Group questions DENR’s issuance of ECC to Kaliwa Dam project

MANILA, Philippines — An environmental advocacy group has raised concern over the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to the P18.7-billion Kaliwa Dam project in Quezon by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The Network Opposed to Kaliwa, Kanan and Laiban Dams comprising the New Centennial Water Source (NOtoNCWS) argued that the project’s area had been declared “protected,” citing the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Law.

“According to the NIPAS Law, an area is declared protected due to its ‘biologically unique features to sustain human life and development’,” NOtoNCWS convener April Porteria said Sunday in a statement.

“Hence submerging a considerable portion of the Kaliwa Watershed – 113 hectares of forested lands – will have considerable environmental damages with an adverse impact not only to communities in direct impact areas of the project,” Porteria added.

Porteria explained the “area to be submerged has a huge amount of stored carbon and biomass” and “clearing and inundation of the Kaliwa watershed will release stored carbon and add to the global warming problem.”

“These and other potentially damaging impacts of the project to the environment makes the issuance of the ECC questionable,” Porteria said.

The DENR earlier issued an ECC to the China-loan funded Kaliwa Dam, which had been touted as the solution to the water shortage being experienced by residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

READ: Kaliwa dam project gets DENR clearance

DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) granted the project’s ECC application after it reportedly satisfied the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System or Presidential Decree No. 1586.