Opposition Against San Roque Dam Intensifies
People’s Summit Held In Pangasinan

Dagupan, Pangasinan -- Opposition against the controversial San Roque Dam heightened with the start of water impounding early last month and subsequent inundation of a village. In a show of force, some 1,600 peasants and gold panners showed up at the People’s Summit held in Dagupan last August 24, demonstrating the widespread resentment among residents against the project and government.

BY ARA FORDAN
Bulatlat.Com

Despite various unresolved issues and repeated proposals from the Japanese government to postpone the impounding of the San Roque Dam reservoir, the Philippine government allowed the San Roque Power Corporation (SRPC) to start impounding last August 8.

In protest, 1, 600 peasants and gold panners gathered in a People’s Summit to reiterate the demand to abort the impoundment, demand compensation to the dam-affected families and to nullify the contract between the SRPC and the National Power Corporation. Most of the participants of the Summit were goldpanners from the towns of San Nicolas and San Manuel in Pangasinan

Families whose houses were demolished and burned when the SRPC and Philippine Army forced them out of Sitio Bolangit, the first village to be inundated, also joined the Summit.

After the summit, they marched along the major streets of Dagupan City with placards denouncing the dam project.

Mr. Jose Doton, chairperson of Tignay dagiti Mannalon a Mangwayawaya iti Agno (Alliance of Farmers along the Agno River or TIMMAWA), called for unity and action among goldpanners in pressing for their demands for proper compensation and sustainable livelihood.

 “In allowing the impounding, the GMA regime clearly reveals its adherence to the interest of a few foreign capital groups before the welfare of the affected communities and the Filipino people. This only proves the insincerity of the national government and the NPC to the plight of affected communities,” said Joan Carling, chairperson of the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance.

 “We urge the Philippine and Japanese governments to order the halt of the ongoing impoundment, to nullify the contract with SRPC and to halt the remaining funding releases. The NPC has to provide genuine sustainable livelihood sources to the relocated farmers and gold panners,” she continued. 

Carling cited that last June 24, in a dialogue with Mr. Renato Diaz, presidential adviser for Northern Luzon,and representatives of SRPC and NPC, Diaz and the others indicated they would comply with the request for the deferment of impoundment until all the issues raised by the dam-affected people have been addressed.

Economic displacement and the lack of livelihood alternatives for gold panners operating in the San Roque reservoir area were among the issue presented.

Once the dam operation starts, the National Power Corporation especially its Social Engineering Department that tackles on issues on resettlements and compensations will be immediately phased out. Protesters said this would make it more difficult for the affected families to get what they were promised on livelihood and compensations.

Not the solution to irrigation problems

In its efforts to justify the San Roque project, the Philippine government cites the irrigation component of the dam, claiming it will resolved the irrigation problems in Pangasinan and part of Central Luzon.

According to non-government organizations however, technical studies show that the dam is not the answer to the farmers’ irrigation problems.

 “The construction of big canals for the irrigation component of the dam will cause the destruction of more than 10,000 hectares of rice fields and will potentially cause flooding,” explained Doton.

He said that even the National Irrigation Administration's (NIA) own engineers admitted that the operation of the San Roque dam is not the best means for solving the problems on the irrigation needs of Pangasinan. 

Fidel Castro of Alyansa ng mga Magsasaka sa Gitnang Luzon (Alliance of Peasants in Central Luzon or AMGL) stated that the irrigation project will affect the food security of tenant farmers in areas of the canal construction.  “Productive lands will again be submerged under tons of concrete and the land use will be converted not for the interests of the people but for a few individuals,” stated Castro.

Castro also said it is cheaper for government to rehabilitate existing irrigation canals and build deep wells than pursue the irrigation component of the dam. “Farmers will be burdened with paying higher irrigation fees and the Filipino people with another loan. The irrigation component of the SRDP has a budget of US $ 200 million which is being applied for foreign funding as loan.”

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already ordered the release of $30 million from the $100 million loan it procured from the Chinese government for the dam’s irrigation component. Clearing operations in areas of construction have also started.

Onerous agreement

Bayan Muna (People First) Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo said during the summit that Bayan Muna representatives would present the dam-affected people’s demands to Congress and push for the immediate cancellation of the contract between the NPC and the SRPC. 

Ocampo called the contract onerous, saying Filipinos are bound to suffer from higher electricity rates under it.

Under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) of the San Roque Dam, SRPC is guaranteed return of investment and super profits within 12 years of operation, even with zero electric output from the power station. Based on the capacity fee and operating fee, NPC has to pay SRPC around US$ 9 million per month for 12 years in addition to an energy fee based on the electricity generated by the power station with the price ranging from 200%-300% higher than the prevailing rates. In sum, NPC will have to pay a minimum of US $ 1.2 Billion in 12 years, on top of an estimated US$ 3 million per year for the energy output.

Ocampo said that with NPC’s financial obligations to SRPC, it would be cheaper for the government not to operate the dam and just pay back the capital expense of SRPC including interest, as provided for in the agreement in case it is cancelled.

Meanwhile, Ocampo met with Japanese Diet members last August 19 to discuss legislative actions Bayan Muna intends to take in connection with the San Roque Dam project.  The Japanese parliamentarians reportedly support the opposition to the dam project.

Meanwhile, Bishop Alberto Ramento of Iglesia Filipina Independencia (IFI) - Dagupan-Tarlac Jurisdiction also attended the summit.

Bp. Ramento pointed out the “continuing social injustices with the implementation of development projects which do not serve the welfare and interest of the poor.” He commented that the prevailing political, economic and social order must be change in order for the majority to have a better life. 

During the closing, Carling of CPA said, “the Philippine government should come to terms with and admit the fact that, in embarking upon and pursuing the San Roque project, it has made a gigantic error in judgment.”

The Summit culminated with the signing of a manifesto calling for a stop to the San Roque Dam project. Bulatlat.com

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