The existing plans to construct the Kaliwa Dam pose extensive risk to local communities and the environment. The project, designed to supply Metro Manila with water, threatens to displace over 20,000 indigenous people, alongside potential destruction of surrounding biodiversity and disruption of ecosystem services. Additionally, it's not uniformly agreed upon that this project is the most effective solution to the city's water security issue.

 

Reports indicate that rehabilitation of existing water infrastructure and implementation of conservation practices could very well achieve the same water security goals, without causing such extensive, irreversible damages. The use of less destructive, socially equitable, and beneficial alternatives is a responsibility we cannot refrain from.

 

Let's go through some pros and cons of this project for a better view and understanding of the project being implemented.

 

PROS 

The main purpose of the Project is to ensure water security. In addition, the Project aims to increase the raw water supply to meet future potable water demand of Metro Manila and reduce dependence on the Angat Dam. The P12.2 billion Chinese-funded Kaliwa Dam is expected to provide Metro Manila and nearby provinces with 600 million liters of water per day, according to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). 

 

It is also expected to lessen the 90% potable water share of the nearly 60-year-old Angat Dam, which encounters critical water levels annually, especially during the dry season. 

 

CONS 

Regarding the kaliwa's dam project in sierra madre it also has a bad impact, so many various protests and opposition due to potential harm to the environment and risk of displacing indigenous people from their ancestral lands. We have many benefits in sierra madre for instance, Mr. Caringal noted that the Kaliwa dam, like any other dam, could help store and manage excess rainwater that could potentially cause flooding in flood-prone areas of Metro Manila.

 

Individuals living near the area also points out that the construction of Kaliwa Dam, will destroy vital ecosystems and biodiversity of the Sierra Madre mountain range. It endangers communities who rely on this ecosystem for their livelihood, culture, and protection from hazards. Also the construction of the Kaliwa Dam within a forest reserve could lead to increased deforestation and damage to the Sierra Madre's unique ecosystem. The project may exacerbate typhoon-related risks, flooding, landslides, and erosion in the region and the full operation of the dam entails large-scale, permanent, and irreversible ecological changes. Its destruction will displace thousands of animal and plant species. This will severely disrupt the ecosystem and biodiversity of the only remaining rainforest in the country.

 

 

Therefore, we implore the responsible bodies to consider the potential implications of the Kaliwa Dam project and urge them to reconsider its implementation. Please, join us in the quest to put a stop to the Kaliwa Dam Project. Sign and share this petition widely.