of Barangay Buhawen, together with tribal chieftains, points to a map showing their ancestral domain in San Marcelino, Zambales. They also oppose vegetation clearing in the uplands.

Shaped by disaster

Mapanuepe Lake itself was formed after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, when volcanic debris filled river valleys and water eventually pooled into what is now a freshwater lake serving as transport route and livelihood source for upland villages.

Ancestral domain areas around the lake cover about 33,608 hectares across Barangays Aglao, Buhawen, San Rafael and Sta. Fe. Many Aeta families still depend on farming and forest gathering, though infrastructure, tourism and energy projects have increasingly reshaped local livelihoods.

Similar developments

Even before the floating solar plan, the area had become a renewable energy hub due to vast lahar-covered lands suitable for solar farms. The 585-megawatt SanMar Solar project spans former lahar plains in San Rafael, Burgos, Aglao and Laoag.

These projects have brought jobs, though often temporary. Some Aeta residents have benefited. In Barangay Aglao, resident Carmelita Takasan said three of her seven children now work in solar-related jobs.

“But it also helped a lot,” she tells the Inquirer in Filipino, noting the added income for her family. But she also observes the environmental changes: “Many trees were also cut down.”

Community members say forest areas used for gathering firewood and food have become less accessible due to clearing and fencing.

The proposed floating solar facility would cover about 228 hectares of the lake’s 600-ha surface. Floating solar systems place panels on water, reducing land use and improving efficiency.

The project is still undergoing surveys and environmental studies and still needs an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

LAKE SURVEY Water testing is conducted at Mapanuepe Lake in San Marcelino, Zambales, as part of preparatory assessments for a proposed floating solar installation.

Indigenous consent, benefits

Because the project is within ancestral land, it underwent the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act.

IPMR Robert Dela Cruz says that consultations began in 2022 and led to a 2024 agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous communities are expected to receive about P21 million in royalties and other benefits, including emergency transport services and a 50-meter navigation lane across the lake.

According to Liza Balario, an Indigenous leader in Barangay Bulawen, families hope the project will improve education access.

“We hope this will help the youth,” she remarks.

NSRI says it has already released over P1.5 million in community programs, including education, environmental and disaster response initiatives. It also plans sitio electrification once the plant becomes operational.

Despite these, concerns remain among Indigenous families about long-term impacts on ancestral land and access to natural resources.

For many Aeta communities, Mapanuepe Lake is not just an economic space but a cultural landscape shaped by generations of tradition.

As renewable energy expands, San Marcelino reflects the complex balance between clean energy development and the rights of Indigenous communities living on ancestral land.

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