Bayan Muna Executive Vice President and former Congressman Carlos Zarate today strongly criticized the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board’s approval of the increased cost for the Kaliwa Dam project, now ballooning to a staggering P15.3 billion.
Zarate asserted that this move further burdens the Filipino people with unnecessary debt while prioritizing the profits of big businesses over the rights and welfare of indigenous communities and the environment.
“This exorbitant increase in the Kaliwa Dam’s cost is utterly unacceptable and raises serious questions about transparency and accountability,” stated Rep. Zarate.
“At a time when our nation is grappling with economic challenges, the NEDA Board has greenlighted a project that will not only submerge the ancestral lands of our indigenous brothers and sisters but will also bury the country deeper in debt.”
The original project cost of the China-funded Kaliwa Dam was P12.2 billion.
This amount was part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan secured from China in 2018. The Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) was set to finance 85% of this cost, amounting to approximately P10.2 billion, while the Philippine government would shoulder the remaining 15%, or about P1.8 billion.
The Kaliwa Dam, peddled as a solution to Metro Manila’s water needs, aims to provide an additional 600 million liters of raw water per day, supposedly benefiting the National Capital Region and the provinces of Rizal and Cavite.
However, Bayan Muna has consistently raised concerns about the project’s detrimental social and environmental impacts.
“While the need for a sustainable water source is undeniable, this particular project comes at a grave cost,” Zarate emphasized.
“It will displace indigenous communities who have called these lands home for generations, destroying their culture and way of life. Furthermore, the massive debt incurred for this project will ultimately be shouldered by the Filipino people, while the primary beneficiaries appear to be the large corporations involved in the drinking water and electricity sectors,” the former House Deputy Minority Leader added.
Bayan Muna reiterated its stance that the government should explore more sustainable and socially just alternatives for water security, ones that respect the rights of indigenous communities and do not plunge the nation into further indebtedness.
“We demand a thorough and transparent accounting of this cost increase. The Filipino people deserve to know why this project’s budget has ballooned to such an extent. We stand in solidarity with the indigenous communities who face displacement and vow to continue fighting against this debt-driven and socially destructive project,” Zarate said.
Bayan Muna calls for a halt to the Kaliwa Dam project and urges the government to prioritize genuine, sustainable, and socially responsible solutions to the country’s water needs. #
