Continue to Oppose the Kaliwa Dam! Stand with Indigenous Peoples!

We welcome the resolution of the Municipality of Infanta, led by Mayor La Ruanto and Vice Mayor Mannie America, to firmly oppose the Kaliwa Dam project. We thank the local authorities for heeding the call of the Indigenous Peoples affected by the dam. Your resolve aligns with the calls of the Dumagat Remontado and other communities adversely affected by the project.

Photo from the Municipal Government of Infanta

Dumagat Day, 2019

The construction of the Kaliwa Dam began in 2022 and has since caused immense harm to local and Indigenous communities, whether through numerous human rights violations or through disastrous impacts to the environment. The Kaliwa Dam has led to increased deforestation that threatens the unique ecosystem of the Sierra Madre, endangering the area’s biodiversity. The Dam is projected to submerge 93 hectares of forestland, including 12 sacred areas of the Indigenous Peoples There have also been reports of violations of the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) processes, further exacerbating the violative nature of the project.

Those who oppose the project are subjected to rights violations brought by militarization, including harassment and illegal arrests. Rocky Torres and Dandoy Avellaneda, two Dumagat farmers from Brgy. Umiray, Gen. Nakar, Quezon Province, were illegally arrested, tortured, and coerced into admitting they were members of the New People’s Army on May 14, 2018. They remain illegally detained to this day. Puroy and Randy dela Cruz, Dumagat activists who led the opposition against the Kaliwa-Kanan-Laiban dams, were killed with seven others on March 7, 2021, known as the Bloody Sunday Massacre.

This destructive dam project, initiated under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” program, continues under President Marcos Jr.’s “Build, Better, More” agenda. Katribu calls on Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take accountability for the harassment, killings, and displacement caused by the Kaliwa Dam. As Marcos Jr. delivers his 3rd State of the Nation Address, we call on him to address the human rights violations committed under his administration.

We hope that more government units will stand with Indigenous Peoples in their campaigns against destructive dam projects. We challenge newly elected officials to uphold the principles of good governance and stay grounded in the plights of their constituents.

Reference: Beverly Longid, National Convener