Text and photos by Daniel Ceng, Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines
In the coastal town of Currimao in the northern Philippines, the sound of ear-piercing chainsaws echoes with the widespread fear that the unbearable heat will continue to escalate, as more trees have been cut down for a sweeping solar power development.
The threat was not immediately felt, when the project to install solar panels in a pine tree forest land along a beach, just a few hundred meters from the residences, was introduced in 2015 to tackle energy scarcity and instability – one of the country’s problems hindering economic growth.
Rejections amongst watch groups and experts, however, soon emerged, fearing that uprooting hundreds, if not thousands, of trees in exchange for the solar power plant would take a heavy toll on the environment and people’s health.
NOTE: This story was produced during the 15th Professional Photojournalism and Documentary Photography workshop of the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP) In Ilocos Norte on November 22-25, 2023.
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