CAMARINES Sur has scaled up its status as a vanguard of green technology for a sustainable future in the Philippines, with its provincial government’s partnership with Italian tech innovator Veragon Technologies on the first-ever atmospheric water generator (AWG) manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia that will convert water vapor in the air into pure and safe drinking water, according to Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte.

“The provincial LGU (local government unit) of CamSur is partnering with Veragon for the latter’s first venture in the region that will harness its cutting-edge AWG technology to leverage indigenous RE (renewable energy) sources in collecting water vapor in the air and filtering it to produce clean, safe and accessible water,” Villafuerte, once a three-term governor and now Camarines Sur congressman, said.

Villafuerte, National Unity Party (NUP) president, announced this eco-friendly project following last month’s groundbreaking ceremony for this AWG manufacturing hub at the Provincial Capitol Complex in the capital municipality of Pili, Camarines Sur.

This groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Villafuerte, Secretaries Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Gov. Vincenzo Renato Luigi Villafuerte, Vice Gov. Salvio Patrick Fortuno, and Veragon founder-CEO Dr. Alessio Lucatelli.

The event was highlighted by the lowering of a time capsule and water tasting by the officials and guests of mineralized water produced from the AWGs.

A world leader in innovative and sustainable water solutions, Veragon develops AWGs that collect water from air humidity, filter it and then process it into mineralized water whose quality meets the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Veragon’s green technology has been tapped by such institutions as the United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and has ongoing trials by the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) armed forces.

“On top of providing water especially in communities with scant access to this essential resource or in villages struck by natural or man-made disasters, this pioneering project on Veragon’s cutting-edge AWG will advance the Marcos administration’s decarbonization agenda as this technology’s use of RE in the water purification process will help reduce our country’s carbon footprint for environmental sustainability,” Villafuerte said.

Veragon’s first-of-its-kind project in the region on this innovative AWG water purification technology will “boost the local economy and create a lot of jobs in CamSur, while at the same time promoting environmental conservation by reducing our reliance on traditional water sources and abating plastic wastes from bottled water,” said Villafuerte, one of the authors of Republic Act (RA) No. 11898.

Otherwise known as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, RA 11898 seeks to address the global plastic pollution problem by aspiring for a circular economy through holding manufacturers responsible or accountable for the plastic packaging they use throughout the entire lifecycle of their products.

During the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the AWG facility, Gatchalian said in a separate DSWD statement that, “We can use Veragon Technologies for WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) to fight stunting, because water is crucial to fight stunting. At the same time, the other purpose is water during disasters. So, the multiple use of Veragon Technologies is something that the DSWD is excited about.”

Gatchalian stressed that the AWG hub is a symbol of pride and development for the province because it will be “the first hub of Veragon in Southeast Asia.”

“I would like to congratulate the Province and your leaders for leading the way toward multiple dimensions of development … they are turning your province into a manufacturing hub… that’s development already, that’s new investment, new jobs, and more importantly, that’s a seal that it is proudly made in the Philippines, proudly made in Camarines Sur,” Gatchalian said.

Aldeguer-Roque said, meanwhile, that “this investment strengthens the province’s role as a hub for sustainable water technology and innovation in Southeast Asia.”

“DTI fully supports projects that drive industrial growth and sustainability,” she said. “Veragon’s presence will generate jobs, enhance local capabilities, and contribute to the country’s push for advanced, eco-friendly solutions.”

Aldeguer-Roque observed that, “clean water is actually very important for our country and for us Filipinos. Beyond this environmental impact this project also brings economic opportunities to the province, creating jobs, fostering local industry and positioning Camarines Sur as a hub for advance water technology in the region.”

Villafuerte said the provincial LGU’s sustainable water project with Veragon “puts CamSur at the frontline of technological innovation, because with this AWG project, we will be securing clean water, creating new industries, driving rapid economic growth and generating more jobs for our people.”

As for Lucattelli, he said that, “By establishing this manufacturing hub, we are not just producing water; we are creating a model for sustainable industrial development, proving that technology and nature can work hand in hand to drive economic prosperity. This facility is more than an investment; it is a commitment to uplifting communities and fostering long-term economic stability.”

On his Facebook page, Villafuerte said that: “Opportunity, Jobs and Technology is what Veragon will give to our beloved province with the opening of its manufacturing facility in our Capitol Complex in Pili.”

“This will be the first in the country, the first in Southeast Asia,” he said. “This will be Veragon’s Asian manufacturing hub.”

“More foreign and Philippine investors and companies will build manufacturing facilities in CamSur because of our investor friendly climate and their belief in the vision and leadership of Gov. Luigi Villafuerte,” he added.

Prior to this new reputation as a lead player in the region in the global clean water industry, CamSur has emerged as the country’s center for wind energy development, following plans for at least 16 facilities in the province harnessing this RE source.

The 16 OSW projects have a total potential capacity of 7,668 megawatts (MW).

Leading these projects are the Danish-funded P163-billion project that promises to become the country’s first and biggest offshore wind (OSW) farm with a capacity of one gigawatt (GW).

Villafuerte said that this pioneering wind farm to be built by Danish infrastructure investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) on San Miguel Bay, along with 15 more offshore wind projects (OSW), will help the Marcos administration accelerate its planned transition from fossil fuel to renewables for the radical reduction of the Philippines’ carbon footprint.

This CIP offshore facility on San Miguel Bay is designed to tap wind power as a variable renewable energy (VRE) source, said Villafuerte, and “once the CIP-funded clean energy project costing a whopping P162.9 billion is built on San Miguel Bay in CamSur, hopefully by 2028, it will become the first and single biggest OSW farm in the Philippines.”

One other major RE project in CamSur is the onshore wind farm in the municipality of Libmanan, which is the first ever project in wind power generation of the Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower), and which this Malabon-based firm is undertaking through a joint venture (JV) with Mainstream Renewable Power Corp.

It was during Villafuerte’s watch as governor that the province became a focal point of extreme sports events with the provincial LGU’s construction of the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC), now considered the world’s best wakeboarding complex; and the promotion of Caramoan Islands—with its caves plus white and pink sand beaches—as an ecotourism resort, especially after becoming the site of several international editions of the global reality TV hit show “Survivor.”

The CamSur LGU has also positioned the province to gain a foothold in the $35-billion global flavor and fragrance (F&F) industry with a JV on the mega production of Vetiver oil, which is a key ingredient in the making of perfumes, aromatic oils, creams and soaps along with other personal care (PC) products that are widely in demand across the globe.

The CamSur LGU under Gov. Villafuerte has partnered with leading pharmaceutical company Iba Botanicals in developing a 7,500-hectare (ha) farmland for vetiver oil production.

This project involves the development of the world’s largest integrated essential oils facility based on a locally available variety of vetiver grass, and its dedicated steam distillation facilities will make it the world’s largest integrated vetiver oil production facility when it starts full-scale harvest and commercial operations.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco