Group Raises Jalaur Mega Dam Concerns

By Juliane Judilla

In a statement released June 2, the Jalaur River for the People’s Movement (JRPM) accused the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) of spreading “misleading and self-serving claims” about the controversial Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II (JRMP II), also known as the Jalaur Mega Dam.

The statement was in response to a May 29 radio interview on Bombo Radyo with NIA-Western Visayas spokesperson Steve Cordero.

JRPM called the interview a “sanitized and deceptive” update on the project’s progress.

The group criticized the dam’s original promise to irrigate 31,840 hectares of farmland, calling it “an empty promise.”

With the canal system still incomplete and original contractor Daewoo E&C having pulled out, JRPM noted that local contractors have taken over, with project completion now projected in 2027.

The group said this is three years after the dam began impounding water.

“By then, most of the farmland will have already been lost to commercial and residential developments,” said JRPM coordinator John Ian Alenciaga.

“Even if canals are finished, there may be no land left to irrigate,” he added.

JRPM alleged that thousands of farmers have been displaced by the project and pushed into poverty with insufficient compensation.

The group questioned how long the PHP50,000 per hectare payout can sustain affected farmers.

JRPM also expressed concern over the structural integrity of the irrigation canals, citing construction delays, fragmented work, and possible weather damage.

They warned of potential bulk water privatization, accusing NIA of failing to ensure that local public utilities will manage water distribution.

“This confirms our worst fears: that water, a basic human right, is being handed over to corporations for profit,” the group said.

They also dismissed the project’s hydropower component—expected to generate 6.6 megawatts—as “a greenwashing ploy.”

“Western Visayas already produces more electricity than it consumes, with a generation capacity of 780 megawatts against a demand of only 300 to 500 megawatts,” JRPM said.

“This meager output will not meaningfully address power needs but is clearly being used to greenwash the project and justify its enormous cost and irreversible impacts,” they added.

The group criticized NIA’s proposal to install floating solar farms, calling it “a last-minute pivot rooted in afterthought rather than planning.”

They also said the dam submerged 500 hectares of ancestral land and ecosystems, triggering deforestation, biodiversity loss and the displacement of the indigenous Tumandok people.

JRPM cited the December 2020 killings of nine Tumandok chieftains, who were known critics of the project.

“For the Tumandok people, this amounts to cultural and spiritual genocide,” the group said.

“What NIA calls ‘development’ has already destroyed homes, livelihoods and heritage,” they added.

JRPM raised safety concerns about the reservoir, which now holds 125.52 million cubic meters of water—near its 150 million cubic meter capacity—and is located just 10 kilometers from the active West Panay Fault Line.

“Reservoir-induced seismicity (RIS) is real and dangerous. This dam is a ticking time bomb,” the group warned.

Since water impoundment began in July 2024, downstream rivers are reportedly drying up, hurting fisherfolk and disrupting ecosystems.

During rainy months, the full reservoir may lead to overflows or sudden water releases, increasing flood risks in downstream communities including Calinog, Passi, Dingle, Pototan, Dumangas, Zarraga and Leganes.

JRPM called on the public and government to hold NIA accountable for the displacement of the Tumandok people, environmental destruction, ongoing militarization in the area and to fully stop the dam’s operation.