'The order of things in the community will be ruined. People will have no
homes. We will all be scattered from each other and lost in strange
lands....
...Shalupirip Santahnay Indigenous Peoples Movement statement September 1998
A hydroelectric dam being constructed in the Philippines will, if not stopped, destroy the last cultural stronghold of the Ibaloi people in and around Dalupirip, Benguet Province. The San Roque multipurpose dam, to be built downstream in Pangasinan province is the last in a series of 3 dams on the Agno river which have over 45 years decimated Ibaloi economy and culture.
The people of Dalupirip fear their homes, farm lands and their valley will be lost to the reservoir of the dam. The dam builders, a joint venture between Marubeni Corporation (Japan) and Sithe Energies (USA) claim that the flooding will destroy less houses and land than the people fear. The peoples' fears are based on the bitter experience of their neighbours upstream.
The earlier dams were at Ambuklao (1954) and Binga (1961). At the time there was no resettlement plan and compensation was derisory. Some people resettled downstream with relatives in Dalupirip others were forced to migrate long distances. Only in 1996, more than 40 years too late, was a compensation Commission established. This seemed more aimed at disarming opponents of the new project than the welfare of the earlier victims.
The Ibaloi are rice terrace farmers. Dalupirip is rich in rice lands and orchards. The people also pan for gold in the river and raise cattle in the mountains. Before its flooding Ambuklao too had settlements, farm lands, burial sites and was the venue for horse racing contests where the scattered Ibaloi clans gathered during the dry season.
The Agno watershed is seriously damaged due to commercial vegetable farming and massive mining operations. The authorities however choose to blame Ibaloi farmers for the erosion. They are planning tree plantations on Ibaloi farms to protect the dam while allowing the more destructive commercial gold and copper mining to continue. Ironically the San Roque dam will only replace the power lost from the Ambuklao dam which is already useless having become choked with silt and cracked by earthquakes. The expected life of the new dam may be as little as 28 years.
The Agno flows from the Cordillera mountain range which is homeland to 1 million tribal people. In the 1970's the Philippine government, backed by the World Bank, tried to impose a similar series of dams on the Bontoc and Kalinga Peoples of the Chico valley. Forewarned by the experience on the Agno the tribes resisted. There was an international campaign which was successful . The Chico dams were halted which brings hope now to the Ibaloi.
Recent laws including the Local Government Code and Indigenous Peoples Rights Act recognise the right of local communities and indigenous peoples to veto destructive projects. Yet in the case of the San Roque dam local wishes have not only been ignored but cynically misrepresented. Financial backers including the Export Import Bank of Japan (JEXIM) have been told that the project has the necessary local support when both the municipal authorities of Itogon and the affected communities remained strongly opposed.
Based on these false claims the JEXIM bank already extended one loan of $302 million and is preparing a second release of $400 million. The people want this loan stopped and the whole project scrapped.
Without local endorsement the project is illegal.To overcome this crisis unprecedented pressure is being exerted on the Ibaloi. On 22 January, 1999, President Joseph Estrada and retired President Fidel Ramos travelled together to the dam site to reaffirm their commitment for the project. A series of top ranking delegations have visited Itogon. As a result the town council has divided. However the affected communities are still adamant in their opposition.
Please write a polite letter to: His Excellency Joseph Ejercito Estrada President, Republic of the Philippines Malacanang Palace, Manila, Philippines fx 63 2 734 2109 Mr Hiroshi Yasuda Governor, Export Import Bank of Japan 4-1,Ohtemachi 1.Chome Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo 100 Japan fax 81 3 32879539
Make the following points:
Please note this is an urgent and important action. You can help by
ensuring that groups you are in contact with are informed and by
encouraging them to take supportive action.
This listing was compiled quickly by Philippine Indigenous Links. With
apologies for any gaps, mistakes etc.
If there are any errors or problems
please tell us at
email: tongtong.gn.apc.org
Send letters of concern or protest to:
His Excellency Joseph Ejercito Estrada President, Republic of the Philippines Malacanang Palace, Manila Philippines. fx 63 2 734 2109 Mr Hiroshi Yasuda Governor, Export Import Bank of Japan 4-1,Ohtemachi 1.Chome Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo 100 Japan fax 81 3 3287 9540 email www.japanexim.go.jp Mr Kouichi Yajima Director, Public Information Office Export Import Bank of Japan 4-1,Ohtemachi 1.Chome Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo 100 Japan fax 81 3 32879539 email www.japanexim.go.jp Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi ( full address from IRN) Mr Shosaku Kanamori Chief Representative Export Import Bank of Japan (Philippines Office) 14th Floor, Pacific Star Bldg. Sen. Gil J Puyat Ave. Cor Makati Ave. Makati, Metro Manila Philippines fx 63 2817 3202 Mr Hisahari Takeuchi, General Manager San Roque Power Corporation Consortium 8th floor L.V.Locsin bldg, Ayala Cor., Makati Ave. Makati, Metro Manila Antonio Cerilles Secretary Department of Environment and Natural Resources Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Philippines tel 63 2 929 62 52 Marubeni Corporation Head office CPO Box 595 Tokyo 100-91 Japan National Power Corporation, Northern Luzon office Natalia Complex Naguillian rd. Baguio City, 2600 Philippines Mr Honorato B. Gamboa Project Manager, San Roque Multipurpose Project San Jose, Binalonan Pangasinan Philippines tel. 63 75 562 3680 Mayor Cresencio C Pacalso Municipal Mayor Municipality of Itogon Benguet Province Philippines Campaign support or information on actions from /to: (NB please send copies of all letters, email etc to wwp for their information and use) Please limit direct info requests to this small busy group and make any necessary general information requests to support groups. Cordillera Links is certainly willing to help as would IRN, FOE US and Japan, Survival, where they can etc. Aviva Imhof South-East Asia Campaigns International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94703 USA Tel: + 1 510 848 1155 (ext. 312) Fax: + 1 510 848 1008 Email: aviva@irn.org, Web: http://www.irn.org Andrea Durbin Friends of the Earth USA email (?)foedc@igc.apc.org Ms Ikuko Matsumoto Friends of the Earth Japan fx 81 3 39511084 email: foejapan@igc.apc.org Jill Carino WWP-Women Workers Program 111 Upper General Luna Rd. Agpaoa Compound Baguio City Philippines Tel/fax. 0063 74 442 2258 email wwp@is.phil.gn.apc.org Engineer Catalino Corpuz Director, MCDC (Mining Communities Development Center) Garcom Service (Lock Box 693) PO Box 7691, ADC, NAIA Pasay City Philippines ph fx 63 74 443 9459 bongcorpuz@phil.gn.apc.org Survival International 11-15 Emerald Street London WC1N 3QL UK 0171 242 1441 0171 242 1771 email: survival@gn.apc.org www.survival.org.uk/ Cordillera Links (and Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links) 111 Faringdon Rd Stanford in the Vale Oxfordshire SN7 8LD UK phone 01367 718889 fx 01367 718568 tongtong@gn.apc.org Philippine-European Solidarity Centre (PESC-KSP) Korte Jansstraat 2a Utrecht 3512 GN Netherlands ph(31) 30 2 367 376 fx(31) 30 2 321 379 email: philsol@knoware.nl Web:http://www.philsol.nl