House panel wants construction work in Kaliwa Dam project to stop

The House committee on indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples has agreed to issue a resolution urging the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and other agencies involved in the Kaliwa Dam project to stop any activities inside the affected ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples amid the absence of a free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).

The FPIC protects the right of IPs to self-determination and to freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.

Kalinga Representative Allen Jesse Mangaoang said the committee is not anti-development but it "stands firm for responsible exploration and utilization of natural resources."

During the hearing, Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat denounced the continuing activities for the Kaliwa Dam project.

"Marapat lamang na magkaroon ng cease and desist order sa proyektong ito lalo na at walang FPIC. Isang puna ng mga apektadong katutubong komunidad ay ang pagsisimula na ng mga konstruksyon ng access roads patungo sa Kaliwa dam project kahit wala pang FPIC," Cullamat said.

(There should be a cease and desist order for this project, especially that there is no FPIC yet. One concern of the affected IP communities is the construction of access roads going to the Kaliwa Dam project even in the absence of FPIC.)

More than 5,000 IPs will be affected if the said project pushes through, according to Cullamat.

Earlier, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate said five out of the six IP communities consulted by the MWSS for the dam's construction did not provide their consent on the dam project.

He revealed that the community that gave the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) was the one that allegedly received P20 million from the MWSS.

The lawmaker, together with ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, previously urged the Commission on Audit to look into the release of the P20 million to the IP community.

The Kaliwa Dam project, a venture traversing the provinces of Rizal and Quezon, is expected to help meet the growing water demand in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon as well as to reduce total dependence on the Angat Dam.

This project is being opposed by some groups and individuals as this could adversely affect the environment and nearby communities.—AOL, GMA News