"Out there is the real world ... in here is the dream"

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the planet Pandora becomes torn between following mission orders in exchange for a spinal surgery that will fix his legs and saving a civilization he has considered his own.

In the movie Avatar, it gives one a view of the "struggles" in living on earth. Faced by greed and selfishness, we human beings have to make a firm resolution to preserve early inhabitants' culture, protect and uphold their rights and not force them to take ours.

In the Philippines, the Dumagats and Remontados, the indigenous people of Laiban, Rizal are under threat to lose their heritage, dominion, livelihood for the sake of  "supplying water" to the lowland people, the Metro Manilans, through the construction of Laiban Dam. 

The environment group can not reconcile how there are visible leaking water pipes, "mishandling" of water, connections of illegal origin and claim that the only way to cure the shortage of water is to destroy ecology by building a dam.  Have we really looked at other means?  Have we done root cause analysis?  Have we determined the variances, risks, defects, underlying factors that are leading to the unfavorable outcome?  Are we really addressing the real problem or just patching up a problem for business interest, to rake in profits?

The Laiban Dam project is not only disadvantageous to the native people of Laiban, but also to the Metro Manilans who is claimed to be the direct recipient of the project.  Father Bienvenido Miguel Jr issued a statement, "The project is anti-poor.  It will create unsustainable debt obligations and it will always be the mass who will again bear the burden of shouldering the high cost of water just to pay the huge loans incurred in the building and maintenance of the dam."  Alongside, Freedom from Debt Coalition advocacy coordinator Dianne Roa said that "Each household that consumes around 30 cubic meters of water has to shell out an additional Php540 to Php600 monthly should this proposed project push through."

The loss of biodiversity from 25000 hectares of virgin forest which will be submerged in water, the displacement of 6000 indigenous people is not a localized issue.  We should all be vigilant in the movements of the government towards this project, however secretive they may be. 

Our hearts go to the people of Laiban, and you?  Where is your real world?   (this photo was taken during a tree planting activity in Laiban, while trying to ease the sadness of the locals.)

Laiban Dam, Tutulan by Greg Bituin Jr

(10 syllable poem)

Proyektong Laiban Dam ay para lang

Sa pagpapayaman ng ilan

Laiban Dam ay dapat labanan

Pagtayo nitong ating tutulan

Ang kalikasan ay alagaan

Pati katutubong mamamayan

Sierra Madre by Sidhay B.

Sierra Madre tinubuan

Pama ng kalikasan

Yaman nitong silangan

Binhawa ng pamayanan

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):  let's do tree planting in Laiban!  email us activeculture@Ymail.com, activeculture.club@Gmail.com
More about Laiban Dam Project,  visit the following links:
Freedom from Debt Coalition
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
Philippine Online Chronicles

photos courtesy of Alda, the prospective princess in pink :) and avatartrailer.com