The Commission on Audit (COA) has disclosed that the Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System is pushing through with the implementation of the highly controversial New Centennial Water Source Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS KDP) without completing its application for necessary permits from concerned government organizations.
In the 2020 Annual Audit Report (AAR) for MWSS, COA warned the possibility of the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the project.
In its audit examination of the project that promises to bring an additional 600 million liters of of water per day to Metro Manila, COA noted that the DENR-issued ECC allows MWSS to proceed with the project implementation only after it has secured “necessary permits from other pertinent Government agencies.”
The contract for the P12.2 billion project has been awarded to the China Energy Engineering Corp. (CEEC) that has reportedly started initial phase of the construction notwithstanding complaints from indigenous people who will be displaced as a result of the construction of the Kaliwa Dam.
State auditors said the environmental management conditions that MWSS and its contractor must comply include compliance to the requirements of the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act or Republic Act 11038; necessary certifications from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the identification of disposal sites of excavated materials, among others.
“The ECC is a conditional certificate, where MWSS needs to comply 21 conditions and 4 restrictions that are subjet to the approval/evaluation of DENR,” COA stated.
The audit agency warned: “The possible cancellation of the ECC, if violations thereof are with merit, will affect the effectivity of the Loan Agreement with China Eximbank and the commercial Contract with CEEC.”
“We recommended that Engineering and Technical Group secure the necessary permits as required by the DENR for the implmentation of the NCWS KDP and the submission of the Compliance Monitoring ‘Report together with the supporting documents,” COA stated.
Government secured US$283.2 million loan with the Chinese bank to put up the Kaliwa dam, a flagship project of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
IPs composed largely of Dumagat-Remontado tribes in Rizal and Quezon have strongly opposed the project.
Joan Jaime of the Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas said in a media interview that the dam will destroy the way of life of indigenous peoples whose ancestral domain was designated as the site of the dam project:
"All things are given a monetary value and profited from. This is contrary to the needs of the people, the needs of the indigenous communities, and the idea that land should be used for the common good,” Jaime said.