Republic of the Philippines HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Quezon City FIFTEENTH CONGRESS First Regular Session

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HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.

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INTRODUCED BY ANAKPAWIS PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATTVE RAFAEL V. MARIANO

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COMMITTEES ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONDUCT A JOINT INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF BALOG-BALOG MULTIPURPOSE PROJECT IN TARLAC TO THE EIWIRONMENT AND RFSIDENTS OF NEARBY TOWNS OF THE AREA WHERE THE PROJECT IS BEING CONSTRUCTED

WHEREAS, Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Project of the government envisions to provide water supply for year round irrigation of about 39,150 has. The project will span over the municipalities of Concepcion, Gerona, Pura, Ramos, Paniqui, La Paz,Yictoia and City of Tarlac all in the Province of Tarlac; WHEREAS, major features of the project is a 113 meter high earth and rock fill dam with a storage capacity of about 625 million cubic meter. It similarly envisions to mitigate flooding in low-lying a-reas and to provide the upland communities with the opportunity to engage in inland fish production on the 2,OO4 has. reservoir. The main dam and reservoir is located at Bgr. Maamot, San Jose, Tarlac about 48 kms. west of the City of Tarlac; WHEREAS, an initial review from 2OO2-2OO9shows that the project has been funded by the government since 2OO2-2O09 under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) budget, and under the DA budget for this year and next year. The breakdown of allocation of fund for the project is as follows: . . . . 2OO2 2003 2OO4 2OO5 P 78,811,000.00 (AFMA;Republic Act No. 9162) L45,215,000.00 (AFMA (l"t Preference);Republic Act No. 9206) 80,000,000.00 (AFMA;House BiIl No. 6385; ) 140,000,000.00 (AFMA; Republic Act No. 9336) 67,000,000.00 (AFMA;House Bill No, 47IOl 50,000,000.00 (AFMA;Republic Act No. 9401) 250,000,000.00 (AFMA; Republic Act No. 9498) 250,000,000.00 (AFMA;Republic Act No.'9525) 240,000,000.00 (GAA;Republic Act No.9970)
(proposed)

. . . . .
o

2O06 2OO72008 2OO92 O l O2OlL Total z

347.847.000.00 PL1648,873,OOO.OO

WHEREAS, it was reported that the Department of Agriculture plans to develop about P96.414 billion worth of infrastructure projects under the Aquino administration's public-private partnership (PPP) program and the same included the Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Project in Tarlac worth P18.5 billion, the biggest the seventeen (17) projects; Ermong WHEREAS, residents of San Jose and Capas in Tarlac are opposing the project because according to them it will only cause the destruction of the environment since the project will result in tJ:e closure of the Bulsa River to create a more than 2,OOO-hectarereservoir with capacity of 625 million cubic meter. They further alleged that communities in Sta. Juliana, Capas, Pantol, Pisapungan, Pula and Pilyen are also prone to flashfloods because the Buyboy River will be affected by the water level since the landmarks set by National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Pantol were placed at the middle of the mountain which is way above the houses in ttre communities. Tarlac City, Paniqui, Moncada, Concepcion andLaPaz are also vulnerable to flooding as well as the nearby towns of Nueva Ecija; WHEREAS, the aforesaid residents further averred that tJ'e project is a serious threat not only to the livelihood of more than 50O residents but also to their political, cultural and social existence; and WHEREAS, Algansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL), a chapter of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Hlipinas (KMP), stated that the construction of BalogBalog Multi-Purpose Project will deprive the farmers in the area of the land they have been tilling for a long time and eventually their livelihood. It further averred that government projects like the Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Project will only intensiff the problem of landlessness in the country. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Natural Resources conduct a joint inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the impact of construction and operation of Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Project in Tarlac to the environment and residents of nearby towns of the area where the project is being constructed.
Adopted,