The Dumagat-Remontado marchers from Quezon province reached Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, on the eighth day of their march to protest the construction of the Kaliwa Dam. (Photo from Stop Kaliwa Dam)
MANILA, Philippines — The 300-person Dumagat-Remontado indigenous group that walked from General Nakar in Quezon reached the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on Wednesday — marking the eighth day of their march to protest the construction of the Kaliwa Dam.
From Ateneo, the marchers will travel to government agencies in Metro Manila and make their final stop at Malacañang Palace where they hope to speak to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself.
During the reception of the marchers at Ateneo, Conchita Calzado, the spokesperson of the Alay-Lakad, slammed the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for claiming that the tribes had already given their consent to the dam construction.
“We are walking because of what we experienced and are experiencing in the process of getting the pre-prior informed consent, which the NCIP is saying we have already given,” she said in Filipino.
The dam, she said, would endanger the culture and livelihood of her community.
According to Calzado, they were intimidated and bribed.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System also conducted the negotiations in English despite the request of the indigenous people to have it in Filipino.
Government negotiations with certain tribal leaders have also led to division among the tribes, according to Calzado.
The Kaliwa Dam is the government’s answer to looming water shortages in Metro Manila. The China-backed dam has drawn controversy due to concerns over its environmental impact.
“We have never been greedy. Our culture is very giving. Even if we are about to eat something, if we see someone in need, we will give it to them. We are not being selfish when it comes to giving Manila water,” Calzado said.