QUEZON CITY — As the world approaches its recognition of Indigenous Peoples on August 9, members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous tribe across Rizal and Quezon Province are fighting for their rights and protecting their ancestral lands amid the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam project in Southern Sierra Madre. Their cry – “Ayaw Namin Lumubog. Lubog sa baha, lubog sa utang, lubog sa pananakop ng Tsina. Ito ang aming kinabukasan kapag ipinagpatuloy ang Kaliwa Dam project.”
Indigenous Dumagat-Remontado leader Nanay Conchita ‘Conching’ Calzado strongly expressed her concern and distress with continuous natural disasters happening around the world, and its connection to what’s happening in the Philippines’ current environment. “Kayo rin po na mga taga-rito sa Metro Manila ay lulubog dahil sa pagkasira ng kalikasan. Ayaw po ba natin magtulungan para pangalagaan ang natitira nating kalikasan?”
Despite the denial of the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) for a rally permit1, over 60 indigenous peoples and support groups pushed through under the rain and marched in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on August 8 to demand an audience with Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga. They asked for the DENR to provide a concrete response to the violation of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to the terms in the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) granted by the DENR. It has been stressed by the indigenous people and support groups that the project did not meet the necessary Local Government Unit (LGU) permits required under the ECC before the project should be allowed to continue, including: Resolusyon ng Panalalawigan ng Quezon No. 2024-1642, Kapasyahan ng Infanta Municipal Development Council 07-20183, and Resolusyon ng Sangguniang Pambayan ng Infanta4.
They also demanded that the ECC be cancelled and that the DENR issue a cease-and-desist order to MWSS for the violations on the conditions stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) / Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should there be no response to the 27 technical points5.
Dumagat-Remontado leader William ‘Mudyat’ Quierrez revealed ongoing construction on the site, despite lack of necessary permits from the local government units. “Dahil katunayan po, mayroon na pong mga lokal na pamahalaan na nagpahayag ng kanilang matinding pagtutol. Kasama riyan ang mariing pagtutol naming mga katutubo, at katunayan po, kami ay patuloy na hihiling sa tanggapan ng DENR upang tuluyang ikansela ang ECC.Nalalabag na rin ang aming mga karapatan bilang katutubo sa aming mga pamayanan sapagkat nagtatrabaho na ang mga Chinese sa aming lugar. Hindi na kami makapanisid sa mga ilog sapagkat putik na yung mga ilog. Kasabay niyan ay nagtayo sila ng mga palikuran na ang kanilang mga dumi ay doon na sa amin tinatapon. Kaya maganda ikansela yung ECC kasabay imbestigahan yung Chinese sa aming lugar, dahil sila yung nagpapadumi ng kalikasan, sila ang sumisira ng kalikasan. Gusto nila kunin ang aming lupain ninuno.”
The Kaliwa Dam project has been controversial since its conceptualization due to its environmental impacts6 and expected effects on the ancestral lands and sacred dwellings of several communities from the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous peoples. The MWSS project is described by the tribe as vehemently encroaching on their ancestral domains, especially the communities of Baykuran, Makid-ata, together with the town of Yokyok in General Nakar, Quezon and Daraitan, Tanay, Rizal.
Recent developments in the Kaliwa Dam site reveals the MWSS beginning construction of a tunnel in Terresa, wherein families in Kiborosa were given compensation packages amounting to Php 4,995,000.00 by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to give way to the setup of barracks of the workers of the Chinese company, China Energy Engineering Corporation. The Chinese workers are known to have no proper documents based on the ECC, which states that the project cannot begin unless necessary permits are provided by various government agencies.
The MWSS already gave P160,000,000.00 even before the issuance of the permit and served as a disruption fee for the site of the project, leaving indigenous tribes in a complicated situation. The disruption fee left many questions and was unjustly distributed among indigenous people living far from the site of Kaliwa Dam.
“Ipakansela na ang ECC. Bakit po? Dahil po ngayong taon ay naglabas ng payong pagtutol ang Sangguniang Bayan ng Infanta. Kasabay nito, naglabas din ng mariing pagtutol ang Sangguniang lalawaigan ng Quezon. Kaya po batay dito, sinasabi sa ECC na kailangan kumuha ng mga kaukulang pag sangayon sa mga lokal na pamahalaan ang MWSS. Yan yung patunay na hindi sila nakakuha. Kaya walang dahilan ang DENR na ipakansela na ang ECC,” said Mudyat.
The communities who will be directly impacted by the Kaliwa Dam project are continuously and strongly opposing its construction. Indigenous peoples and communities have sustained their efforts and continue to stand by the truth about the wrong decisions and processes and forced acceptance of the project by IPs from government agencies such as the DENR and MWSS.
Kapag hindi kami hinarap at kinausap ng secretary ng departamentong ito at naglabas ng kautusan sa ECC, mananawagan kami at patuloy na mananawagan sa malawak na mamamayan sa Pilipinas at sa iba’t ibang uri ng organisasyon upang maglunsad ng isang malaking pagkilos at ipananawagan namin sa buong daigdig dahil buong daigdig ang nakakaranas na ngayon ng sunod sunod na kalamidad na ang nakakasalalay ay ang pareho nating sunod na salinlahi,” cried Nanay Conching.
As of this writing, the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous people and support groups are still awaiting for the Secretary Yulo’s office to receive the petition letter for the ECC cancellation and a dialogue with DENR officials. PR
