Reaction Paper for “Kaliwa Dam will destroy Sierra Madre biodiversity”

Philippine Star article for Science and Environment, “Kaliwa Dam will destroy Sierra
Madre Diversity” is about the construction of multibillion-peso dam which would be constructed
at Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve. Said article pointed out that construction will not only
have a devastating effects on people’s live, but it will also ravage the homes of thousand
threatened wild life species in Sierra Madre mountain forest. As the article stated that Siera
Madre is considered one of the most bio-diverse areas and largest remaining track of rainforest
in the country. The forest and coastline of Presidetntial Proclamation No. 1636 (series of 1977)
is key habitat to various species of amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, reptile and
plants. Said proclamation is the declaration as national park, wildlife and sanctuary and game
preserve a certain parcel of land of the public domain embraced and situated in the provinces of
Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Quezon, Island of Luzon. The Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve,
where the dam would be constructed was also declared as a forest reserve through
proclamation No. 573 which is a home of various threatened wildlife such as the Northern
Philippine Hawk-eagle, Philippine Brown Deer, Philippine Warty Pig, Vulnerable Northern Rufous
Hornbill, Philippine Eagle, and restricted range of bird of the Luzon endemic bird area, which
are found nowhere in the planet. The article also pointed out the worries of Haribon that the
construction of the dam will endanger various plant life found in Sierra Madre. The Kaliwa Dam
project is one of the infrastructure projects identified by the government that will be finance by
China through bilateral loan agreement.

The article is pointing out that construction of the said dam will destroy a lot of diversity
but it that not show why the dam construction is necessary. It not shown in the article the
other side of the project whether or not it is important why the government has identified this
as a key infrastructure project. The side of the proponents of the said project was not also laid
if this will make a significant contribution to human development.

During our childhood days, building of imagined structure with sand or dirt had been
also our past times. Building highway path for our wooden car model, small line of water for our
paper boat, and dams to divert water to our mini field. At night time, usual entertainment is
listening to local dialect dramas at a transistor radio with a gasera lamp lit in our kubos
veranda, and while sitting and listening you the sparkling fire flies flying within the bush of
trees. Relating this childhood experience to the discussed situation above, building all the
structure imagined from the innocent mind is just so easy, construct and play with it. But in
real life it is really a hard task whenever you are one of the key player in realizing that project,
as there is so many things to be considered. It is through however that in order for us to
survive and move forward, we had to decide once and for all for the sake of development.

With my decade of stay in manila, I had already witness those times when there is a
shortage of potable water especially during summer season. As we all know, water is very
important that we cannot live without it. As the WHO pointed, inadequate and intermittent
water supply in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country can have a serious health
consequences. When water is scarce, people are often forced to rely on drinking water sources
that may not be safe. They may also lack sufficient water for basic hygiene-to wash themselves
and their clothes, and to prevent infection including from the food borne and water borne
disease. Low or negative water supply pressure in pipes due to short water supply can attract
contaminants that will put water quality when the supply is restored. And to alleviate this
problems of water shortage, and to fulfill the growing demand due to increase of development
and population, I believe the construction a construction of the Kaliwa dam is one the available
solutions.

However and again, the construction of the dam would affect the biodiversity where it
would be constructed. As pointed out in the a research paper-protected Areas for Biodiversity
conservation and environmental education in the Philippines, Philippine Journal Science, the
Philippine holds the distinction of having enormous biodiversity with the highest density of
endemic species but has the problem of very fast decline in old-growth forests and the highest
number of endangered mammal and bird faunas in the world. This various biodiversity is
seriously threatened by habitat destruction due to expansion of human population and
activities. Loss of biodiversity impairs ecosystem functions and results in flood, draught, erosion,
pest and disease, low productivity, and food shortages, with serious socio-economic
consequences. To arrest the loss of biodiversity, in situ conservation is imperative and the
remaining natural habitat must be protected. (Bagarinao, 1999)

At present as it had been reported in the recent news, the project is now pushing
through. According to the report in the Philippine star news, A 28 kilometer conveyance tunnel
will be built from the dam site in Brgy. Magsaysay in Infanta, Quezon through several
barangays in Tanay, baras, Morong, and Teresa towns in Rizal. According to government data,
1456 household in three villages in Rizal and quezon will be affected. Of the Figure-1041 will be
at risk of flooding and other effects of possible dam failure or break.

To avoid such incident, an extensive study of data, criteria and of all others factors for
construction, operation and maintenance of the dam should be considered as this will the tools
in the decision making all through out in the life cycle of the said project. The experience in the
construction of existing dams not only in the Philippines but also the other experienced of other
countries can be used as tool in the decision making. As recommended in the complementary
study conducted by Asian Development Bank, the significance deficiencies in the performance
of a project arise when its development and decision making process fails to include all the
required steps and activities of a comprehensive, progressive project development in which
engineering, social and environmental aspect are co-coordinated. The corresponding main
recommendation of the Study is that, a comprehensive development process in all dam projects
with the following attributes including but not limited to progressive development of the project
commencing with evaluation of the needs and option assessment, and proceeding through
feasibility studies, design, and construction, in which technical, economic, social and
environmental issues are coordinated, with well-defined decision points in the process. And also
an appropriate public and agency participation at all stages of the process.

With some of the points from both side discussed above, my point of view is that such
any development is not a counterproductive or environmental destructive if all even the
smallest detail had been considered. This is to obtain the optimum performance of any
development project with minimal adverse effect to anyone and anything, as already been
pointed out by our professor, we had the obligation to protect things particularly our
biodiversity that we had already enjoyed for our next generation.