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ACTION
- Philippines
Suspension
of Japanese
Loan
During
a meeting at
the Japanese
Bank for International
Cooperation
(JBIC) head
office in Tokyo
between Japanese
NGOs and the
staff in charge
of the Laguna
Lake road dike
project, it
was disclosed
that JBIC has
suspended the
loan to the
project until
the end of the
year and would
conduct another
research project.
It was decided
through negotiations
between Philippine
government and
JBIC. This came
about, however,
largely due
to the mounting
opposition to
the project
by the project-affected
communities
and by their
sympathizers
and supporters
not only in
the Philippines
but in other
Asian countries
as well, namely,
Japan and Korea.
The
research will
look into the
technical points
of the project
and its social
impact on
the affected
families. The
research will
be conducted
in combination
with the
University of
the Philippines,
DPWH, and two
local groups,
namely, Taytay
Laban sa Lakeshore
Dike and Pasig
Laban sa Lakeshore
Dike. The Japanese
government will
decide then
if it will continue
to finance the
project or not
based on the
results of the
research. This
research should
include a new
EIA (Environmental
Impact Assessment).
The present
EIA made in
1992 is already
old and the
scope is limited.
The new EIA
should include
the whole Laguna
Lake area and
the Pasig River,
because the
road dike will
affect whole
eco-system of
Laguna Lake
and Pasig River.
The new EIA
should be conducted
to find the
best way to
protect and
rehabilitate
Laguna Lake.
The
importance of
conducting a
new EIA became
well recognized
when a Korean
Fact-Finding
Mission was
conducted in
cooperation
with Philippine
NGOs, Korean
NGOs, namely,
KFEM (Korean
Federation for
Environmental
Movement) and
PSPD (Peoples
Solidarity for
Participatory
Democracy),
came out with
a report which
is being sent
to Philippine,
Japanese and
Korean governments,
banks and constructors
involved in
the project,
calling on them
to restudy the
impact of the
project, especially
its environmental
impact on Laguna
Lake and the
Pasig River
and its social
impact on the
affected communities.
Japanese
NGOs, which
have been working
very actively
on the social
impact of Japans
ODA projects,
are demanding
that a proper
social impact
assessment be
done in the
case of the
project. They
give assistance
to Philippine
NGOs by spreading
information
to the Japanese
public and taking
actions against
JBIC.
The
solidarity between
Philippine,
Japanese and
Korean NGOs
is functioning
well.
It is one of
the useful international
networks on
sustainable
environment
in Asia.
by
Emi Ojima (Reporter)
BACKGROUND
ON THE MEGA-DIKE
ISSUE
-The
Flood Control
Project- West
of Manggahan
-
The
Road Dike Project
is a 9.8-kilometer
road dike to
be constructed
along the coastal
baranggays in
Laguna Lake,
specifically
in the towns
or cities of
Taguig, Pasig,
and Pateros
in Metro Manila
and the town
of Taytay in
Rizal Province.
This project
has a 2.9 billion-peso
loan from JBIC
(Japan Bank
for International
Cooperation).
The
road dike project
was conceived
by the government
in the 1980's,
along with the
other so-called
flood control
infrastructures
in the Laguna
Lake, like the
Napindan Hydraulic
Control and
the Manggahan
Floodway. The
Napindan project
was built in
1983. It reclaimed
a big portion
of the river
and gates were
constructed
regulating the
natural flow
of water to
and from the
Laguna Lake
and the Manila
Bay. The
effect was flooding
in the towns
of Taguig and
Taytay and other
towns in Laguna
and Rizal. It
also hampered
the flow of
salt water from
the Manila Bay,
which is important
to the Lake
ecology.  The
Manggahan Floodway,
built in 1986,
is a 10-kilometer
artificial river
which diverted
the floodwater
coming from
the Marikina
valley to the
Laguna Lake.
This floodway
became the biggest
contributor
of floodwater
to Laguna Lake.
Incidents of
big floods became
more frequent
and lasted longer
in the coastal
towns of the
Lake.
The
next step for
the government
was the construction
of a road dike
around the Laguna
Lake. The
original plan
was a 100-kilometer
road dike around
the Lake. As
the Napindan
Control and
the Manggahan
Floodway projects
brought about
frequent floods,
the government
wanted to construct
structures to
prevent the
flooding of
the coastal
towns of the
Lake. The
9.8-kilometer
road dike west
of Manggahan
was the first
phase of this
grand design.
People's
organizations,
especially the
fisher and farmers
groups, protested
against all
of these projects.
But the government
pushed through
with the Napindan
Control and
the Manggahan
Floodway. It
was martial
rule then the
government promised
to construct
the Paranaque
Spillway project
that would provide
an alternative
channel of floodwater
from the lake
to the Manila
Bay. The spillway
discharge water
from the lake
into manila
Bay to counter
the effects
of the other
two projects.
The
project did
not push through
because it would
cut through
middle class
subdivisions
which would
be very expensive.
The government,
however, decided
to go ahead
with the road
dike project.
In 1992,
an Environmental
Study was submitted
by the DPWH.
The Environmental
Compliance Certificate
was issued the
next year, 1993,
amidst protest.
In 2001 the
government started
the construction
of the project
without consultations
and a clear
survey of the
affected people,
and destroyed
hectares of
farmlands.
In
June 2001 the
TRICORPS (COPE,
CO-Multiversity,
Urban Poor Associates)
sent an organizing
team to start
the social investigation
in the affected
areas. Two major
areas were identified
as the most
affected, the
Lupang Arienda
in Taytay, and
the coastal
baranggays in
Taguig. Two
groups, the
Taytay Laban
sa Lakeshore
Dike (TLLD)
and the Pasig
Laban sa Lakeshore
Dike were already
operating in
the Lupang Arienda.
The CO
team then focused
in Taguig and
assisted the
organizations
there to form
the Taguig Coalition
Against Dike
(TACAD). A
tactical alliance
was forged among
the three groups.
The major
issues raised
were the massive
dislocation
of houses, the
livelihood of
the fishermen
and farmers,
the ecological
damage to the
Lake, the defective
design, and
the dike as
the real solution
to the floods.
On
November 7,
2001 a big mobilization
of affected
communities
to the local
office of the
Department of
Public Works
and Highways
stopped the
construction
of the project.
The government
ordered the
conduct of a
new environmental
study. In
February 2002
the government's
ODA affairs
office disregarded
its own recommendation
and instructed
the resumption
of the construction
of the road
dike. In
April 2002,
a Lake wide
convention attended
by hundreds
of representatives
of people's
organizations
took place.
This was
followed by
a vigil rally
at the Japan
embassy.
In
May 2002, Japanese
NGOs lobbied
with the JBIC
in Japan. JBIC
said it was
amenable to
having a new
environmental
study and a
moratorium to
the construction
of the project
while the study
is being conducted.
In the same
month Korean
NGO's conducted
their own fact
finding mission
on the project
with the help
of LOCOA. Its
report also
called on the
government and
project donors
to conduct a
new EIA and
to hold the
project in abeyance.
Written by Soti
(COPE)
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