Residents of Pakil, Laguna marched on May 30 from Plaza Adonay around the town to condemn the planned construction of the Ahunan Dam in the province. Led by Mamamayang Nagmamahal sa Pakil (MaNaPak, or Residents who Love Pakil), environmental groups and church people carried the theme “Lusong bago Ahon: Lakad panalangin at panaghoy ng sanlikha” (Immerse then Rise: Walk of prayer and clamor of creation).
The dam, or the Pakil Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Project, will be built in the Sierra Madre, specifically on Mount Ping-as, which devotees consider sacred and an important part of the annual “Ahunan” or mountain climbing as a vow to the Virgin of Turumba. Beyond its cultural value, Pakil’s mountain and springs provide residents with clean water, irrigation, and livelihoods.
Residents previously condemned the clearing of more than 100 hectares of forest in the Sierra Madre, and the continued drilling to a depth of 500 meters on the land where the Ahunan Dam is to be built. The drilling and deforestation worsened the threat of landslides in the area where this project is being built.
The company has also intimidated and forcibly evicted some residents of Sitio Pinagkampuhan to make way for dam construction. It prevented peasants from going to their rice fields and entering nearby forests, and prohibited fishers from fishing in parts of Laguna Lake covered by the project. This has deprived livelihood and food for families who depend on agriculture and fishing.
The project is owned by Ahunan Power Incorporated, a joint business of Prime Metro Power/Prime Infrastructure, companies owned by Enrique Razon Jr., and JBD Water Power Inc., and is valued at US$1.1 billion.
The project covers 299.40 hectares in the barangays of Baño, Burgos, Rizal, and Taft. The dam is targeted to begin operations in 2027.
