Duterte open to reviewing Kaliwa Dam deal

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte is open to reviewing the China-funded Kaliwa Dam project deal to address concerns that it may contain provisions disadvantageous to the public.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte does not tolerate one-sided or onerous provisions in government projects. 

“If somebody points out onerous provisions, the President would immediately look into it. In case (such provision) escapes the one who was supposed to check it, he himself would look into it. You can remove the onerous provisions and push through with the contract,” Panelo said at a press briefing yesterday.?

The P12.2-billion Kaliwa Dam to be built in Quezon province is one of the government projects funded by Chinese loans. Some groups are opposed to the project, claiming it would cause floods, displace communities and damage the biodiversity of the Sierra Madre. ?

Late last month, Duterte cited the need to finish the Kaliwa Dam and the Razon-led Wawa Dam projects, calling them the “last resort to have water for Manila.”

He said residents to be displaced by the projects would be properly compensated and relocated.

The President also warned courts not to issue temporary restraining orders to delay the projects, claiming such decisions are being used by corrupt judges and losing bidders to extort money.?Duterte’s pronouncements did not sit well with Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, who said that the Kaliwa Dam and another China-funded project, the Chico River pump irrigation, are “onerous.” The loan deals for the two projects, he claimed, are “disasters for the Philippines” because they were “skewed to favor the Chinese.”?Asked to react to Zarate’s statement, Panelo urged critics of the Kaliwa Dam deal to specify the provisions of the deal that are onerous as he pointed out that the loan for the project was scrutinized by concerned agencies before it was approved. ?“First, did they say why disastrous? Did they elaborate why it is disastrous? I’m sure those who drafted the agreement know exactly whether or not those provisions would be disadvantageous to this government. So since they approved it, I think it was checked to see if it was disadvantageous or not,” Panelo added.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also urged all local government units to fast-track the processing of permits to expedite the completion of water-related projects and avert a possible water crisis this year.

He issued Memorandum Circular 2019-207 to call on local chief executives to extend support to these projects in their localities.

During the summer season last year, Metro Manila experienced the “worst water crisis” in the past years, with an estimated 52,000 households in the east zone affected by water shortage, which saw thousands of residents line up for water rations.

Securing trust

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is slowly securing the trust of indigenous people for some of its projects that aim to stabilize water supply for Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Years after the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) issued the certificate of pre-condition for the construction of the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project, the memorandum of agreement among the NCIP, MWSS and the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) was finally perfected.

The ICC was represented by the elders and chieftains of Sitio Kabayunan in Bulacan.

The certificate of pre-condition is an affirmation that the IPs and the community gave their consent and acceptance for the MWSS to apply for the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) for the AWTIP.

“Although it took a long time and process for the signing of the MOA to materialize, mostly due to overlapping tenurial rights, the important thing is that IP leaders, members of the tribe and members of the local community have clearly understood the temporary impacts of the project alongside with MWSS’s recognition and respect of their rights,” MWSS said in a statement.

The FPIC is considered given upon the signing of a MOA that contains the conditions and requirements, benefits as well as penalties as basis for the consent.

MWSS said the FPIC does not only mean compliance with the regulatory requirements but more importantly a recognition that the IPs have an equal spot at the table from the very beginning, with input and decision-making authority.

“Though it took a long time, what matters most is not the number of meetings or hours of conversation, but opportunities for sustained, serious, mutual listening and learning. Indigenous people and communities deserve that,” it added.

The AWTIP aims to ensure the sustainable provision of water supply and mitigate the risk of a total loss of raw water supply in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan and portions of Cavite.

The project aims to improve the supply of water to Metro Manila from the Angat Dam in Bulacan by building a fourth tunnel in the transmission line. The new tunnel would make the flow of dam waters to Metro Manila more efficient and address the increasing demand in the metropolis.

Further, the AWTIP will rehabilitate the raw water transmission system to improve its reliability and security of water supply from the Angat reservoir.

AWTIP is a component of the MWSS Legacy Roadmap, which is a comprehensive agenda to transform MWSS from purely water distribution to being a guardian of water security for Metro Manila. – With Louise Maureen Simeon, Romina Cabrera