Description: One of the main reasons why I wanted to go back to Ilocos was to see the Bangui windmills. The first time I went to Ilocos Norte in 2003, it was still not established. Having seen several photos from friends, as well as having lived in Netherlands for a while, I thought it a necessity to see the Bangui windmills.
Bangui is actually the name of the town where the windmills are located. Officially it is called Northwind Bangui Bay project. There are 20 windmills, each standing 70 meters tall with turbines spanning around 40 meters long. It is the first wind farm in the Philippines and situated on the beach of Bangui facing the South China Sea. The windmills are able to provide up to 40% of the electricity needs of the province.
It was no wonder why Bangui Bay was the chosen location for the windmills. The winds were quite strong especially in the afternoon. The waves coming in were quite strong and constant, not all stopping for a break. The waters raging against the shore, coming in so strong you could see it creating mist.
Even while we were driving on the road on the way to the Patapat Viaduct, we could already see the windmills peeping out in the horizon. For someone who has lived in the Philippines most of my life, I could not help but be thrilled that we have something like the Bangui project which produces renewable energy. Not only was it ecologically friendly, it was also pleasing to look at.
From the main highway, it is still a long ride down to the beach. It's around 2.5KM away from the main highway. On cemented road, that would be a piece of cake but it's actually more of a descending (or ascending, depending where you are coming from) rocky single path trail. There are two entrances to the windmills, with the other one showing signs of being cemented.
Upon reaching Bangui bay, these man-made wonders provide a picturesque view, breaking the wild natural beauty of the beach with it's uniform whiteness. We were able to see it at dusk as well as early morning. Either way, the structures were very photogenic.
During our morning visit, my husband tried to run from one windmill to the other. However, he decided to come back by the time he reached the sixth windmill because he was already getting a blister on his foot from the small rocks that the beach was made of. I think it was more of running barefoot, really.
Overall, I was glad that my motivation for coming to Ilocos did not disappoint. Once again, the province was able to establish a man-made structure that worked well with its natural environment. Definitely a must-visit.
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