Exeter Portofino Holdings, the holding company of civil society leader Sara Soliven-de Guzman, partnered with Vince Perez’s Alternergy for a run-of-river hydropower project in Ifugao.
“Exeter and Alternergy share the same commitment to sustainability and improvement of the local communities and cultural heritage.
The Lamut-Asipulo hydro power project is also an opportunity for us to continue and expand the work our family has started in Ifugao,” said de Guzman, chairperson of Exeter.
Her family, through Dr. Preciosa Soliven, who was UNESCO Secretary-General of the Philippine National Commission, actively promoted the preservation of Ifugao Heritage Sites under the UNESCO Program and supported educational improvement among children in Ifugao through their Operation Brotherhood Community Foundation.
“Our family has deep ties in Ifugao, and we look forward to strengthening this together with Alternergy in harnessing renewable energy and helping uplift the lives of the Ifugaos,” she added.
Eduardo Martinez Miranda, president of Lamut-Asipulo Mini Hydro Corp. (LAMHC), said they welcome Exeter “as we create transformative partnerships in promoting clean energy and impacting the people’s lives.”
“While the development of hydropower projects could be long-gestation, the benefits of clean and renewable power are long-term and significant,” Miranda said.
The Lamut-Asipulo hydro power project will harness water flow from the Cawayan River to convert to clean and environment-friendly renewable power.
With the entry of Exeter as a co-partner, the Lamut-Asipulo hydro power project is in an advanced stage of development. It is expected to issue a notice to proceed to early construction works in the coming months.
The Lamut-Asipulo hydro power project forms part of Alternergy’s goal of building 1,370 MW of renewable energy capacity in the next five years.