NIA Snubs Lupi Consultation on Dato Dam

LUPI, Camarines Sur-The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) through the Bicol River Basin and Watershed Management Project (BPBWMP) was supposed to conduct a consultation meeting on Friday, January 15, among the residents of the mentioned municipality regarding the controversial CASILLI Dam construction. However, no one from NIA had arrived.

Instead, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Bicol (OPAB) Planning Division Unit Head Melinda Bobis facilitated the entire forum at Lupi Central School Pavillion in Barangay Poblacion.  According to Bobis, NIA was supposed to present its stand on the said project to the residents of Lupi. But until the end of the consultation, no one from NIA showed up.

Bobis said that the consultation was intended only for the possible 83 families to be directly affected by the dam construction. The number of families affected was determined by NIA in their latest update, added Bobis.

The idea that only 83 families will be affected by the construction of the dam angered the residents of the said municipality. Only the 83 families were expected by the organizers to attend, the other residents were not informed. However, although not given formal invitation many came to the venue expressing their anger toward the organizers of the forum. The residents did not even sign up the attendance sheet in the fear of it being used as a document for "social acceptance" of the said project.

Bobis said that the consultation was only concerned of tackling the things that will happen to the 83 families when the dam construction continues. These include their relocation, livelihood and organization in the proposed relocation site.

According to Bobis, the National Housing Authority (NHA) is already working out the relocation site. This was confirmed by NHA representative Engr. Christine Cabangon.  Cabangon said that NHA is eyeing Mr. Antonio 'Boy' Altamarino's estate along Andaya highway in Barangay Bulawan Sr. and Zone 3 of Barangay Poblacion. The affected families will be entitled to free house and lot in the said relocation site. Land titles will also be given to the families, furthered Cabangon.

After Cabangon's message, a representative from Housing and Land-use Regulatory Board (HLURB) discussed their office's role in the relocation of the 83 families. He explained that HLURB was asked by the BRBWMP to help organize the families once they are already settled in the target relocation site.

Days prior to the consultation, Barangay Chairman Rene Dimaculangan of Poblacion, Lupi, has already been informed of the consultation. However, only before the meeting started that Dimaculangan was informed that he was supposed to deliver the welcome address. In his statement, Dimaculangan reiterated that Lupi is against the dam construction. Still, he asked the Lupi constituents to air their complaints in a collected manner.

The locals affirmed Jun Palenzuela, a resident of Lupi, when he raised questions and expressed doubts about the budget allocated for the dam project that amounts to P1.9-billion. As Palenzuela did the computations, people started to applaud, many showed disapproval of the project and the consultation itself. For them, it appeared to be a mock consultation because the proponents of the consultation themselves were not around. Palenzuela's statements incited some of the residents to walk out of the venue.

Fr. Marco Asoro, the parish priest St. Peter Baptist Parish in Poblacion, also commented that communities in Lupi have not yet expressed acceptance the CASILLI Dam construction. He added that the Parish through the bishop of the Diocese of Libmanan has already sent a statement regarding the dam construction to Congressman Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo, to whom the project is greatly credited.

The consultation ended after Sebastian Perez, a former mayor of Lupi, expressed his rejection of the project. "Mararaot an kabuhayan, an eco-system, an buhay sa Lupi (The livelihood, eco-system, life in Lupi will be destroyed.) Look at what you are going to do with our land!" exclaimed Perez.

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