
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) – Despite the rain, environmental advocates and indigenous people (IP) on Sunday marched to protest against the construction of Kaliwa Dam in the Sierra Madre.
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The project will cover areas in the provinces of Quezon and Rizal, and is expected to provide 600 million liters of water per day to the National Capital Region and nearby provinces, boosting the water supply in those areas.\r
But according to STOP Kaliwa Dam Network, the project violates the Philippine Constitution and other laws, is destructive to the environment, and is against the country’s national interest.\r
The group also said the project will affect ancestral forests in the Sierra Madre where 5,000 Dumagat-Remontados reside, and will submerge at least six sacred sites.\r
According to a study by Forest Foundation Philippines, the Sierra Madre also serves as an effective barrier against storms heading toward eastern Luzon from the Pacific Ocean.
The construction of the Kaliwa Dam was supposed to start in January 2020 and was expected to be completed in December 2025. It was delayed due to the restrictions implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The construction is now scheduled for June 2023 to August 2026.
















