Indigenous peoples groups led by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KATRIBU) together with the Task Force for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (TFIP) call for alternative to large dams in the provision of energy and irrigation.
“Although marketed as renewable, clean and cheap source of energy compared to coal and diesel, large dams or mega dams destroy forests and critical watersheds, displace indigenous people’s communities from their dwellings, sources of livelihood and incomes, their culture and way of life”, says Jill Cariño, Convenor and Executive Director of the TFIP.
Cariño cited the experiences of the Bugkalot and Ibaloi tribes displaced by Ambuklao and Binga dams which are among the first Philippine mega dams built in the 1950s. There was no relocation and the displaced tribes along with the farmer settlers were not compensated. The San Roque Dam built in the 1990s again displaced the descendants of the Bugkalot and Ibaloi tribes earlier displaced by Ambuklao and Binga Dams. The Pulangui IV Dam displaced Manobo Lumad communities in Maramag, Bukidnon without due compensation and proper relocation.
Large dams are described to have an elevation of at least 15 meters and above or those that have a reserve volume capacity of more than three million cubic meters. The Philippines is one of the most dammed countries in Asia. There are currently 36 large dams in the country.
Loss of identity
But even when they are relocated, displacement from their ancestral domains impact heavily on the Lumad culture and identity. Datu Roldan “Brunz” A. Babelon of Carmen, North Cotabato, member of the Central Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Negotiating Council shared that “the Lumad attach their identities to the biggest body of water found in their ancestral domain. When this body of water is destroyed along with its immediate surroundings, the identity of the Lumad attached to it will also be destroyed. When the Lumad is forced to leave their ancestral domain and transferred to another place, they will find themselves lost because their whole lives, their culture, way of life is attached to their environment, along with the elements found in their environment”.
Lumad communities in Bukidnon province in Mindanao under the Task Force Save Pulangui and other Lumad groups in Mindanao protested the planned construction of the Pulangui V Dam. The dam is targeted to provide 300 mega watt (MW) for energy for Mindanao. It will however cause the dislocation of 1,303 households (HHs), according to the Mediators Network for Sustainable Peace, Inc. (MedNet) Census Report, Pulangi V Hydropower Project done in 2012.
In the Visayas, indigenous peoples belonging to the Tumanduk tribe in Panay Island are protesting the impending construction of the Jalaur Multi-purpose Dam II. They are joined by the communities that will also be affected by the mega dam construction. If built, the dam will submerge 17,000 hectares of land which cover Tumanduk ancestral domains.
Floods
Aside from energy generation, mega dams were built supposedly to provide irrigation and function as flood control mechanism. Irrigation however was hardly ever provided and is often second priority to energy provision and to commercial or business use. Instead of flood control, mega dams release huge volumes of rain water causing massive inundation of rice farms and other crop lands including residential and commercial areas. Through the years, floods triggered by continuous rains are largely aggravated by the release of excess water from mega dams causing huge losses to livelihood and property. It has also claimed the lives and caused injuries to hundreds of Filipinos.
Massive floods in Central Luzon and Northern Luzon in recent years are blamed to mega dams. For example the San Roque Multi-purpose Dam in Pangasinan wrought billions of pesos in damages because of the floods it caused from releasing excess water. In October 2009, at the onslaught of typhoon Pepeng (international code name Parma), it released 5,300 cubic meters of water per second, breaking dikes along the Agno River and inundating 36 towns and cities, or 90% of Pangasinan province in northern Philippines. The floods forced more than 30,000 people from their homes, killed at least 64 people, and destroyed around Php4.9 billion (US$102.86 million) worth of crops and properties.
In 2011, Pulangui IV dam in Bukidnon released around 98 million cubic meters in 20 days that caused the Liguasan marsh and waters to rise and inundated 30 of the 37 barangays surrounding Pulangui River and Liguasan Marsh in Central Mindanao region.
These are just some of the reported flooding cases linked to mega dams.
Viable alternatives
The IPs welcome projects that will bring about progress per se. “So-called development projects such as mega dams should not cause massive displacement of communities and even bring about environmental destruction”, says Cariño.
Vicky Lopez, Executive Director of the Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIBAT, Inc.) shared how the Igorots in the Cordillera Region after successfully waging struggles against construction of other mega dams in the Cordilleras sought the help of SIBAT in how to source energy and irrigation in a sustainable manner.
SIBAT introduced the community-managed micro-hydro power projects (MHPs). The first MHP was built in Ngibat, Kalinga in 1994. It can generate 5 kilowatts of electricity, provide electricity to 32 households, and run the community rice mill. There are at present 34 MHPs installed by SIBAT all over the country.
The Tignay dagiti Mannalon a Mangwayawaya iti Agno (TIMMAWA, an alliance of farmers along the upstream and downstream Agno River affected by the San Roque Multi-purpose Dam) recommends construction of Small Impounding Dam and Development of Communal Irrigation System (CIS) and rehabilitation of existing canals and construction of small canal linings. According to TIMMAWA the main reason that the existing irrigation systems like Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS), Ambayoan-Dipalo River irrigation System (ADRIS) and the Lower Agno River Irrigation System (LARIS) is not functioning well is because of sedimentation and silt from the upstream Agno River. Rehabilitation of these existing irrigation systems and the construction of small canal linings for which irrigation will flow to the fields will be effective step in improving the irrigation.
These alternatives genuinely provide for the needs of communities, do not destroy the environment, enhance local livelihoods, improves incomes and builds unity empowering the community to collectively work towards genuinely sustainable development.#eof#
Green Action PH 