ILOILO CITY–   A group of anti-dam advocates has rejected recent claims of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) that no human rights      or      environmental laws   were violated in  the implementation of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II). 

Jalaur River for the People Movement (JRPM), together with the fellow South Korean advocates, filed a complaint in South Korea against Korean Export-Import Bank (KEXIM) and Daewoo E&C for several violations committed throughout the implementation for the mega dam project.

The group said  NIA’s statement is misleading, starting with the process of complying with the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) requirements. 

Tumandok communities faced intensifying militarization that created      fear and intimidation among the members of the IP community, they said. The group also found out that the FPIC consultations were held between 2012 and 2015, years before the submission of NIA’s feasibility study to the KEXIM in November 2012. 

“The project proponents were not transparent to the affected communities and did not give the latter any chance to reject and suggest alternatives to the mega dam project,” the JRPM said in a statement.

The group added that over 500 hectares of ancestral land have been submerged by the dam’s upstream water. This  caused  permanent  loss of livelihood and culturally important areas including   sacred burial grounds. “This project destroyed the Tumandok communities by depriving them of their traditional way of life,” the group said.

JRPM also   accused the NIA   of being complicit in the killings of community leaders and members, including Roy Giganto. NIA denied involvement in the killings.

False promises,  impartial monitoring

JRMP added that KEXIM did not comply with Philippine and international laws and breached safeguard policies .

Affected indigenous families were also pressured to evacuate from their homes and “voluntarily” relocate to  resettlement sites. They also accused NIA of delaying expropriation cases and denying compensation to some of the families since 2017. 

“The resettlement failed to address the loss of livelihood and ancestral domain caused by the mega dam project,” the group added.

UN Special Rapporteur Ian Fry pointed out the inconsistency of the resettlement to the social and cultural traditions of the Tumandok during his visit to the relocation sites. 

He also confirmed the statement from the Tumandok and human rights advocates that the communities are living in fear of the Philippine Army. 

‘Development aggression’     

The mega dam project proponents claimed that the project will provide irrigation, water supply, hydroelectric power and even flood control to Iloilo province. But JRPM said that these promises were not met, saying that:

Irrigations are no longer feasible due to displacement and land-used conversion;

Dams exacerbate flooding in downstream areas     ;

West Panay fault line is just 10 km away from the reservoir, a considered seismic risk;

Panay island has already produced 600MW with current consumption of 300-400MW, which makes the additional source of electricity from the hydropower unnecessary  ;

The project only benefits      private water corporations , whose      arrangements pave the way for water privatization     .

The JRMP II is expected to be completed December 2026.