Juan Escandor Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon
Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 13, 2009
CAMARINES SUR, Philippines—A P700-million dam project seen here as President Macapagal-Arroyo’s gift to her congressman-son, Dato, is encountering strong opposition from residents who said their communities would be wiped out if the dam pushes through.
The project is being implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) under the Bicol River Basin Water Management Project (BRWMP).
Vic Nierva, one of the leaders of the group that opposes the project, said on Tuesday that a large portion of Lupi town would be submerged under water if the dam pushes through.
Nierva said the people were never consulted, a key requirement in the issuance of an environmental clearance certificate to such projects.
Nierva said the people are now raising their voices against the project because they were apparently disregarded and may never get another chance to express their sentiments.
But Tomasito Monzon, chief of the BRBWMP, allayed fears that the P700-million Libmanan-Cabusao Dam (LCD) project would cause massive flooding in Lupi and neighboring areas.
Bicol’s biggest is small?
“The LCD, which is Bicol’s biggest dam, is not capable of storing a large volume of water,” Monzon said.
“It would not cause massive flooding contrary to the apprehension of residents living near it,” he said.
He said the 11.3-meter tall and 150-m wide dam is a run-off river type of diversion structure unlike the big reservoir dams of Angat in Bulacan, Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija, and Magat in Isabela.
Monzon said a run-off river dam is only capable of raising water up to the maximum crest of the dam which, in the case of LCD, is 11.3 m only.
“When water reaches this maximum level, water will spill over back to the river,” he said.
“Reservoir dams are different because they are designed to store water during rainy days and when the impounded water reaches the maximum reservoir elevation, it is released gradually,” he explained.
Kept in the dark
Nierva, however, said the people of Lupi were unaware of the specifics of the ECC since the documents were kept from them.
“The dam would obliterate the history of the town founded in 1726 as well as the identity and livelihood of so many people who will be affected,” he said.
Nierva said a large portion of fertile lands in the town would be under water, which will deprive the people of their primary source of livelihood.
He accused the people behind the dam project of giving preference to their “vested interests” rather than the interest of the people of Lupi.
He said the people would push for an investigation of how project funds were spent.
“We want our voices heard so that our opposition against the project would be thoroughly understood. We don’t need the dam but rather the right system, processes and leadership in the first district to help the poor in our town,” Nierva said.
Gift to Dato
The dam is part of the P3-billion worth of projects for the first district of Camarines Sur announced by Ms Arroyo in September last year, during the 34th birthday of her son Dato, representative of the first district of Camarines Sur.
The Libmanan-Cabusao irrigation and dam project was touted to be the answer to irrigation in 4,000 hectares of farms.
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