The Dumagat of Rizal Celebrates the International Day of Action for Rivers and Against Dams

“Dumagat man kami sa baybay dagat  

Kami'y nagtatanim at di nangungulimbat  

Kaya buong tribu tayo ay gumising  

At ating bawiin ang lupain natin”

The Dumagat community sang their traditional song about defending their ancestral lands as we celebrated the rivers and commemorated their history of resistance against the destructive dams encroaching upon their ancestral lands.

Indigenous women sang “Kaming mga tribu” (We the tribes), a traditional song of the Dumagat.

On March 14-15, 2025, the Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples' Rights joined the Dumagat community of Tanay, Rizal, along with other member organizations, to celebrate the International Day of Action for Rivers and Against Dams in Tanay, Rizal.

After the program concludes, the community and advocates make their way from the river.

The construction of the Kaliwa-Kanan-Laiban Dams will negatively affect the ancestral domain of at least 5,000 Dumagat-Remontado. Meanwhile, the project will destroy the biodiversity and habitat of 126 species in 300 hectares of Sierra Madre and endanger 100,000 residents downstream with the risk of massive flooding. 

The Dumagat people of Rizal continue to face militarization and human rights violations, including trumped-up charges, amid the ongoing threat of the dam construction.

A Dumagat woman feeds her children.

They also fear the negative impacts of these dams on their livelihoods, health, and homes. With basic social services remaining inaccessible, the community is vulnerable to outbreaks, having recorded 12 deaths due to a diarrhea outbreak in 2022. The community has also suffered from massive flooding.

The Dumagat community and Indigenous Peoples’ advocates held their calls to oppose the construction of mega dams and defend Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

We stand in solidarity with the Dumagat in opposing the construction of the destructive Kaliwa-Kanan-Laiban Dams in Rizal and Quezon. We urge the NCIP and MWSS to uphold the genuine Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples.