By Nimfa Estrellado February 21, 2023 Members of the Dumagat-Remontado tribe on their nine-day march to Malacañang in opposition to the Kali...
February 21, 2023
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| Members of the Dumagat-Remontado tribe on their nine-day march to Malacañang in opposition to the Kaliwa Dam. (Photo from Stop Kaliwa Dam/FACEBOOK) |
LUCENA CITY - In the name of democracy and common sense, the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) in this region stated that everyone has the right to peaceful protest and can only be linked to democracy if it is based on the truth, as lies disrupt public movement.
NCIP IV-A Director Carlos Buasen Jr. said in a statement issued Monday about the march, dubbed "Alay Lakad Laban sa Kaliwa Dam," that the questions surrounding the Kaliwa Dam Projects (KDP) have long been answered, and detractors are only raising the issue again to prevent the government from dealing with the water crisis and ensuring its security.
He said that the KDP was approved by the NCIP a year ago after extensive discussions with the leaders and representatives of the affected Indigenous Peoples (IPs).
The commission said in a press release that the certificate of precondition was issued on September 19, 2022, with conditions based on IP Customary Laws and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and participated in by community-recognized IP elders/leaders.
"The issuance thereof was made after a meticulous Commission En Banc Deliberation, which was conducted on numerous schedules. Said deliberation was attended by community-recognized and authorized IP leaders and representatives," it said.
Meanwhile, more than 300 IPs from the Dumagat-Remontado tribe began a nine-day march to Malacañang on Wednesday, February 15, hoping to meet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. about the KDP, which is currently under construction in the town.
The march traveled 150 kilometers from General Nakar to Manila, passing through towns in the Quezon, Laguna, and Rizal provinces. On February 23, the IPs are expected to arrive in Manila.
200 households will be uprooted by the project in Barangay Umiray, according to the tribespeople, who are on the seventh day of a nine-day march to Malacañang.
The KDP in Barangay Umiray, which will primarily benefit the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), is being opposed by the IPs. The IPs say that the dam will kill old trees and endanger the lives of 100,000 people downstream due to the potential for flooding in the Kaliwa Watershed in the Sierra Madre Mountain range.
Kaliwa Dam project to start operations
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said that the New Centennial Water Source - Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS-KDP) is expected to begin operations in December 2026 and generate 600 million liters per day (MLD) of water.
MWSS administrator Leonor Cleofas explained at a recent multi-stakeholder information forum that a 22-kilometer-long boring tunnel from Teresa town to Morong town in Rizal province has begun.
According to Cleofas, 42 families affected by the KDP tunnel construction are now being cared for by government agencies.
She also stated that the area's peace and order situation, such as when communist insurgents harass and intimidate indigenous people living there, has contributed to the project's delay.
On the other hand, Cleofas said that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) have dealt with the issue.
"Many studies have shown that the Kaliwa Dam is a viable option for preventing water shortage problems in the medium to long term," said MWSS chairman of the Board of Trustees Justice Elpidio Vega.
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