31/07/2025
DO WE CUT DOWN FORESTS TO SAVE THE PLANET?
The Silent Destruction of the Southern Sierra Madre for the Tanay Wind Power Project
The Southern Sierra Madre along the Marilaque Highway in Infanta, Quezon is one of the last remaining stretches of lowland rainforest in Luzon, this area is a designated Important Bird Area and part of the Sierra Madre Biodiversity Corridor, harboring an extraordinary number of Philippine endemic and threatened species. As a safe haven for this wealth of flora and fauna protected by Republic Act 9147, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, the above-mentioned area deserves protection and conservation.
Here, it is not uncommon to encounter iconic Philippine endemics such as the Rufous Hornbill, Indigo-banded Kingfisher, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove, and the elusive Philippine Eagle-owl. The forest resounds with the calls of Scale-feathered Malkoha, Flame-breasted Fruit Dove, and Philippine Trogon. Rare sightings of the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher, Whiskered Pitta, and Short-crested Monarch make this area a prime eco-tourism destination for both local and international enthusiasts.
Beyond birds, the forest is also home to remarkable endemic wildlife, including the Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat, Philippine Brown Deer, Philippine Sailfin Lizard, and two elusive but ecologically important vipers—the Northern Philippine Pit Viper and the Philippine Temple Viper. These species are indicators of the area's rich biodiversity and the critical need for its protection.
But this sanctuary is under threat.
During recent visits by some birdwatchers, bird photographers and other conservationists, disturbing observations were made: trees along the highway—particularly from Kilometer 93 onwards—have been painted with red markings and numbers. Many of these are fruiting and native trees, including the last stands of native hagimit (a type of wild fig tree), long cherished by wildlife and naturalists. Locals say these markings are a sign the trees are slated for cutting to make way for road widening—or at the very least, the clearing of space for oversized transport. The sight of these marked trees is chilling — the silent ex*****on of trees that have stood for decades, if not centuries. These trees, which have withstood the shrinking of the Sierra Madre forests, are now under threat.
At the same time, bridges like the one in Querocep, long a vital passage for farmers and nature lovers, are being reinforced to accommodate heavy machinery and oversized cargo—clearly in preparation for something far larger than routine repairs.
What is happening?
Locals and site personnel confirm that these developments are part of the Tanay Wind Power Project, which involves transporting enormous 90-meter-long turbine blades—each as long as a football field—from Dinahican Port in Infanta, Quezon to mountain sites in Tanay, Rizal. These components arrived recently via ocean barge, marking a milestone for what has been dubbed a “game-changer” in the country’s clean energy campaign.
But at what cost?
There is no posted signage, no public briefing, and no environmental impact disclosure made available to the communities or the public. The absence of transparency surrounding such a massive infrastructure project within or adjacent to a protected area is alarming. Under Philippine environmental and indigenous rights laws, projects of this scale require public consultations, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), and often, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)—especially when ancestral domains or biodiversity-rich areas are involved.
Substituting one form of environmental harm with another is not progress. Do we cut down centuries-old trees, fragment forests, and displace endemic wildlife just to install wind turbines—ironically meant to help mitigate climate change? Can there be clean energy without clean conscience?
The cutting of over 10,000 full-grown native and endemic trees—many of them fruiting and ecologically vital—cannot be justified for the one-time transport of massive turbine blades and towers. These trees have taken decades to grow and serve as critical habitat for endangered wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Even if 50 seedlings are planted for every tree lost, it will take generations for them to offer the same ecological value. No number of replacements can immediately restore the complex web of life lost when old-growth forests are cleared.
What must be done?
Let the contractors and government go back to the drawing board and find alternative ways to transport these materials from the port to their destination—without sacrificing the forest in the process. True renewable energy must not come at the cost of destroying what it is meant to protect.
Surely, alternatives must be explored. Could different routes—already cleared or with lesser ecological value—be used to transport these turbines? Could the project have been designed to avoid the core habitats of threatened species or bypass sensitive forest corridors?
Already, the Marilaque Highway is under pressure from increasing vehicle traffic, roadside encroachment, and unchecked tourism infrastructure. Now, this added burden could tip the balance against one of Luzon’s last great rainforests.
Let this not be another case of environmental irony: cutting down the forest to build machines meant to save the planet. Renewable energy is vital, but it must not come at the cost of what we are trying to protect. The people, the flora and fauna who habituate the Sierra Madres deserve
better for the present and the future.
As members of civil society and advocates of nature conservation, we firmly oppose the cutting of these native trees for road widening and land clearing, as such actions will devastate the critical habitat of Philippine endemic wildlife.
We urge the concerned government agencies, the project developers, and all stakeholders to stop, disclose, consult, and reconsider.
The forest must not be the price of our future.
Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP)
Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines (WBPP)
31 July 2025
