Save Sierra Madre: No to Laiban Dam

The Save the Sierra Madre Network (SSMN), an alliance of indigenous groups, civil society associations, church groups and environmental institutes working throughout the Sierra Madre range, which strongly opposes the proposed construction of a  28,000-hectare dam reservoir that would displace 4,413 families fromseven barangays, and flood rainforests with endemic and endangered species, and areas being claimed as ancestral lands by the indigenousgroups- the Dumagat and the Remontado peoples.

The Laiban dam is being built on the Marikina-Infanta earthquake fault. The project is a joint-venture between San Miguel Corporation and the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) designed to divert water from the Kaliwa and Kanan rivers in the Sierra Madre and augment the water supply in Metro Manila.

SSMN is conducting a nationwide signature campaign against the Laiban dam project. The network has already gathered an estimated 22,000 residents in Real, Infanta and Gen. Nakar who have signed against the dam as it will simply wash into the sea more than 100,000 people living there, in case of earthquake.

attached, is the format of SSMN signature campaign Stop Laiban Dam!

please circulate to various religious congregations, Diocesan, schools,communities, peoples organizations, NGOs, CSOs, vendors organization,tricycle and jeepney drivers and operators, senior citizens organizations, women groups, persons with disabilities (PWDs)associations, homeowners associations etc. you can also use thesignature campaign thru on-line.

and kindly submit (centralized) collected signature campaign forms to Task Force Sierra Madre (TFSM) c/o Ms. Menerva or OFM-JPIC c/o Sister Noemi.

To date, SSMN is starting its advocacy 148-kilometer march dubbed “Lakad Laban sa Laiban Dam” (Walk Against Laiban Dam) on November 4,2009, where in it is expected that 100 advocates will kick-off the walk.