Calls for Immediate Project Cancellation
We, the Stop Kaliwa Dam Network, strongly denounce the approval of an additional ₱3.1 billion for the Kaliwa Dam Project, raising its total cost to ₱15.3 billion. This decision, pushed through by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., blatantly disregards serious and unresolved issues surrounding the project.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has consistently failed to comply with the essential requirements of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). Construction continues without fulfilling conditions meant to safeguard the environment, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), and local communities — a betrayal of public trust and environmental stewardship.
“Sa panig ko, bakit nagdagdag pondo pa? Samantalang marami na ang nalabag ng NCIP sa usapin ng FPIC… Dapat hindi dagdag pondo kundi pahintuin na ang Kaliwa Dam,” said Marcelino Tena, tribal leader of SAGIBIN-LN. “Sabi ni BBM, climate change na dapat pangalagaan, pero siya pa ngayon ang nagdagdag.”
(“For my part, why did they increase the funds? When the NCIP has already violated many things in the matter of FPIC… They should not increase the funds but stop the Kaliwa Dam,” said Marcelino Tena, tribal leader of SAGIBIN-LN. “BBM said that climate change should be protected, but now he is the one who increased it.”- BBM: President Bongbong Marcos)
The Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process — a vital safeguard for indigenous rights — was grossly violated. Consent was secured through manipulated processes riddled with irregularities, ignoring the genuine concerns and opposition of Dumagat-Remontado communities.
“Kabaliktaran sa sinasabi niya… dinagdagan niya pa ang ₱12.2B kung saan ang lupaing ninuno naming mga katutubong Dumagat ang sisirain,” said Ma. Clara Dullas, president of K-GAT, a women’s organization in the Sierra Madre.
(“Contrary to what he says… he added ₱12.2B where the ancestral land of our Dumagat natives will be destroyed,” said Ma. Clara Dullas, president of K-GAT, a women’s organization in the Sierra Madre.)
Despite glaring legal and ethical violations, no updated environmental study has been released that reflects the grave ecological and social impacts of the project. No genuine public consultations have been conducted. Local communities remain misinformed or deliberately excluded.
We also raise alarm over the anomalous disbursement of the so-called ₱160 million “disturbance fee.” The process lacked transparency, bypassed community consultation, and fueled division among IP organizations — a clear tactic to weaken legitimate resistance.
“Nakakadismaya ang hakbang na ito ng pangulo… Ang MWSS at China ay nagsisipagsaya, habang kami ay buong buhay na binibigay upang protektahan ang aming lupain at tribu,” said Ramcy Astoveza, also of SAGIBIN-LN. “Sana ngayong 2025, bago sila makipagkasundo sa aming lupain, kausapin muna kami.”
(“This move by the president is disappointing… MWSS and China are celebrating, while we are giving our lives to protect our land and tribe,” said Ramcy Astoveza, also of SAGIBIN-LN. “I hope this 2025, before they negotiate with our land, they will talk to us first.”)
The government’s financial irresponsibility is also under scrutiny. The project is symptomatic of a pattern of bloated dam costs and unsustainable foreign debt.
Conrad Vargas of PICOPI cited global studies: “Tama ang binabanggit sa pag-aaral ng World Commission on Dams… Tumataas ng halos 100% o 200% ang gastos mula sa orihinal.” He warned: “Bawat Pilipino ay magpapasan sa pagbabayad ng utang na ito… Kuwestiyunin natin sa Korte Suprema ang legalidad ng mga desisyong ito.”
(“What the World Commission on Dams study says is correct… The cost is increasing by almost 100% or 200% from the original.” He warned: “Every Filipino will bear the burden of paying this debt… Let us question the legality of these decisions in the Supreme Court.”)
President Marcos Jr., you failed to show up during the 9-day Alay Lakad March in 2023, where Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities walked for justice and sought your attention. Today, we urge you again: Listen to the people you vowed to serve.
We call on President Marcos Jr. to immediately cancel the Kaliwa Dam Project, halt all construction activities, and initiate genuine dialogue with affected communities. Our forests, rivers, cultures, and lives are not for sale. We demand sustainable, community-centered solutions to Metro Manila’s water needs — not destructive projects that violate human rights and ancestral domain.
Stop Kaliwa Dam Now! Protect Our Forests, Uphold Indigenous Rights!
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The STOP Kaliwa Dam Network (SKDN) is a coalition of various local and national organizations, institutions, sectors, and indigenous groups opposing and actively campaigning against the construction of the controversial New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam (Kaliwa Dam Project) in Southern Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
