BUGKALOT TRIBE GIVEN P64.2-M PROJECTS
ALFONSO CASTAÑEDA, Nueva Vizcaya: The Bugkalot tribe received P64.2 million worth of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm).
A replica of Landbank of the Philippines check in the amount of P64,206,695.84 was handed to the recipient Bugkalot Ancestral Domain Environmental Management Council (BADEMC) represented by Antonio Pasigian.
Bishop John Caanawan of the Ilongot/ Bugkalot Peoples Council for Peace and Development, Inc. (IBPCPDI) said this only shows that the Bugkalot tribe is “getting good results after almost three decades of fighting for our rights over the operation of the government-sanctioned power project in Casecnan.”
The Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project (CMIPP) is a multipurpose project of NIA that supplies irrigation, water and electricity to Central Luzon.
It was successfully undertaken through a build, operate and transfer (BOT) agreement between NIA and Cal Energy Casecnan Water and Energy Company, Inc. (Cecwec) on November 13, 1994.
Situated in the municipalities of Dupax del Sur and Alfonso Castañeda in Nueva Vizcaya and the municipalities of Pantabangan and Caranglan in Nueva Ecija, the project was turned over to NIA and Psalm on Dec. 11, 2021 upon the expiration of the 20 years cooperation period under the BOT agreement.
“The IBPCPDI congratulates and supports BADEMC in this victory for the welfare and development of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICC/ IP), primarily in the Casescnan’s five impact zones,” Caanawan said.
He also thanked the National Indigenous Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) represented by Commissioner Simplicia Hagada, NCIP Region 2 Director Ronaldo Daquioag and provincial officer Ronie Caanawan of NCIP Nueva Vizcaya “for the job well done in protecting our rights as IPs.”
Initiated by then NIA Administrator Benny Antiporda, a dialogue on Oct. 11, 2022 among the BADEMC, NIA, Psalm and the NCIP resulted in favor of the Bugkalot tribe.
It was on Oct. 18, 2022 when NIA and Psalm called a coordination meeting with the Bugkalot/Ilongot ICCS/IPs’ full leadership where NIA and Psalm presented its CSR proposal while the Bugkalots outlined their additional requests.
According to NIA, this resulted in a fruitful discussion that led to the crafting of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) among NIA, Psalm and the Bugkalot tribe with the assistance of NCIP. The MoA was notarized on Dec. 14, 2023.
In the MoA, NIA and Psalm will earmark 1.5 percent of the net income from the power generation of the CMIPP for the CSR project computed from Dec. 11, 2021 up to the date of the actual turnover of the power component of the CMIPP to the prevailing bidder in the privatization of the CMIPP.
The CSR project included road maintenance in Casecnan and the provision of forest guards, among others.
Caanawan said this is a monumental achievement for both the Bugkalot tribe and the government through NIA, Psalm and NCIP.
He said the NIA and Psalm also gave assurance that it will aid not only farmers as their main beneficiaries but also the IPs and other relevant interest parties.
“We consider this as a fresh start for the Bugkalots, particularly in the Casecnan area securing our rights for our concerns as an impacted community,” Caanawan added.
Before the crafting of the MoA, the Bugkalot tribe and the BADEMC led by Chairman Daniel Pasigian had a dialogue held in San Rafael, Bulacan, with the former reportedly asking for a 3 percent net income share from CMIPP.
NIA said it was not clear whether the Bugkalots were referring to their royalty share or CSR. However, it said that royalty was out of the question due to the lack of indigenous political structure or IPS of the Bugkalot tribe which is pending approval at the NCIP.
NIA said they were willing to give in to the Bugkalot tribe’s request for a 3 percent net income share from CMIPP and the dialogue came up with a 1.5 percent net income share instead in the form of CSR, among others, thus they came up with the said MoA.