Laiban and San Roque: two dams, two protest actions

The two dams might be hundreds of kilometers apart; one is operational, the other still to be built. But both the proposed Laiban dam in Tanay, Rizal province and the gigantic San Roque dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan province have already generated volumes of turbulent debate on the pros and cons of harnessing rivers in such a massive way. Saying the Laiban Dam construction would only do harm than good, an indigenous peoples’ group opposed to the P50-billion dam project will seek a dialogue with the officials of the San Miguel Bulk Water Corporation on Monday next week. Napoleon Buendicho, tribal governor of the indigenous group, said the dialogue would be their main agenda when they reach Manila on November 9 after their 148-kilometer march from General Nakar town in Quezon province. “The construction of dam will deepen our poverty because it will destroy our means of livelihood. Not only that, it will also destroy our cultural tradition because it will submerge our communities and the sacred burial grounds of our forefathers," Buendicho said. Dubbed as “Lakad Laban sa Laiban Dam," the long-range protest action commenced on Wednesday with representatives from indigenous peoples, environmentalists, and non-government organizations joining the march. The planned Laiban dam will be constructed across the Kaliwa River in Tanay, Rizal by the water subsidiary of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in partnership with two Japanese firms. The multi-billion project has been touted to be Metro Manila’s “future water source." The project is in line with the aim of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to address the national capital region's expected water supply deficit of 1,600 million liters per day by 2015. Critics, however, rejected the project, claiming that it threatens the environment and would render thousands of people homeless and jobless. The march is led by environmental group Save the Sierra Madre Network (SSMN), together with Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (Pakisama). Haribon Foundation, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Ysiro Land Farmers, Sagibin Indigenous People’s Organization, Green Convergence, Urban Poor Center for Community Action (UPCCA), COPE, Infanta Ecowaste Coalition, and the Prelature of Infanta, Quezon Province are also joining the protest. San Roque dam protest Meanwhile, other various groups are likewise set to hold a protest caravan against the San Roque dam in Pangasinan, which was blamed for the massive flooding along the lower Agno river basin when Typhoon Pepeng hit northern Luzon last October. Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it has been almost a month since the disaster devastated the province but nobody has been held accountable. Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said that aside from distributing relief goods to calamity-stricken areas, the group will conduct a signature drive aimed at supporting the growing calls to shut down the dam or at least drastically reduce its operation. “Our mobile sign-up drive hopes to gather as many signatures as we can. We also want to support the people and their local officials who are considering the filing of a case against the San Roque dam officials," he said. The caravan will start from Quezon City, pass through Pangasinan, then up to Baguio City. The caravan participants plan to distribute relief goods in Baguio and other areas in the Cordillera region that have been isolated or damaged by landslides during Pepeng’s destructive one-week spin across the region. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV