Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park (NPPNP) is considered the last contiguous lowland rainforest in Western Visayas. It is considered a highly important area due to its abundant biodiversity.

Aklan Pumped-Storage Hydropower Project is a 300-megawatt pumped-storage hydropower facility to be constructed at Brgy. Nabaoy in Malay, Aklan to provide renewable energy and help stabilize the Visayas power grid. The complex to be built in 2022 will span 122.7 hectares, with 97.9 hectares of forest, 24.9 hectares of which are apparently protected territory within the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park.

We oppose the construction of the Aklan Pumped-Storage Hydropower Project for the following reasons:

• NPPNP has watersheds that are substantially intact. It protects people from natural disasters. The Nabaoy watershed, connected to the natural park, is the main source of portable water for Malay and Boracay Islands. The construction of the hydropower plant in this area would risk the water supplies for the local communities, especially during the construction phase.
• This natural park serves as a home to the Big Visayan Five which is a group of rare and endangered species that consists of the Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, Philippine spotted deer, Visayan hornbill, Visayan warty pig, and Walden's hornbill. The intrusion in the area may cause the destruction of endangered species habitats.
• Nearby Ati communities consider this area as a sacred ground for hunting activities. Indigenous Malay Ati people are affected because they rely on the forests and the Nabaoy River for food. 
• Severe flooding will occur and the forest will be damaged since large vehicles are needed during the construction. The tourism and development in the area will also suffer as a result.

As citizens of the Philippines, we need to be well informed about this kind of issue. We have to be environmentally aware too for the betterment of our country's conditions. Development in infrastructures and technologies like the Aklan Pumped-Storage Hydropower Project does not only give positive outcomes, it may also cause irreversible negative effects in the environment. In a small way, we Filipinos can help in preserving this essential place that helps in the biodiversity of nearby communities by signing this petition.

Activity 7 in Empowerment Technologies - Provincia Italiae - Group 1:

Ayenne Burra, Jairo Alcazar, Ieji Almonte, Derrick Almazar, Robert Asensi