# data[].attributes.body
Mabuhay, kabayan! You're probably here right now because you've clicked on one of our links regarding the multitude of ecological issues that we're advocating in opposition of. Whether you're here in hopes of amassing your knowledge about contemporary events, or if you wanna stand up and tell the ones-in-charge that enough is enough. You've come to the right place!

# data[].attributes.body
We're a non-profit organization that aims to improve the overall system of conservation and legislation when it comes to agricultural, ecological, and ethnic matters. As of now, we've only just recently started to utilize our digital platforms to spread awareness of certain deep-rooted governmental decisions that the minority do not have the financial nor influential power to speak against. We're the Luzon chapter of what we call the Augustinian Alliance - our sector is under the responsibility of what the locals have accustomed to calling us, "the Bohemians".

# data[].attributes.body
It won't do us any justice if we're only here to tell you our intentions without actually having any evidence to back it up. Luckily for you, we've taken measures way before news of our organization has made its way into the interweb. Below are some of the initiatives that correspond to the purpose of the organization:

# data[].attributes.body
Operasyon Urong-Sulong is a campaign that seeks to provide support for the Igorot tribespeople against oppressive land laws and the non-recognition of their rights to ancestral lands and domains.

# data[].attributes.body
Operasyon Urong-Sulong is a culture-preservation operation led by the half-Igorot eco-activist, Brian Mendoza. The operation focuses on bringing life back to various traditional practices and cultures to battle the threat of losing a vital part of our cultural heritage.

# data[].attributes.body
With rapid urbanization, industrial development and deforestation of its watershed, Laguna de Bay has been stressed with sedimentation, overexploitation of its fisheries and pollution. Our organization seeks to implement a rehabilitation program to assist the locals in creating an environment reinforced to become less prone to natural risk hazards.

# data[].attributes.body
Out of all the initiatives and voluntary philanthropies that we've taken under our duties and responsibilities, this dilemma with the proposal of a dam (i.e Kaliwa Low Dam) in exchange for a part of the Sierra Madre mountain range is believed by us to be the most pressing - needing immediate response, recall, and reaction. Therefore solidifying itself to be the main focus of most of our next steps in our operations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Credits to: Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewage System

# data[].attributes.body
Kaliwa Dam Project or the New Centennial Water Supply Project is a new water source to be constructed to meet the increasing demand of the people of Metro Manila, Rizal and Quezon (17.46M people o 3.49M household) by constructing another dam and to reduce total dependence on the Angat Dam.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Credits to: Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewage System

# data[].attributes.body
An article that embodies the saying of "winning the battle, but losing the war", this blog by writer Leilani Chavez from Mongabay news brings up the battle of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous group and their short-lived victory over the ownership of their ancestral domain.
Despite their success in fending off corporate bodies in meddling with their territories, they were wrong to thing that the score's been settled. After they successfully blocked the massive Laiban Dam project, it was later on superseded by the revised plan for the Kaliwa Dam under President Duterte's "Build, Build, Build" program.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Philippine tribe that defeated a dam prepares to fight its reincarnation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article is the last of a two-part series on the Kaliwa Dam project. Part One: Controversial dam gets greenlight to flood a Philippine protected area GENERAL NAKAR, Philippines - On Nov. 5, 2009, Kapitan, a leader of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous group, came down from his mountain village.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Areas in Quezon and Rizal provinces that will be affected by Kaliwa Dam. Source: Pakisama advocacy maps

# data[].attributes.headline
Why shouldn't we just let the government build it?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why shouldn't we just let the government build it?

# data[].attributes.body
We stand against the Kaliwa Dam Project because this project:

will affect the ancestral domains where 5,000 Dumagat-Remontados are situated;

is being expedited by the railroading of its legal process, particularly the right of the Dumagat-Remontados to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent process under IPRA;

will destroy the biodiversity and habitat of 126 species in 300 hectares of the Sierra Madre and endanger 100,000 residents downstream with the risk of massive flooding;

will entail an unnecessary 10.37 billion-peso loan from China, further worsening our debt-ridden economy;

will need every Filipino, including those outside Metro Manila, to shoulder the debt;

faces a short lifespan of 5-6 years due to the high rate of sedimentation in the area;

allows China to settle disputes on the project using their laws and on their territory;

may cause our government to surrender Philippine territory to pay off the loan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Sierra Madre - embrace of Mother Nature, blocking off dangers of the outside

# data[].attributes.headline
What's Sierra Madre's role in all of this? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What's Sierra Madre's role in all of this? 

# data[].attributes.body
Dams, watersheds, or any other large body of water need to be managed well to avoid flooding nearby towns. Blocked sewerage, pollution, and strong water currents brought about by the super typhoons and the water spilled by them can cause widespread flooding in some regions of Luzon. We would suffer much worse if the super typhoons weren’t weakened by the tall, impenetrable walls of the Sierra Madre. This long mountain range is the main reason Super Typhoon Rolly didn’t wreak even more havoc after its landfall.

However, recent projects proposed by the Philippine government threatens the condition of this mountain range. The main project, in particular, is the construction of the Kaliwa Dam in General Nakar, Quezon.

Not only will the construction of this dam cause irreversible environmental damage to the Sierra Madre, but it will also endanger numerous endemic wildlife, upset the biodiversity, and displace so many indigenous people native to the area.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rash decision almost led to a Lose-Lose situation?

# data[].attributes.subject
Rash decision almost led to a Lose-Lose situation?

# data[].attributes.body
The construction of the controversial New Centennial Water  Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS KDP) was continued even without permits from the appropriate government offices, according to the 2020 audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA).

According to COA, this may lead to the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the project (DENR).

According to COA, the MWSS and its contractor must first comply with the requirements of the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act and have a certification issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. It must also identify disposal sites of excavated materials, among others.

The ECC is a conditional certificate, where MWSS needs to comply [with] 21 conditions and 4 restrictions that are subject to the approval/evaluation of DENR. If the requirements are not met, the COA warned that the ECC could be canceled, which would affect the effectivity of the loan agreement with China Eximbank and the contract with the contractor CEEC.

MWSS chairman Reynaldo Velasco admitted that the agency has yet to secure some of the necessary permits for the Kaliwa Dam Project but claimed that the paperwork for its issuance is already done.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
MANILA, Philippines - The construction of the controversial New Centennial Water Source Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS KDP) was continued even without permits from the appropriate government offices, according to the 2020 audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA).

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is the government agency in charge of the Kaliwa Dam project, which is part of the New Centennial Water Source program that promises to deliver 600 million liters of water per day to Metro Manila.

According to COA, this may lead to the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the project (DENR).

The ECC only allows the MWSS to present measures that will mitigate the impact of the project on community health, welfare, and the environment.

The MWSS "may only proceed with the project implementation only after it has secured "necessary permits from other pertinent Government agencies," the COA report said.

The contractor of the $283.2 project is the China Energy Engineering Corp. (CEEC), which has reportedly started the construction of the dam in spite of complaints from indigenous people who will be displaced.

According to COA, the MWSS and its contractor must first comply with the requirements of the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act and have a certification issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. It must also identify disposal sites of excavated materials, among others.

"The ECC is a conditional certificate, where MWSS needs to comply [with] 21 conditions and 4 restrictions that are subject to the approval/evaluation of DENR," the COA report said.

If the requirements are not met, the COA warned that the ECC could be canceled, which would affect the effectivity of the loan agreement with China Eximbank and the contract with the contractor CEEC.

"We recommended that Engineering and Technical Group secure the necessary permits as required by the DENR for the implmentation of the NCWS KDP and the submission of the Compliance Monitoring 'Report together with the supporting documents," the COA said.

In 2019, the government secured a $283.2-million loan deal from China to build the dam, a flagship project under the Build, Build, Build program of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The project has generated a lot of criticism, with some people warning that the dam might destroy the ecosystem and the habitat of indigenous people in several Quezon province towns. Others said the deal would be disadvantageous for the country.
READ: 'Onerous' provisions of Kaliwa dam project bared
According to Duterte, the project is the "last resort" for Metro Manila's dwindling water supply.
READ: Kaliwa dam project gets Duterte's go-signal
But the studies conducted by the Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance Inc. showed that the dam would end up displacing an estimated 1,465 indigenous families.

Meanwhile, MWSS chairman Reynaldo Velasco denied that the dam construction in the ancestral domain proceeded. According to him, the MWSS only pushed through with the construction outside the domain, which is not related to the Kaliwa Dam project.

"Tuloy 'yong hindi related sa dam at tunnel na nasa labas ng ancestral domain," Velasco said in a message to Inquirer.net

(Only those unrelated to the dam and tunnel outside the ancestral domain were continued.)

He admitted that the agency has yet to secure some of the necessary permits for the Kaliwa Dam Project but claimed that the paperwork for its issuance is already done.

"Tapos na ang papeles, inaantay na lang ang permit," Velasco said.

(The paperwork is done, just waiting for the permit.)
RELATED STORIES Stop P19-B Kaliwa Dam, groups urge Duterte House panel OKs resolution stopping Kaliwa Dam project in ancestral domains Kaliwa Dam deal 'suspiciously disadvantageous' to PH Mishandling of Kaliwa Dam consultation hit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Construction of Kaliwa Dam pushed through even without permits - COA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The construction of the controversial New Centennial Water Source Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS KDP) was continued even without permits from the appropriate government offices, according to the 2020 audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA).

# data[].attributes.headline
Is ethnic resolve enough to fight against the invisible hand of the corporate world? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Is ethnic resolve enough to fight against the invisible hand of the corporate world? 

# data[].attributes.body
Actual construction of the P12-billion Kaliwa Dam, may have to wait until next year because of delays in meeting some conditions, including consent from the affected indigenous peoples, according to the new Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) chief.

Business Bulletin learned in July that the project still lacks Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which will come from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA), which will come from the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The new MWSS chief is hopeful that with the new compensation deal and with the intervention of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), MWSS could finally secure the FPIC that the project needs from the NCIP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Actual construction of the P12-billion Kaliwa Dam, pegged by the Duterte administration as its top solution to Metro Manila's water woes, may have to wait until next year because of delays in meeting some conditions, including consent from the affected indigenous peoples, according to the new Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) chief.

"Maybe it will happen early next year, but we have a promise that we will not start the project as long as the conditions are not met," MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas told Business Bulletin in a phone interview. Unlike her predecessors, Cleofas does not see the construction of the Kaliwa Dam project happening within the year.

37676

But Cleofas, who has just replaced retired Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco as MWSS Administrator two weeks ago, said pursuing Kaliwa Dam will be one of her priorities as she takes over the top post of the agency.

However, she admitted that the project - to be constructed by China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) based on an Official Development Assistance (ODA) deal between China and the Philippines - still needs to settle a few issues, especially with the indigenous peoples (IPs) that will be affected by the project.

"As the new MWSS administrator, I will continue [the implementation of] our water security legacy plan," Cleofas told Business Bulletin. "As for the Kaliwa Dam project, we are making sure that we comply with the requirements of the IPs."

Business Bulletin learned in July that the project still lacks Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which will come from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA), which will come from the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

This is despite earlier government pronouncement that the project is finally poised to start within this year after years of delay, with tunnel excavation activities within the Sierra Madre even formally planned to happen within December.

As of now, she said, MWSS is still in discussion with IP communities and local government units (LGUs), adding that the Board of the agency already recently agreed with the new proposed compensation package for IPs whose ancestral land will be affected by the project.

As part of the package, each IP community of Rizal and Quezon will receive an annual payment of P1 million during the operation of Kaliwa Dam project. MWSS will also allocate a fund of P80 million each for Rizal and Quezon during the construction of the project.

The new MWSS chief is hopeful that with the new compensation deal and with the intervention of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), MWSS could finally secure the FPIC that the project needs from the NCIP.

As for the SAPA, she is also positive that this will be secured by November. "We are coordinating with the DENR," she said.

Because of these delays, Cleofas is more realistic and unlike her predecessors, Velasco and Emmanuel Salamat (who served as MWSS chief from August 2019 to March 2020), she does not see the construction of the Kaliwa Dam project happening within the year.

"Maybe it will happen early next year, but we have a promise that we will not start the project as long as the conditions are not met," Cleofas said.

In a separate interview, Father Pete Montallana of Save Sierra Madre Network told Business Bulletin that with the amount of opposition against the project coming from the IP communities to be affected by it, it is no longer possible for the government to pursue it in a "legal" way.

"With this corrupt government, they will surely start the project without addressing the concerns of the people. They don't follow the law. Anything can be possible with them," Montallana said.

To be specific, he said that because of the project's massive environmental and social impact, which includes deforestation and relocation of IP families, a lot of people from General Nakar and Infanta have remained against the project.

As for Cleofas, she said that as long as there is opposition, MWSS will continue to "talk to the people and prioritize their concerns".

She also said that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is helping MWSS address concerns about flooding that the project will cause in many areas. Earlier, Velasco admitted that he has concerns about the required infrastructure needed to construct Kaliwa Dam.

"When I consider the magnitude of the required infrastructure, and knowing that to operate a TBM [tunnel boring machine], 200 to 500 meters below the Sierra Madre mountains, crossing population centers in Rizal, technical hazards are likely to be present," Velasco said.

However, he said that he takes "comfort in the fact that the MWSS' project team are experienced in complex tunneling and underground projects and that China, is one of the reliable global suppliers of the TBM."

Metro Manila is still largely dependent on the 54-year old Angat Dam, getting 90 percent of its water needs from it.

Kaliwa Dam, on the other hand, will have the capacity to treat as much as 600 million liters of water per day (mld), and is the government's only long-term solution to Metro Manila's water woes. The project traverses the provinces of Rizal and Quezon.

SIGN UP TO DAILY NEWSLETTER

CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Construction of Kaliwa Dam to start 2022, says new MWSS chief

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Actual construction of the P12-billion Kaliwa Dam, pegged by the Duterte administration as its top solution to Metro Manila's water woes, may have to wait until next year because of delays in meeting some conditions, including consent from the affected indigenous peoples, according to the new Metrop

# data[].attributes.body
The Kaliwa Dam Project is not ethical, nor is it legal. It will infringe on so many people’s rights. It will endanger many flora and fauna, not to mention leave permanent environmental damage on the Sierra Madre mountain range. At its core, this water supply scheme, which should be a solution to Manila’s water supply problems, threatens the environment and the people.

# data[].attributes.body
Not only can this project affect plants and animals,it can also be a way for at least 5,000 Dumagat-Remontados indigenous people to be homeless. Around 300 of them would be directly affected once the project pushes through.

# data[].attributes.body
Our Vision and Mission
Sierra Madre Network Alliance Inc. (SSMNA),  envision a community of stewards and co-Creators of a Loving Creator to all of creation, in particular to Sierra Madre.

We commit to the present and future generations that we shall:

Co- exist harmoniously with all  creatures, living things and elements of nature;

Care for and protect our natural environment particularly within Sierra Madre;

Awaken the consciousness among local  communities and all Sierra Madre stakeholders of our being stewards and co-Creators of a Loving Creator; and

Strengthen the commitment of local communities and all Sierra Madre stakeholders in maintaining the balance of nature.

Our Actions

Conscientizing people and awakening in them the core truth of our being - that we are all co-creators of a Loving Creator and stewards of God’s creation; empowering them to become environmentalists and to have the courage to pressure the government to seriously address the pressing environmental issues in the country, particularly in their local communities.

Monitoring and exposing logging, mining, and other destructive activities and programs within Sierra Madre and demanding accountability from the National Government and the Local Government Units, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other involved government agencies.

Networking with other groups in pushing the passing of environmental bills : Forest Resources Bill, Alternative Mineral Management Bill, and National Land Use Act

# data[].attributes.body
Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy is a coalition of networks, organizations and individuals working for a development paradigm that addresses the need for social and economic upliftment, while preserving life-supporting water, air and land for generations to come.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Haribon: Kaliwa Dam remains a threat to biodiversity

# data[].attributes.body
The Haribon Foundation maintains its position that the multibillion peso Kaliwa mega dam project will not only have a devastating impact on people’s lives, but would also destroy the homes of many threatened flora and fauna found in the area.

Communities in the Barangay Pagsangahan in General Nakar and Barangay Magsaysay in Infanta, composed mostly of Dumagat-Remontado tribes, would be displaced. Thousands of threatened wildlife species inhabiting the forests of Sierra Madre, including Philippine Brown Deer, Philippine Warty Pig, Vulnerable Northern Rufous Hornbill, restricted-range birds of the Luzon Endemic Bird area and the Philippine Eagle would also be in danger.

At least 12,147 hectares of residual forests where around 172 diverse plant species were recorded would also be at risk. Thirty-nine of these could only be found in the country, and 17 are threatened with extinction.

Haribon thus contends the construction of the Kaliwa mega dam has proven to be a short-sighted solution.

More than the supposed livelihood arrangements to compensate for the project’s damages, the fight for the protection and preservation of ancestral domains as supported by the Republic Act 8371, or the “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act Law,” remains to be a resounding call by the Dumagat-Remontados.

Without doubt, the ecosystem benefits of the Sierra Madre mountain forests to the country are invaluable. For one, it remains to be the country’s source of pride and a priceless natural resource providing clean air we breathe, regulating and stabilizing climate, and increasing temperature. It also protects communities from landslides, droughts and floods, and is an indispensable part of the water cycle.

# data[].attributes.body
ALAKAD is a student group dedicated to shed light on the Kaliwa Dam issue by amplifying the voices of marginalized communities affected by its construction.

"Sino po ba ang magmamana ng kalikasan, ‘di ba kami rin? Sino po ba ang magmamana ng ekonomiya, ‘di ba kami rin?"

Atenista Laban sa Kaliwa Dam and Coalition of Ateneans for Indigenous Peoples advocate for sustainable and alternative solutions over short-term and impulsive decisions such as the construction of the Kaliwa Dam. We envision a future where the environment and economy are beneficial to ALL Filipinos, especially the indigenous and affected communities and the next generations who continuously take on a proactive stance on environmental and national concerns.

And as part of the STOP Kaliwa Dam Network,  ALAKAD and CAIP join various organizations in launching the campaign to secure at least 10 million signatures to convince President Rodrigo Duterte to revoke the project's contract with China and to find safer and more beneficial solutions to Metro Manila’s water shortage.

Together with the Dumagat-Remontados, we condemn the Kaliwa Dam project as it violates legal processes and the Philippine constitution, is destructive to the environment, and is against the country's national interest.

Kabataang Pilipino, tumitindig laban sa mapanirang proyekto at kumikilos para sa kinabukasan ng katutubo, ng kalikasan at ng bayan!

# data[].attributes.headline
No to Kaliwa Dam, Yes to Alternative Sources of Water

# data[].attributes.subject
No to Kaliwa Dam, Yes to Alternative Sources of Water

# data[].attributes.body
Our country has been blessed by God with an abundance of natural resources especially water, but for many factors, we are now faced with the concrete reality of managing our water especially for the next generation.

After listening to the strong opposition to the construction of the New Centennial Water Source Kaliwa Dam Project, we too express our opposition to the said project and strongly recommend to look for alternative sources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
On the Record: Kaliwa dam: The answer to water crisis?

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
A band of kids practicing the Tinikling, a traditional Philippine folk dance

# data[].attributes.body
With the P18 Billion budget for constructing Kaliwa Dam, there can be alternative sources of water, many of which are being advocated now:

1. Launch a massive education campaign to convince the 13 million Metro Manila residents to learn “water management”. This would reduce water consumption significantly. This could be bad news for business but best for the environment.

2. Harvest rain water which flood us perennially and implement the pertinent provision of the National Building Code of the Philippines (RA 1096).

3. Fast track the recovery of the NRW (non-revenue water) through fixing leaks;

4. Rehabilitate the Pasig-Laguna River Basin which would cost only P13 Billion (estimated by Dr. Esteban Godilano, an environmental scientist).

5. Adopt the Singapore New Water technology which treats wastewater to become potable.

6. And most importantly, protect and expand our dwindling forests that serves as our largest watershed and these would refill our underground aquifers which are now over extracted.

# data[].attributes.body
All of us – government and the people – have to work together to resolve our water issues. Hence as pastors of the faithful we should:

1. Support a transparent dialogue with MWSS and NEDA and the stakeholders of the Kaliwa dam making available all the pertinent documents;

2. Support the initiative in Congress and Senate to make an inquiry into the Kaliwa Dam; and

3. Encourage all to “rethink how to use water” in terms of the demand-side and consumption and protect our environment.

# data[].attributes.body
Pope Francis warns that: “Caring for the ecosystems demands farsightedness, since no one looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation.” (Laudato Si #36)

# data[].attributes.body
We can use different types of outreach methods to further spread the kaliwa low dam proposal

One of the methods is we can use the power of social media. currently there are about 4.48 billion people who use social media, we can use social media at out advantage because for one social media is free for everyone and 2 it is very easy to spread and reach the people who use social media.

here are some apps to give you a figure of how many users are using the app and we can take advantage of that.

# data[].attributes.body
A great social media organization always has great stories to share. These could be narratives of people you’ve helped, videos of tours and experiences, heart-wrenching pictures of those who need help, and other content meant to inspire. Let your audience know how you have been making a difference. If you’re following a cause that is meant to raise awareness, telling stories is one of the best ways to do this

# data[].attributes.body
SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP THE KALIWA LOW DAM PROJECT.

The Kaliwa Dam Project is illegal, violates the Philippine constitution, is environmentally harmful, and is not in the country's best interests.

more expensive choices appear to be the only way to address the problem. In fact, the current "water crisis" was used to hasten and justify the construction of the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project.

We oppose the Kaliwa Dam Project for the following reasons:
- will destroy the biodiversity and habitat of 126 species in 300 hectares of the Sierra Madre and endanger 100,000 residents downstream with the risk of massive flooding

- will entail an unnecessary 10.37 billion-peso loan from China, further worsening our debt-ridden economy

- will affect the ancestral domains where 5,000 Dumagat-Remontados are situated

- may cause our government to surrender Philippine territory to pay off the loan.

Because of this project it will affect us and our future. Because of that we will be starting a petition to stop the kaliwa low dam project and help the philippines be better because the conditions of the philippines will just get worse if the kaliwa low dam project is made.

# data[].attributes.body
You may proceed with Activity 7.

Missing in the padlet:
*Individual task of all the members
Specify the katutubo (your petition name is very general) are you talking about kaliwa dam? you can add 2nd captions to emphasize.