Dumagat-Remontado tribes from Tanay, Rizal and General Nakar, Quezon Province each received P80 million worth of disturbance fees from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the construction of the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS-KDP).
The turnover ceremony held Tuesday, Feb. 21 in Quezon City, started with a ritual headed by Indigenous Peoples (IP) leader from General Nakar.
The ritual was an offering to the gods and a symbol of agreement among the IPs.
The given amount will be used for the implementation of livelihood programs in each IP group, said the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
On Monday, Feb. 20, NCIP issued a statement refuting the claims of some IP groups and IP rights groups against the construction of the dam.
READ: NCIP slams IP protest vs Kaliwa Dam construction
The commission said that a prior discussion was conducted with the affected IP communities before gaining approval for NCWS-KDP.
Other members of Dumagat-Remontado tribes and groups who oppose the project are conducting a nine-day march that started at General Nakar, Quezon, on Feb. 15 and is expected to end in Malacañang in Manila on Feb. 23.