MORE NEWS, BENGUET

No commitment to settle land claims of Ibaloi folk : Aboitiz can’t take over Benguet dams if claims are not settled
By Dexter A See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The five-decade quest of the displaced families for proper compensation for their vast tracts of land used as basins for the Ambuclao and Binga dams in Bokod and Itogon, Benguet, respectively, is not going anywhere.

Executives of the National Power Corp. could not give any firm commitment to the displaced families with regard to their claim for proper compensation.

The families were forcibly evicted from their land by the national government to build the power plants.

However, they might yet see the light at the end of the tunnel with efforts of the provincial board to give justice to the heirs of the families who have been fighting for what is due them.

The board is now securing vital documents which are expected to substantiate the claims of the families.

The board’s goal is to pressure Napocor to make a firm commitment to compensate the heirs of the Ibaloi residents whose properties were taken to give way for the construction of the two hydro-electric plants which, at present, are not operating at their full capacity due to deterioration of their equipment and facilities.

The provincial legislators said that Napocor representatives assured them of their all-out support for the effort to look for ways on how to settle the claims of the displaced residents.

Earlier, relatives of the families displaced by the Binga dam project in Itogon had requested SN Aboitiz, which won the bidding for the Ambuclao and Binga dams, to settle the still unpaid claims, including interest that accumulated over 51 years, before it is allowed by the local government units to take over the plants by June, this year.

Provincial and municipal officials told Aboitiz they will exert all efforts within their power to prevent the company from taking over the plant until there is a commitment by the concerned government agencies to settle the claims of the displaced residents.

A delegation from the provincial government is set to leave for Palawan to conduct a fact-finding mission on the success of the 14 displaced families who decided to stay in that province after they were relocated by Napocor there more than 50 years ago.

Ironically, 36 of the 50 families relocated in Palawan decided to come back to Benguet and settle in Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya where there are better opportunities for livelihood compared to that in Palawan.