Welcome
to Our Site

Welcome visitors, we the Sierra Madre Scouters are humbly welcome you to our site and we are here to provide information about Sierra Madre.

JOIN STOP KALIWA DAM: SAVE SEIRRA MADRE

Take Action Now

All eyes on the Kaliwa Dam project: Will its benefits outweigh the costs?

Mayuga (2020) claims that as the dry season approaches and becomes worse by climate change, the Philippines is once again faced with an issue of inadequate water supplies. "Manila Water Co." Inc. has previously drawn water from La Mesa Dam to supplement its meager supply or authorized allocation of 2,400 MLD per day (MLD) from Angat. This is to account for the rising demand brought on by the high heat in relation to Manila Water's increasing service area. Additionally, the number of people utilizing water has grown over time, which appears to have exceeded its available supplies. Because of this, the government developed the Kaliwa Dam, which will provide a backup water source and increase supply from the Angat Dam, thus preventing water shortage issues. It aims to ensure water delivery during the occurrence of El Nio and lessen the load on the Angat-Ipo-La-Mesa water system. The China Energy Engineering Corp. will carry out the P12.2 billion Kaliwa Dam project, which is supported by the Chinese government through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from China. (CEEC).

Learn More

China-backed Kaliwa Dam, would displace indigenous people to quench Manila’s thirst

De Santos (2019) states that despite the Duterte administration's commitment to finishing the Kaliwa Dam project by 2022, environmentalists and indigenous people have persisted in their protests. However, Section 7c of Chapter III of The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997, or Republic Act 8371, or one of the documents required for the project to proceed, prohibits the government from starting construction without the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the local community. However, a huge military force from the government has since been stationed nearby, intimidating and confusing the local tribes. In addition, soldiers from the Special Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit stationed nearby were employees of the Chinese construction firm. These soldiers asserted that their presence was necessary as a safety precaution against potential New People's Army action.

Thank-You-Sierra-Madre-Mountain-Range-For-Protecting-Us-1.jpg

Stop Kaliwa Dam, Save our Future!

According to the Change Organization PBC (2023), The Kaliwa Dam Project breaches legal procedures and the Philippine constitutions, is environmentally harmful, and is contrary to the country's national objectives. With the growing demand on water accessibility in Metro Manila, expensive options tend to surface to address this issue. In actuality, the 2019 "water catastrophe" was utilized to accelerate and promote the construction of the Kaliwa Dam as a remedy. The organization opposes the Kaliwa Dam Project for two reasons: (1) it will harm the ancestry woodlands of five thousand Dumagat-Remontados in the mountains of Sierra Madre as well as submerge at least six sacred sites; and (2) it will destroy the biological diversity and ecosystem of 126 different species across 300 hectares of Sierra Madre, completely submerge 291 hectares of woodlands, and jeopardize 100,000 people who live downstream with the potential of massive flooding; (3) it entails an unnecessary 10.37 billion-peso loans from China, further deteriorating our debt-ridden economy; (4) it permits China to settle project issues using its legislation and on the territory they own, and (5) it may force our government to give up Philippine territory in order to repay the debt.

Greenpeace statement of support for Alay Lakad Laban sa Kaliwa Dam

According to Greenpeace Philippines campaigner, Rhea Jane Mallari (2023), Greenpeace is supporting the Dumagat-Remontado community and their campaign to stop the Kaliwa Dam and safeguard the Sierra Madre. They march in unity with them in their heroic procession to guarantee a green, just, and peaceful future. In their perspectives, the upcoming building of the Kaliwa Dam, the very first in a network of further major dams, will destroy the Sierra Madre mountains range's critical ecosystems and wildlife. It jeopardizes communities that depend upon this natural environment for their livelihoods, culture, and safety. It also exacerbates the social inequities that already exist in vulnerable groups. Greenpeace anticipates that implementing the project is a cruel decision, especially in light of the escalating climate crisis. Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as the rights and justice of those most affected, is critical to climate resilience.

The New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS)

According to Brimonitor Organization (2021), the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS-KDP) will be entirely funded through a loan agreement under a Chinese official development assistance (ODA) loan (P12.2 billion) and monies from the Philippine government's regular budget. According to official announcements, the Export and Import Bank of China (EXIM) will fund approximately 85 percent of the project's cost, or around P12.2 billion, under the Preferential Buyer's Credit Loan Agreement. China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) is the project's general contractor. The project was originally intended to be funded through a public-private collaboration. Following that, Duterte pursued the more substantial, China-funded NCWS-KDP, which concentrated on a single Kaliwa Dam, however MWSS has observed that the dam's designs allow for enhanced capacity to accept water generated by the development of additional dams.