By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
CALUMPIT, Bulacan – It had been more than a month since the last typhoon hit many parts of Luzon. Still, many residents in Calumpit, Bulacan would wade through the ankle-deep flood inside their homes.
Such was the situation of the Lacap family who lives along the MacArthur Highway when Bulatlat went there in August this year. Behind Lacap’s property, what was once a rice field had turned into a stagnant pond.
Just a short distance from Lacap’s home is the Malolos Clark Railway Project, a flagship infrastructure project of the government. The construction of the elevated railways in barangay Iba O’ Este, where the Lacap family is living, began in 2022 according to local residents.
The Calumpit local government told Bulatlat that they will only be able to assess the environmental impacts, particularly flooding, once the railway becomes operational. However, residents noted how it has already started contributing to the flooding as early as now. These days, they said, flood water is taking a week or more than a week to subside.
This loan-funded project is also threatening the community’s access to food and livelihood, making them even more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather conditions.
Waterworld
Barbara Lacap, 72, a resident of barangay Iba O’ Este, Calumpit for more than 50 years, told Bulatlat that in recent years, floodwaters have become slower to recede, sometimes barely draining at all.
Her daughter Cristy said that flood water has not receded significantly since the rainy season came in July this year. Cristy said they used to experience flooding after typhoons or during high-tide every year but even then, she said flood water recedes quickly. As a solution, they raised the level of their house with embankments to prevent floodwaters from entering their house. Her mother said an accumulation of 100 trucks of filling materials for embankment were used just to raise the level of their flooring. To illustrate, a 5’9 tall person would need to bow his head when inside their home.
“Back in the day, even if the dams release water or there is heavy rain, or there is high-tide, flood water would not reach inside our houses,” Cristy added.
According to the 2007-2020 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), Calumpit has over 229 hectares of river systems. There are three rivers that weave through Calumpit – Angat, Pampanga and Bagbag river.
The project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) states that the host barangays of the project in Calumpit are all susceptible to flooding. These areas are also located along active river channels with a history of overflowing and breaching of dikes protecting the barangays. These barangays are also generally located in a topographically low area.
The MCRP’s proposed station is situated in barangay Iba O’ Este – the heart of the town’s commercial area, close to key institutional, commercial, educational, and religious establishments.
The other villages that will be directly impacted by the MCRP in Calumpit are Pio Cruzcoza, San Marcos, Calumpang, Iba Este, Palimbang, Balungao, and Gatbuca. These areas will be directly affected by the construction and operation activities of the project. These villages are also where the Philippine National Railway right of way is located, which the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will utilize for the railway project.
The project document also indicated that flooding is one of the concerns of the communities that will be affected by the project. At least 43.4 percent of project affected families (PAFs) cited flooding as a major concern for Calumpit, 43.8 percent in Santo Tomas and 22.6 percent in San Fernando, Pampanga.
The construction of Calumpit Institute, a former location of a natural drainage, resulted in the reduced flow of waters toward Calumpit River, consequently raising the level of floods and retaining them for a longer period, the project’s impact assessment further stated.
Lea Fullon, project development officer and assistant planning development coordinator of Planning Development Officer of the Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO) of Calumpit meanwhile said that the continuous rising of water due to high tide has also worsened over the years.
“If it’s not flooding, it’s the high tide that we are facing, which now reaches about three meters. This has worsened over the years; before, the average high-tide was around 2.5 meters, but now it can reach up to four meters. This poses a significant challenge for planning,” Fullon told Bulatlat in an online interview.
She added that most of the residents are affected because out of the 29 barangays, only three barangays are not flooded. “The remaining 26 barangays are really facing flooding issues. It requires an enormous engineering solution to address such flooding since the area has historically been flood-prone,” Fullon said.
She said that with other developments in the city such as the construction off subdivisions, the natural drainage systems have been damaged throughout the town. “Additionally, there are development projects like the MCRP,” she said.
The MCRP is an extension of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, it is worth P777 billion (approximately $14.6 billion) and part of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program. According to the Asian Development Bank, the MCRP is the single biggest financing of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Philippines and in Asia. This project is also co-financed by JICA.
The 53-kilometer railway line will traverse 10 municipalities/cities of Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan; Apalit, Minalin, Sto. Tomas, San Fernando, Angeles and Mabalacat in Pampanga; and Bamban and Capas in Tarlac.
There are seven stations of the MCRP: Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport and New Clark City. The depot is located at Mabalacat, Pampanga.
From Clark to Capas, the DOTr plans to use private lands in Bamban and the existing arterial road of Bases Conservation and Development Authority (BCDA) in Capas which has a total length of 18.2 kilometers. DOTr will also use BCDA properties within the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) for the Clark to Clark International Airport (CIA) segment, a total length of 3.3 kilometers.
The government claims that the MCRP will be the first railway project in the Philippines designed to connect to an airport, which in this project, is the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
“Since the NSCR will feature the country's first airport express train service allowing travelers to get from Makati to Clark Airport in under one hour, we can consider it as a trail-blazing project. To achieve this, trains will run at 160 kilometers per hour, making it one of the fastest modes of land public transportation,” former DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement in 2020.
Rice fields disappearing
But access to the airport is farthest from the mind of residents of Calumpit, the first station of the MCRP.
Calumpit is predominantly agricultural land. According to its CLUP, Calumpit’s total land area is 5,625 hectares. From this, 43 percent is identified as agricultural land, which include palay production 35 percent, vegetables .04 percent and aquaculture, seven percent.
Barbara said that back in the day, they were only getting their food from the land that her late husband was tilling.
They harvested rice and vegetables such as string beans and okra, among others. With eight children to feed, their homegrown produce significantly supplemented the family's food supply, Lacap said.
The rice field at the back of Barbara’s house has turned into a pond because the water has not receded.
Cristy said that back then, that same rice field would dry up. “We could even build huts there. The kids could still play there. But now the water has not receded and even became a pond,” she said.
Since the elevated railway was built in their village, the water – brought about by typhoons or high tide, subsides very slowly.
“We never had to buy rice back then when my father was still alive. That’s what he provided for us to eat. He didn’t sell it so it wasn't too hard on the budget,” Cristy said.
She recalled how their land was productive. "After planting rice, my father would plant vegetables like corn and mung beans. He used to be able to plant all that before. My husband used to plant string beans and okra around that area. Now, it’s no longer possible,” Cristy said.
Calumpit Municipal Engineer Maria Eva Valiente shared the same observation.
“The water would remain, then subside, until eventually, it stopped. The water accumulated, leading to areas where crops could hardly be planted anymore. Nowadays, the only places left where rice is still grown are in Sapang Bayan and Santo Niño,” she added.
Aside from the flood water that inundated the rice field, another resident, Flor Lacap, said that the increase of salt water in the fresh water has affected the soil where they plant vegetables.
“It was around 2017 when we noticed that the land is not any more viable for planting because it had been affected by saltwater. Our crops were not growing anymore so we stopped planting because it wasn’t profitable—it just went to waste,” Flor said.
Cristy believes that the massive reclamation in Manila Bay also affected their community not only by the prevalence of salt water intrusion in the land but also the water level and how the water is slowly or barely not receding at all.
“And then they cut trees. Since the PNR interviewed us, I think in 2017, regarding the project and then months later, they started cutting trees. The trees are supposed to mitigate the flooding. It also somehow helps in the heat,” she said, adding that this is why they thought that the project implementors would start the construction of the project and would be finished by 2023.
Bryan Tolentino, planning assistant in MPDO, also said farmers in San Jose also suffer economically due to the inundation of agricultural lands.
"It can no longer be used as a fish pond either. First, the saltwater mixes in. Second, when it floods, all the fish will be washed away,” Tolentino told Bulatlat in an interview.
According to MPDO staff member, Maria Klarizza Gianan, in some areas where farmlands get flooded, farmers have converted to fishing.
“Since there is freshwater, they catch fish that likely wander in from other areas, maybe from Hagonoy. There are shrimp, catfish, and others. Some farmers have shifted to construction work. And with the railway project, through the municipality, we've managed to involve them in the PNR project,” Gianan told Bulatlat.
"And for the fishers, when they’re affected by flooding, they have an alternative like boat transport services. The local government also sees to it that they provide them with assistance like previously, the mayor distributed fishing nets to the fishers and relief goods,” Gianan added.
Displacement of residents
Adding to their existing problems in the city is the displacement of residents living along the alignment of the MCRP.
“The local government does not have the capacity to absorb the social impact of this project. The LGU is still fledgling, with limited staff and resources. Then comes this massive project that will displace thousands. So, for the most part, we really leave it to the national government to take over the project, particularly the DOTr. They have taken full responsibility for the social aspects, including community welfare and livelihood,” said Fullon.
Based on the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) prepared by the DOTr, a total of 2,977 households were to be affected by the land clearing. Of this number, 92.17 percent will lose their place of residence, 3.49 percent will lose stand-alone businesses and 4.33 percent will be displaced from affected businesses.
The RAP also notes that other impacts included in the 2,977 affected households include business operated from affected places of residence and loss of secondary structures and crops. According to the RAP, all losses are severe.
Data from the RAP also showed that there are a total of 1,288 vulnerable households which will be displaced from their houses and home-based livelihood sources. According to the document, vulnerable households include; underprivileged households whose income fall below the regional poverty threshold; solo parents with dependents (children and elderly family members aged 60 years old and above); households headed by the elderly; and households with members who have disability.
Calumpit and San Fernando are the areas where there is a high number of vulnerable households that will be displaced by the project.
While project documents include relocation plans for the affected families, some families are still waiting for government officials to give them final details of the plans regarding their displacement.
Merlita M. Manlaza, 63, from barangay Claro M. Recto, Angeles, Pampanga is residing along PNR right-of-way. They will be affected by the project and were told some years ago that they will be relocated.
“It was about five years ago when there was a meeting and we were told that our house will be demolished because of the project. We were also told that since we do not own the land, the government will only relocate us,” Manlaza told Bulatlat. They are the caretaker of the house where they are currently residing. Only the landowners will be compensated from the displacement, she said.
Manlaza is working as a house cleaner. Her four children have no permanent work. They are concerned because they have not yet received any update about the demolition. They have been residents here for over 50 years. She said it is sad that they will have to leave the area.
“We cannot do anything because that is the government. We are working here, my grandchildren’s school is also here. If we are relocated, it might be far from here and transportation will most likely be costly,” Manlaza said.
Manlaza said they will not be leaving their home until there is a clear plan for their relocation. As far as she knows, there is still no relocation site for them.
The Lacap family meanwhile cannot transfer residence as they are still waiting for compensation. They just plan to build their house farther back from their current location. It’s been almost a year, she said, since the PNR personnel communicated and went to their compound.
“We’re just waiting to be told when we’ll have to leave. Some houses here are badly damaged, but people can’t make repairs. The PNR said they would only pay for what was photographed at that time. Any repairs or additions won’t be compensated because they’ve already made an estimate. So, if your roof is damaged, you can’t fix it, right? That’s why we’re not doing any repairs. Anything we fix won’t be included in their compensation,” Cristy said.
‘The spread of infrastructure developments’
Environmental advocates noted how residents who would be directly affected are the last to be consulted for the possible impacts of such projects into their lives and livelihoods. Worse, Jose Antonio Montalban, public information officer of PROPEL, an organization of engineers, said the public often remains in the dark of its possible impact on their lives.
“What often happens is that people only learn about the project once the design is completed and the EIA is done and presented merely to meet state compliance requirements,” he said.
Montalban stressed that the public’s opinion should be sought from the conception phase. “From the project’s design conceptualization through to its operation, people should know the actions of the proponent. People should be made aware that their local government is also involved in monitoring and auditing these projects.”
The local government, too, appears to have no say on the project design.
According to Valiente of the Calumpit engineering office, they have no participation regarding the design of the project. Their role, she added, was only limited to administrative matters as the transportation department and JICA came in with the project design already at hand.
“They just contacted us and held meetings regarding the project,” she said.
Both Fullon and Tolentino said that the local government only coordinates between the national government and their constituents.
“Sometimes they would just call and inform them that they will visit the area. Or would ask for assistance if needed,” said Fullon.
Tolentino, for his part, said, “it is a common practice even in other cities.”
With the public not fully informed of the repercussions of the project, Montalban said the projects initiated under the massive infrastructure programs brought flooding, rampant displacement, and continuous environmental destruction in communities highly dependent on natural resources, whether in upland or coastal areas.
He said that even the prolonged flooding in their community as observed by the Lacap family is a direct impact of the MCRP.
“Any disturbances, even within the construction area, can already be considered a direct impact on the community. This is due to the changes in the hydrogeological or hydrographical features of the area affected by the project,” Montalban, an environmental and sanitary engineer, told Bulatlat in an online interview.
“We are already seeing this in low-lying areas of Metro Manila, where recent storms like Carina and Enteng caused widespread flooding. The rise of infrastructure projects has led to blockages or constrictions in the streams across our floodplain areas, causing rapid water level to rise,” Montalban said.
“Furthermore, alongside this project, there seems to be a lack of attention to other infrastructure projects around Manila Bay, like reclamation projects, particularly the Aerotropolis (New Manila Airport),” Montalban added.
“We can say that rapid development has had a direct impact, especially without careful consideration of its implications for local communities,” Montalban said.
Montalban also said, “We need a holistic approach that doesn’t over-focus on basic engineering applications. There should also be a consideration for natural sciences, social sciences, environmental impact, and public health.”
He also said that socio-economic issues could also arise. “As any impact on the surrounding environment, especially if it’s a source of food and livelihood, could compromise residents’ socio-economic stability. These issues are interconnected, so our call for these projects is to take a holistic, multidisciplinary, and multi-sectoral approach.”
‘Development for whom?’
Under the Duterte administration, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the Build, Build, Build project of the government is expected to generate an average of 1.1 million jobs annually.
The present administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meanwhile attributed the “economic growth” in the second quarter of 2024 to the Build Better More program, also an infrastructure development program of the government.
But for think tank group Ibon Foundation, this is not the reality for many Filipinos. The group said many Filipinos continue to experience poverty, low income and lack of permanent jobs.
In its analysis of the government’s Build Better More program, the group said, “Borrowing money to support development efforts is not wrong but it’s important to note that foreign lenders give ODA (official development assistance) most of all as part of their countries’ foreign policy objectives and perceived self-interest rather than out of any altruism.”
“For instance, Japan has long been the country’s biggest ODA provider, and the overwhelming bulk from it has gone to infrastructure to support Japanese investment in the country if not outright spent on Japanese firms and contractors,” Ibon said.
“Development projects should be planned and implemented in the context of the country's urgent needs and solutions to current dilemmas, and with thorough consideration of its long-term effects on the environment,” Jonila Castro, advocacy officer of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment said in an interview.
She added that development projects “should improve the lives of the majority, and not only the pockets of the few, and not at the expense of further environmental destruction.”
“The country’s current problems are extreme poverty and joblessness. Also, our country is considered climate-vulnerable, thus suffering from the effects of the climate crisis such as extreme flooding. Often, development projects exacerbate these problems,” Castro said. Castro said her group considers many development projects in the country as “pseudo-developmental projects.” “These are mere profit-making for big corporations and corruption-prone,” she said.
She said that the ideal development projects are those that don’t require displacing homes, destroying farmlands and fisheries, or damaging forests and mountains.
“Nature, and the entire environment, should not suffer because of our pursuit of development,” Castro said.
“True progress should involve the local community in planning and creating solutions, without viewing them as obstacles to the project, to be forced into acceptance or even threatened if they don’t comply. If, from the outset, those affected are seen as hindrance in a town that is thriving even before a certain development arrives, then it becomes clear who this 'development' is really for,” Castro added.
Meanwhile, while the construction of the MCRP is ongoing, both the Lacap and Manlaza families grope in the dark.
“They [government] cannot tell us anything concrete, when they will compensate us or when they will order us to leave this area. It’s really difficult, it feels like everything’s hanging,” Cristy said.
She said the government should also give importance to their welfare too. (RVO)
This story was produced with the support of Internews' Earth Journalism Network as part of the Media Action on Sustainable Infrastructure in the Philippines Project.
