The Chico River Dam Project by the  San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group, Inc., Union Energy Corporation and the Karayan Hydropower Corporation along the Chico River in Lucog, Kalinga province will displace and gravely affect the indigenous communities of Nabnab, Kurngokung, Makanyao, Linang, Torak and numerous other communities in the province of Kalinga including the Naneng, Dallak and Minanga sub-tribes.

The said companies are set to build a dam in the province with a height of 26m, a capacity of 24M cu.m. and a power-generating capacity of 52MW meant to produce hydro electric power.  In a press release, San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders disclosed that it "proposed to produce a 240-MW in the municipality of Tabuk in Kalinga, Northern Luzon, thru the Chico River hydropower project. The plant will be connected to the Luzon grid and can also have access to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), with possibilities of higher annual revenues. The project is estimated to cost $680 million."

Being a mega dam, it will displace communities and flooding will occur. Some 25 hectares of rice paddies, coffee and other rice plantations will be affected.  An indigenous burial site in Torak will be disturbed.  It will also threaten the status of Tabuk City as the Cordillera region's rice granary because of the impounding of water by the dam during the summer season meant to irrigate farmlands. Portion of the Chico River that will be affected in the construction of the dam is likewise identified and locally legislated exclusively as a tourism zone.

Please join us in our fight to oppose this development project by signing the Petition. We must preserve our remaining heritage and indigenous legacies. 

(photos by:  Rhea Schwarze, Rod Dumallig)