Quezon bishops lead protest vs Kaliwa Dam

LUCENA CITY—The revered “Krus ng Sierra Madre” (Holy Cross of Sierra Madre) on Monday has embarked on its Lenten journey in Quezon province with a group led by Catholic bishops who marched on Monday to call on the provincial officials to help stop the construction of the controversial Kaliwa Dam project.The protesters, led by Bishops Mel Rey Uy of the Diocese of Lucena and Bernardino Cortez of the Prelature of Infanta, walked from Saint Ferdinand Cathedral to the provincial capitol ground here with the “Krus ng Sierra Madre” aboard a pick-up vehicle leading the way.The “Krus ng Sierra Madre” pilgrimage began on Good Friday in 2012 in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province. It has since visited the provinces around the Sierra Madre and several Catholic churches in Metro Manila.The seven-foot cross was carved by Ifugao craftsmen from “mulawin” or molave driftwood gathered from the Ingrid-Angelo mountains in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. The cross, kept at the Divine Infant Jesus of Prague and Saint Mark Parish in Infanta when not on pilgrimage, symbolizes the unending struggle to protect the Sierra Madre mountain ranges from projects like the Kaliwa Dam.

Take actionThe dam project is feared to submerge parts of the ancestral land of the indigenous people (IP) and their mountain communities in Rizal and Quezon provinces.“Our only request is for the provincial government to intervene to stop this project,” said one of the protesters, Fr. Warren Puno, director of the Ministry on Ecology of the Diocese of Lucena, at the sidelines of the protest dubbed as “Kalbaryo ng Inang Sierra Madre” (calvary of mother Sierra Madre).According to the protesters, they were met by Vice Gov. Anacleto Alcala III and several members of the Provincial Board (PB) since Gov. Helen Tan was out of town on official business on Monday.

Fr. Pete Montallana from the Prelature of Infanta and chair of the Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance, who joined the march, urged the provincial government to issue a cease-and-desist order to stop the project.PB member Claro Talaga Jr. said the provincial government has yet to make an official position on the dam project and planned to conduct public hearings on the issue.

Bishop Cortez earlier noted that local governments affected by the project have yet to give their consent, which belied the claim of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) “that they have already obtained all the necessary permits and clearances for the construction of the Kaliwa Dam.” However, the MWSS insisted that it has already secured the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from the affected tribesmen. The FPIC is a requirement under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997, which prevents, among others, the IPs from being relocated without their consent.

The P12.2-billion Kaliwa Dam is meant to address the projected water crisis in Metro Manila. The MWSS and the Department of Public Works and Highways began digging a tunnel from Teresa to Morong towns in Rizal province. The project might be completed before the end of 2026 and operational by 2027. INQ