PSPD in English Int. Solidarity 2018-04-18   2527

[Summary] Jalaur River Dam Project Advocacy Trip

Jalaur River Dam Project and lives of the people

The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) made a contract in 2012 with the Philippine government to provide 250 billion won of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), the largest amount in Korean EDCF history, for the Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II). Korea Eximbank said it has applied EDCF Safeguard policy to JPMP II in the Philippines. 

The indigenous people and local organizations, however, have opposed the project and carried out a movement raising awareness of various problems such as submerging communities, validity of procedures, human rights infringement on indigenous people and destroying the environment. 

In April 2018, Ms. Remia C. Castor of TUMANDUK, Ms. Cynthia A. Deduro of Dagsaw-PGIPNET and Mr. John lan S. Alenciaga of JRPM visited Korea to inform the negative impact of JRMP II. The delegation met with a lawmaker as well as officials from the Korea Eximbank and Daewoo Engineering & Construction. They had an open talk with Korean people and interviews with Korea newspapers.

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) will continue to monitor against JRMP II. PSPD will work in solidarity toward to legislating a safeguard to prevent bad effects caused by large-scale development aid projects on environmental, social and human rights.

Jalaur River Dam Project Advocacy Trip

JRPM (Jalaur River for the People’s Movement)

SNS : www.facebook.com/notojalaurdam/

The Philippines visiting group

○ Ms. Remia C. Castor (Representative, the TUMANDUK Organization)

○ Ms. Cynthia A. Deduro (Executive director, Dagsaw Panay-Guimaras Indigenous People’s Network)

○ Mr. John Ian S. Alenciaga (Coordinator, JRPM)

Official Schedule

5 April 2018

[Meeting with Korea Eximbank]

Korea Eximbank introduced their JRMP II progress and their monitoring activities about environmental and social issues. Korea Eximbank said that they are well aware of the related concerns and problems, based on their 12 monitoring missions in the Philippines from 2015 to 2017.

However, they did not answer how they have solved the problems they identified through the monitoring nor how they reflected on the project the opposition of the residents. When PSPD asked Korea Eximbank to open their monitoring report, Korea Eximbank said they cannot because the ownership of the monitoring report was to the Philippine government.

On the other hand, it was positive to hear that Korea Eximbank may stop funding if the measures to minimize negative environmental and social impacts are not implemented in accordance with the EDCF Safeguards.

(Photo = JPRM)

[Open Talk]  “Why does Korea ODA cause suffering in the Philippines?”

○ Date: 5th April (Thu) 2018, 7pm – 9pm

○ Venue: Space Noah Connect Hall

○ Panelist

– Voices from IPs / Ms. Remia C. Castor

   · Translator from Local Language to English / Mr. John Ian S. Alenciaga

– Main Issues and Challenges of JPRM II / Ms.Cynthia Deduro

– Problems of Korea ODA in Philippines and Suggestion / Mr.Jung Bubmo (Professor, Bukyung University)

20180405_필리핀할라우댐공개간담회6

(Photo = PSPD)

6 April 2018

[Meeting with Daewoo Engineering & Construction]

Daewoo E&C has received a US$193 million to build a multipurpose dam in the Philippines.The advocacy group from the Philippines had a meeting with Daewoo to tell them about the negative impact of the dam will cause on their village. 

Daewoo E&C answered that the meeting was a good opportunity to fully understand the issues and concerns. However, they also pointed out that the Philippine government has the responsibility to resolve the problems and that they are rather hesitant to clarify their position because they have not signed the final contract yet.

[Meeting with a member of parliament]

The advocacy group visited the office of National Assembly member SHIM Kijoon (Strategy and Finance Committee, Democratic Party of Korea), informed the issues raised by JRMP II and concerns of indigenous people and asked the Korean National Assembly to join in solving the problems.

Press release

5 April 2018 [Kyunghyang] “Please stop the dam construction funded by Korea”(Korean)

6 April 2018 [News 1]  “Your taxes are being wasted in the Philippines”(Korean)

6 April 2018 [Consumer Business newspaper] The Controversy about Korea ODA Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in the Philippines (Korean)

9 April 2018 [Ohmynews]  “Please don’t take our land and our life”(Korean)

15 April 2018 [Korea Herald] Locals call for stop to Korea’s ODA project in Philippines (English)

PSPD’s activities  

2018.04.05 [Open Talk] Why does Korea ODA cause suffering in the Philippines (Korean)

2018.04.05 [Open Letter] A Briefing Paper on the Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project Stage II (Korean)

2018.02.28 [Pod Cast] Indigenous people are suffering because of Korea ODA (Korean)

2016.09.12 [Open Letter] Inquiries on ‘the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project stage II’ in the Philippines (English)

2016.08.02 [Column] The Struggles of the Tumandok and Ilonggos Against the Jalaur Mega Dam (English)

2016.07.18 [1st International Solidarity Mission in Jalaur River] Declaration of International Solidarity against Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II (English)

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