Comm 10, Midterm Paper, Yu, page 1 of 3

Damning the Kaliwa Dam Project

“ANTI-POOR, ANTI-FILIPINO, ANTI-ENVIRONMENT”. This is how the Center of Energy,

Ecology, and Development views the government’s plan of action in controlling the water crisis in
Metro Manila, the Kaliwa Dam Project. The proposed location of the water dam is at the Sierra Madre,
the longest mountain range in the Philippines, and it was first approved by NEDA last May 29, 2014
(Velasco, 2018). The news about this project set off various discourse among the indigenous
communities residing in the area. It was broadcasted on different media outlets that then reached a wider
audience which includes the think-do and people-centered institution, the CEED. Through this, they
created a video last July 29, 2019 that showed the sentiments of the Dumagat people towards the
proposed project of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

The objective of the project is to provide a medium term raw water source for MWSS.
However, its negative effects overweighs its advantages as the Kaliwa Dam Project is expected to do
more harm than good. This is because of its overwhelming exigence concerning the environment and
the local community residing near Sierra Madre. According to J. Khalil Panopio, a conservation
specialist of the Haribon Foundation, if the government were to proceed with their plans, several
endemic species that can only be found in the Philippines would die. Also, the Sierra Madre is
considered to be the backbone of Luzon. It has served as the protective wall of Luzon in times of
typhoons and calamities. The proposed impounding would lead to the loss of 204 hectares of the forest
and would result to major floods. The construction of the dam would also disturb the lives and
livelihoods of the indigenous communities residing in the area, as it threatens their culture and
traditions, interrupting their way of life (CEED, 2019). With this, Dumagat Tribe leader, Marcelino
Tena, urges the MWSS not to push through with their plans on destroying their land and home.

With the help of the video made by the CEED, the Dumagat people have come together to
speak up to the masses to inform them of their entitlement to the land that was passed down to them
from generation to generation by their ancestors. The Dumagat Tribe, along with CEED, are persuading
the general public to empathize with them and help them protect the Sierra Madre and the biodiversity
it holds. Alongside them are the Green Convergence Philippines, a group who made a petition to the
Duterte Administration not to push through with this project. They believe that there is strength in
numbers which is why they are pushing for a 10 million signatories from people who are opposing in
the construction of this dam. They believe that garnering this much number of signatories will make
every political personality, who are the mediators of change, involved in this project think twice about
supporting it.
 Comm 10, Midterm Paper, Yu, page 2 of 3

However, despite the ongoing protests and inputs coming from environmental experts, the
government is still set on pursuing the Kaliwa Dam project as a solution to Metro Manila’s ongoing
water crisis. “We cannot delay this. The government already committed to this project. This is a done
deal” says Reynaldo Velasco, former MWSS administrator. This is due to the signed agreement of a
P12.189 billion pesos bi-lateral loan project with China. It is also on a priority status as part of President
Rodrigo Duterte’s Build Build Build program. This is the major constraint acting upon the exigence.
Because of the government’s firm decision to proceed with their plan, the project’s completion is
possible despite mass resistance.

The rise of convergent media played a significant role on the dissemination of information
regarding this issue, a national problem waiting to happen. The video made by the CEED that was
posted on YouTube garnered 4,432 views. Also, as seen in the video, various documentations, articles,
and reports acted as a bigger platform in raising awareness to an even wider audience. This helped
during the process of gathering signatures for different petitions that aims to cease this project. And
with the help of mass protests by the indigenous groups and environmental advocates, the proposal
gained much attention from the public which increased empathy and support from them. With this, we
acknowledge the impact of the evolution of mass media and the evolvement of communication that
helped the Dumagat Tribe and the environmental advocates.

In closing, with the help of the advancement of technology that enabled the evolvement of
media convergence, the Sierra Madre mountain range has a chance of being spared. The families may
be able to live in the mountain range peacefully and retain their everyday lifestyles. This is because
research experts believe that strong public opposition against the dam’s construction could be the
deciding factor that will halt the process. This is also if they consider different alternatives suggested
by Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) Research and Advocacy Coordinator Lia Alonzo such as
watershed rehabilitation, repairing and improving existing dams and strengthen the implementation of
efficient water distribution facilities and water conservation policies. These cheaper and more
sustainable alternatives are highly encouraged as we need to prioritize the well-being of our country’s
rich biodiversity our local communities fight to protect as it is also not ours to destroy.
 Comm 10, Midterm Paper, Yu, page 3 of 3

References:

YouTube. (2019, July 28). Stop kaliwa dam. YouTube. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qCoAZXvIcM.

Metropolitan Waterworks and sewerage system. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2021, from
https://mwss.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/Annex-B-TOR-Consultancy-NCWS-KDP-
002-2018.pdf.

Neil. (2018, December 20). Kaliwa Dam completion timeline accelerated. BusinessWorld
Online. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://www.bworldonline.com/kaliwa-
dam-completion-timeline-accelerated/.

Infrastructure's consequences: The case of kaliwa dam. The GUIDON. (2019, October 17).
Retrieved November 17, 2021, from
https://theguidon.com/1112/main/2019/10/infrastructures-consequences-the-case-of-
kaliwa-dam/.

Diplomat, D. G. for T. (2019, March 28). The Philippines' china dam controversy. – The
Diplomat. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/the-
philippines-china-dam-controversy/.