Chico River project riddled with FPIC violations; CDPC

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC) urged the government to channel its resources and efforts to rehabilitating and enhancing the age-old, traditional communal irrigation systems in the Cordillera.

The CDPC said this is better than continuing the onerous Chico River Pump Irrigation Project (CRPIP) which they said is also riddled with violations of the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of affected Kalinga tribes by the National Irrigation Authority-Region II. 

“We support the demand of Cordillera rice terraces farmers for the enhancement of their age-old traditional communal irrigation systems and the protection of their rights over their water resources,” said Rhoda Dalang, CDCP executive director.

“The CDPC supports the call to terminate the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project as it undermines equity and social justice in water resource use and development, the Baguio City-based nongovernment organization said. “Equity means providing irrigation not at the expense of the Filipino people paying an onerous loan.”

The CDPC said “equity means addressing irrigation needs of both upland and lowland farmers—in the case of the CRPIP, the farmers of Kalinga and Cagayan (Tuao and Piat municipalities), respectively. Equity means providing irrigation to lowland farmers should not be at the expense of upland farmers or marginal farmers along the Chico River.” 

Inadequate and inefficient irrigation systems are among the major constraints in achieving food security in the Philippines, particularly rice sufficiency, according to the CDPC.

“This is attributed to the insufficiency of government’s policy and development program on irrigation and rice industry development in general.  The age-old communal irrigation systems in the Cordillera, governed by values of collective labor and cooperation and the intrinsic relation of indigenous peoples to the land, meanwhile provide insight on the viability of traditional knowledge in ensuring equity in access to resources, food security, particularly rice sufficiency and regulated use and management of water resources.” 

While the major river systems of the Cordillera are being ‘developed’ purportedly for energy and irrigation as in the case of the CRPIP, little attention, if at all, is being paid in the rehabilitation and development of the age-old communal irrigation systems, the CDPC said. 

“On our part, CDPC sustained its community services of improving communal irrigation systems by introducing the high-density polyethylene pressure pipe. This technology saves water from seepage in the case of earthen irrigation canals and will not induce soil erosion.  We therefore iterate the pressing need to urgently development and implement a water resource and irrigation policy and program guided by the principles of equity and social justice.”