Upholding IP Rights: Against the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project II

The Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) is the first large-scale water reservoir to be constructed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Western Visayas, Philippines and is a flagship  project of the Marcos Administration, highlighted in the 2024 State of the Nation Address. JRMP II will serve 25 towns but the 3 dams currently in construction will be housed in the town of Calinog.

Despite ostensibly complying with Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and acquiring agreements with different Indigenous Peoples (IPs), JRMP II is purported to displace approximately 17,000 IPs from various tribes, causing them to leave their ancestral homes and lose their heritage and culture. This is appalling but unsurprising since community consultations were conducted two months after NIA submitted its feasibility study for the project. Part of JRMP II’s mandate is to facilitate the relocation of displaced communities, and to provide alternative livelihoods. However, as of the writing of this proposal, there is no clear plan for how this will be conducted. The communities affected know very little about the project and what their options are on how they might be able to respond effectively.

Early attempts by civil society and IPs to oppose JRMP II funding and construction failed. However, organizing now is crucial for securing reparations for dispossessed IP communities and minimizing damages. With this funding and along with local communities, this proposed project will be the first stage of a longer campaign to enhance IP communities’  ability to demand reparations for the damages of JRMP II, the recognition of IP and land rights, and the defunding of JRMP II.

The project will focus on the town of Calinog and aims to increase communities’ understanding of the social and environmental impacts of JRMP II, including the violation of the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs), the IPs’ dispossession and displacement, the high risk of landslide, flooding, and earthquakes in Calinog, the ecosystem damages in the NIA’s forest and watershed management plan, and other risks reported by NIA.

By the end of the project term, we aim to have achieved the following:

• Increased communities’ understanding of the social and environmental impacts of the JRMP II
• Increased communities’ understanding of the role of IFIs in the project and how they may be able to assert their rights vis-a-vis these institutions
• Expressed in writing or in dialogue the communities’ alternatives against the government initiatives involved in JRMP II
• Organized dialogues and strategy meetings with other civil society groups on the ground
• Achieved significant clarity on the longer campaign to demand reparations for the damages of JRMP II, the recognition of IP and land rights, and the defunding of JRMP II

We plan to achieve this by

• Producing popular visual and written materials in local language/s, covering the following topics:

• History and funders of JRMP II, highlighting the role of IFIs in JRMP II
• Social and environmental impacts of JRMP II
• What are your land and IP rights?
• What can and should we do?

• Conducting 3 capacity-building sessions in Brgys. Hilwan, Aglonok, and Caratagan in Calinog on the above topics
• Conducting 3 dialogues with civil society groups on the ground on how to work together in response to the project