Macliing Dulag is a Kalinga tribal leader of the Butbut Tribe,
who was killed by Philippine Army troops in April 24, 1980 due to his
firm opposition against the World Bank-funded Chico River Dam Project
during the Marcos Regime. His death anniversary is now commemorated as
the Cordillera Day.
The Chico River Basin Hydroelectric Dam Project was a priority project of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the late 1970’s until early 1980’s. The World Bank committed to funding the project and it was to be implemented by the National Power Corporation
(NPC). The venture consists of the construction of four mega dams and
one smaller diversion dam along the Chico River, a major river system in
the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with its headwater from Mt. Data in Benguet passing through Mountain Province to Kalinga.
More than 100,000 Kalingas and Bontocs were living along both sides of
the Chico River at that time. In addition, the communities rely on the
river for domestic purposes and for irrigation of their rice fields. As
such, constructing the four mega-dams would submerge several villages
and hectares of rice fields and ancestral lands, and displace thousands
of people from their homes. In addition, the project was not intended to
benefit the small farmers in the Cordillera region. Rather, the venture
under the national irrigation program was meant to increase the
productivity of lowland corporate plantations, which export majority of
what they grow.
The ethinic Kalinga and Bontoc communities, and lowlanders who
sympathized with their cause, argued that national development should
never be achieved at such extreme sacrifice.
"You ask if we own
the land. You mock us. Where is your title? Where are the documents to
prove that you own the land? Title. Documents. Proof. Such arrogance of
owning land when you are owned by it. How can you own that which
outlives you? Only the people own the land because only the people live
forever. To claim a place is the birthright of everyone. The lowly
animals claim their place, how much more of human beings. They are born
to live," spoke Macliing, when asked about land titles and documents.
