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Geothermal energy: Tongonan, Leyte

For years, I’d only hear talks on how beautiful it is in Tongonan, Leyte - how cool the place is, elevated thousands of feet above sea level, with lots of virginal forests and wildlife - but never getting the chance to actually go and see the place. I’ve spotted that directional sign saying, “To Tongonan” hundreds of times when driving from Tacloban City to Ormoc City. Never been there… until last September. Some friends, Danny Fuentebella and Butch Celestial, asked me: would I be interested in joining their group and “camp out” in Tongonan? Gee, how could I resist such an opportunity?!

Nestled high up in the mountains in Tongonan between the municipality of Kananga and Ormoc City is the PNOC-Energy Development Corporation’s Leyte Geothermal Production Field (LGPF).

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PNOC-EDC remains to be the country’s largest producer of geothermal energy. The 107,625-hectare Leyte Geothermal Production Field (LGPF) alone produces 708 MW. Here in this geothermal energy area, considered the largest wet steam producing field in the world, are the 112.5 MW Tongonan Production Field, the 132 MW Upper Mahiao Power Plant, the 232.5 MW Malitbog Power Plant, the 180 MW Mahanagdong A and B Plants, and the 51 MW Optimization Plants.

The Leyte geothermal plants currently supply power not only to the Eastern Visayas region, but also to Central and Western Visayas and on to Luzon via submarine cables. It is expected to serve as the linchpin of the national electric highway upon installation of another submarine cable from Leyte to Mindanao.

Due to bad weather, it was unfortunate that I couldn’t get closer photos of the plants (besides, in most areas near the power plants, taking photos is strictly prohibited for security reasons.) So what I have here are mostly panoramic shots, taken before a heavy downpour and thunderstorm suddenly set in.

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The view from the Administration Building of the PNOC-EDC of the Leyte Geothermal Production Field in Tongonan, Leyte.

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~ by gerryruiz on 3 November 2007.

14 Responses to “Geothermal energy: Tongonan, Leyte”

  1. ang ganda naman ng view ng tongonan, leyte!

    joan said this on 17 November 2007 at 4:24 pm

  2. Very nice…

    >||;]

    Gabriel Kent said this on 6 December 2007 at 2:10 pm

  3. i’ve been there, way back during my university days when it was just starting. what progress! tnxs again, mr. ruiz!

    quelits raquel-girits said this on 26 December 2007 at 10:42 pm

  4. oh, this is really a nice place… the only thing i can say is a part of it is like baguio! i’ve been there for an educational field trip and it was really fun!

    wizardzai said this on 7 January 2008 at 12:03 am

  5. good day..

    can anybody tell me the complete name of the plant manager of Tongonan and his complete office address?

    thanks very much.. :)

    julius said this on 7 January 2008 at 12:11 pm

  6. Julius, sorry can’t help you on this. Maybe a reader who knows could… You have tried communicating thru their official website, I assume.

    Update April 04′ 2008: Please see my latest post at the bottom of this thread for the contact details. - gerry

    gerryruiz said this on 7 January 2008 at 1:49 pm

  7. hi….I am a student here in Metro Manila College, but my native town is Leyte….MASKANLEY…I miss Leyte so much…Hi to my classmates batch 2001 in KNHS…By the way I’m Eds Solano…

    edna said this on 26 January 2008 at 11:41 am

  8. hi! We wish to visit the Tongonan Geothemal Power Plant? can I ask for their e-mail address?
    thanks

    angie said this on 4 February 2008 at 5:37 pm

  9. Sorry, Angie, but I don’t have their email ad. Try searching their website :)

    Update April 04′ 2008: Please see my latest post at the bottom of this thread for the contact details. - gerry

    gerryruiz said this on 5 February 2008 at 11:17 am

  10. wow… i wish to visit ur place… so nice… i’m from davao, i’ve heard a lot of things and seen beautiful places in leyte through the net…

    lovely said this on 15 February 2008 at 3:58 pm

  11. I’m awed with the green background in Tongonan. It looks so fresh. I’m from Isabel, Leyte just near Ormoc but I’ve never been to Tongonan. My siblings have been there… are you from Leyte, too?

    tin said this on 27 February 2008 at 2:24 am

  12. Hi, Tin. Yes, I was born and raised and now happily resettled back in Tacloban (moved around for awhile). Indeed Leyte and Samar have so much yet unexplored sites (for me, i.e.) to visit and I intend to go and see them for myself in the next few months or so. :)

    gerryruiz said this on 27 February 2008 at 12:06 pm

  13. Hi! I’m Lillian of SLSU-Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte. Some of our faculty and staff would like to visit Tongonan and we find it hard to look for any contact number of the Geothermal field office so we could send our communication. We’ll be glad if you could give us telephone numbers or e-mail add. Thanks.

    lillian said this on 3 April 2008 at 2:47 pm

  14. Hi Lilian, and also those who earlier requested for info on how to reach PNOC Tongonan. Finally, I was able to get this. Pls address your official communication to:

    The PNOC Resident Manager
    Engr. Manuel Paete
    PNOC EDC
    Leyte Geothermal Fields
    Tongonan, Leyte

    (053) 553 0018/0019 local 1001
    email: paete.mc@energy.com.ph

    gerryruiz said this on 3 April 2008 at 9:47 pm

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