People and the Earth’s Ecosystem

Wednesday 5pm-8pm

BTLED ICT CM 1-1

20/1/23

LLABAN CARLOS MIGUEL

 Introduction: Kaliwa Dam Project

Anyone living in Metro Manila and surrounding areas will be familiar with the issue of a

lack of clean water. This is made most obvious by the census last year saying that Metro Manila

and its surrounding urban areas have around 21.3 million people. The Kaliwa Dam Project is

meant to solve this issue for a foreseeable 10-15 years, as well as one of the main projects to be

worked on with the Chinese government’s Belt and Road Initiative. So having secured funding

and planning for the project it has already been approved as of 2022 but still holds massive

controversy as its construction will affect many indigenous peoples as well as the wildlife and

ecosystem done the river. The indigenous people have already been offered multiple benefits

such as compensation and more opportunities in order to be able to live somewhere else with a

good job. However there might be more damming effects to the continuation of this project than

just the displacement of indigenous peoples.

 Challenges: Kaliwa Dam Project

The displacement of hundreds of indigenous people is the most obvious point, but the

change of the flow of water will affect the hundreds of thousands living downstream as the

slower water current makes it so during large downpours its harder for the water to be moved.

This on top of the large amount of trees and soil that will be removed for the project make it so

flooding is more likely in these areas downstream in the future. Aside from the people local

wildlife will suddenly have to deal with these issues as well possibly removing dozens of the 126

species in the area as they can’t survive amid these conditions. These animals include a number

of endangered species like one of the only natural places left that can sustain the Philippine

Eagle, since the rain forest in the area is very bio diverse. This is also in and close to protected

land under the Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve which also has 172 flora species.
 Benefits: Kaliwa Dam Project

One of the major issues in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas is the access to clean

water, even the farms not that far have trouble. So securing an immediate addition to the water

supply will be a massive help, on top of that the predictions for future water demands seem to

suggest that the next time it would be this bad after the dam would be 15+ years later. Secondly

there is the increased amount of energy in the area, having any alternatives to gas or biofuel is

good as it has less carbon emissions as well as will prevent the scheduled brownouts nearby as

more power is available.

 Results: Kaliwa Dam Project

Since the project has only gained steam now it is still in its early stages and what will for

sure happen is yet to be seen. All that has happened is protest mostly peaceful but some have

attempted to delay the project by damaging 3 excavators. On the other side some of the

barangays claim to have been tricked thinking they were signing on to food outreach programs

when in fact the were signing on to allowing their community to be moved for the project. These

events have led to both the locals and the assigned AFP to be very weary of each other as well as

anyone else in the area. Finally there is also the infrastructure loan taken from China. As to what

all of this will amount to will remain to be seen.

 Conclusion: Kaliwa Dam Project

The clearest solution would be to continue looking for alternatives, it is true that the water

situation is quite dire already but some NGOs have tried helping. One notable one is IBON

Foundation whose research showed that the rehabilitation of the Angat dam, and rehabilitation

projects on the Wawa River would provide more than enough water in order to negate the

construction of the Kaliwa Dam Project. Secondly there have been proposals from Japanese

companies for the project that would have designs that are less harmful and cheaper. These have

been disregarded however, showing disregard for the local area and that this move is politically

motivated.
 Reflection

Once again the powers that be choose to continue working in order to satisfy political

interest, constant short term investments at the cost of everything in the future. All we can hope

for is that those who stand for what is right are able to defend what they can. Also that when

something is denied multiple times over 40 years maybe it really isn’t meant to be.

References

https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/the-philippines-china-dam-controversy/

https://www.philstar.com/business/2022/12/12/2230129/kaliwa-dam-project-pushing-

through-mwss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliwa_Low_Dam

https://www.change.org/p/president-rodrigo-duterte-stop-kaliwa-dam-save-our-future