If it's already taking years for the Philippine government to obtain the approval of some Indigenous People (IP) communities for the highly controversial Kaliwa Dam project, it only took two days for the Wawa Dam project of port magnate Enrique Razon to secure the green light from the Dumagat/Remontado IPs of Antipolo.
WawaJVCo — the joint venture between Razon’s Prime Infra and businessman Oscar Violago’s San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders Group — is the only new water source expected to come online within this administration since the Chinese-funded P12-billion Kaliwa Dam could not just seem to take off amid environmental and social concerns.
In a statement, WawaJVCo said it recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Dumagat/Remontado IPs of Antipolo after two days of negotiation.
This will allow the project to proceed with the next steps of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process pursuant to the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997.
The next step, according to the firm, would be to hold consultations and secure the approval of IP
communities in the Montalban Ancestral Domain.
The negotiation and signing were held last July 28 to 29, 2020 at Kaysakat National High School in Antipolo City.
According to the company, both parties came to an agreement after the IPs of Antipolo expressed their support and approval of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project–Tayabasan Multi-Basin System, which would be able to treat 80 million liters of water per day (MLD).
The event was supervised by the company's FPIC team and supported by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
This negotiation is the first FPIC process to resume in the country after it was discontinued by the nationwide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in March.
Melvin John Tan, WawaJVCo’s authorized representative, said his company ensured that "possible exposure of our IP brothers and sisters to COVID-19 is zero" when the consultations were held.
"Their health and safety are of utmost importance. We would also like to thank the NCIP for their support and guidance on how we can comply with the health and safety protocols implemented by the government," Tan said.
The first set of approvals of the Wawa dam project was fast-tracked last year after Manila Water Company Inc. faced a water crisis in March, which triggered public outrage.
A few months later, Ayala-led Manila Water entered into a deal with Razon's Prime Infra and
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to be the sole off-taker of the water to be treated in Wawa dam.
At that time, Razon was also able to secure the majority shares at Manila Water as a strategic investor.