Farmers are opposed to ARIIP San Roque dam

Posted on October 18, 2006 - Filed Under Punch Forum |

Tignay Dagiti Mannalon A Mangwayawaya ti Agno (TIMMAWA)
September 23, 2006


Mr. Reynaldo Mencias is hallucinating when he said before the Kapehan sa Dagupan last September 7 that he expects the TIMMAWA members to soften in their opposition to the ARIIP. More than ever, the farmer’s organization is standing firm and consolidating its ranks to oppose the deceptive project. The members would not be tricked into allowing it. They know very well that the project would not serve their interest but would only enhance the monopoly of the San Roque Power Corporation (SRPC) on the water of the Agno River.

ARIIP, an anti-farmer, anti-people, pro foreign companies project, was borne from the plan of SRD-Irrigation Component (SRD-IC) and is part of the plan of the dam builders on how to fully control, monopolize and harness the water of the mighty Agno for the maximum production of electricity of the San Roque Dam thus maximum profit for the SRPC.

In order to get the support of the public especially the farmers, the ARIIP and San Roque Dam proponents are promoting the project as a “grandiose irrigation project which will bring grandiose benefits to the farmers of Pangasinan and nearby provinces of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.”

But behind this promotion plot is the reality that ARIIP is still a servant of the mega dam and not of the farmers. According to NIA itself, the water which will be stored in the 100 hectares re-regulating pond will have two allocation; for the irrigation of the farmlands and for augmenting the water inside the San Roque dam reservoir when needed. Asked if there are sharing agreement on how much of the water will be allocated for irrigation and for augmentation, they just answered that it will be up to the NIA and the SRPC to deliberate on the matter. This poses the problem for the farmers. Despite the construction of the grandiose irrigation system, lost of approximately 531.28 hectares of productive farmlands, and multi-million peso loan in the name of agriculture development and of the Filipino people, the farmers are still not guaranteed of a steady, efficient and sufficient irrigation water supply.

Under the ARIIP, the local community irrigation systems are to lose their independence since part of the implementation of the ARIIP is the inclusion of all irrigators, association within the project scope, under the administration of NIA. Another risk is the considerable displacement of families from their source of livelihood. This is especially true for tenants and agricultural laborers who may not be properly compensated. The lack of proper consultation of the stakeholders especially of the farmers, will rob the farmers of their rights as water consumer. Not only once did the farmers and their fields suffer lack of water, unnotified, as the water flow was fully blocked by the San Roque Dam operators. The ARIIP’s promises of grandiose benefits for the farmers are at nil with the presence of the San Roque Dam.

In her June 24, 2006 SONA, GMA mentioned of boosting super-regions with priority flagship projects. Region I is to be an Agro-Industry Super Region. Part of the plan it stated is to push through with the completion of the San Roque Dam and its other components, which include ARIIP. After the controversial speech, questions about the fund source were brought up. According to the GMA camp, the funds will be sourced from LGUs and Government revenues and no loans will be incurred to fund her flagship projects. This is not true in the case of the ARIIP. A loan for the project has been pending in the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) since 2003. JBIC is also the main funder of the US$ 1.2 Billion worth San Roque Dam Project. The JBIC did not release funds for the 2003 loan application for the ARIIP due to the lack of counterpart from the Philippine government which back then is being battered by fiscal crisis. From then since now, the Philippine government keeps on renewing the application in dire hope that the project will be funded.

This time, the Japanese government is in limbo in providing the requested fund, especially after the killing of the leader of the dam oppositionists in the area, Mr. Jose Doton. Political killings taking place in the country have something to do with people’s protest against certain development project, government policies and programs detrimental to the people. In the province, the fight against the San Roque dam has led to several harassment cases against the affected people and their leaders. Last May, the leader of TIMMAWA was killed and up until now authorities has not come up with any substantial action despite the creation of the Task Force Doton.

Despite the construction of so called development projects, poverty in the areas affected is escalating. More and more families and communities are suffering physical and economic dislocation in the neglect of the Arroyo government. The San Roque dam has caused several terrible damages and disaster to the province’s and nearby provinces’ population, but the local governments have repeatedly turned a blind eye to the difficulty of the affected people. What the people needs now are effective and genuine development programs which will serve them, not San Roque Dam and ARIIP and anti-people projects.

Nora Luzano
TIMMAWA Finance officer

TIMMAWA
Peasant Movement to Free the Agno River
Apt # 6, Mamalio Apt, Nancayasan Urdaneta City

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