 Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has approved the adjustments in the cost of constructing the Kaliwa Dam project.){kind=link}
MANILA, Philippines — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has approved a revised budget and implementation timeline for the controversial Kaliwa Dam project, raising its total cost from ₱12.2 billion to ₱15.3 billion, officials confirmed Thursday.
In a statement, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) — formerly NEDA — said the decision was made during the board’s final meeting on April 23, ahead of its formal transition to the newly established Economy and Development Council.
The approved adjustments include:
An increase in total project cost
A change in project scope
An extension of the loan validity and project implementation period
Project Scope and Status
As of December 2024, roughly 24.8% of the Kaliwa Dam’s physical construction has been completed.
Key features of the project include:
A 60-meter-high concrete gravity dam on the Kaliwa River
A reservoir surface area spanning 291 hectares
A gross reservoir capacity of 57 million cubic meters
A discharge capability of 600 million liters per day
Once operational, the dam is expected to supply an additional 600 million liters of raw water daily to help meet the growing demand in the National Capital Region and the provinces of Rizal and Cavite.
Financing and Construction
The project is being constructed by China Energy Engineering Corporation, under a $211.414 million official development assistance (ODA) loan signed by the Philippines and China in 2018.
85% of the project’s cost will be covered by the Chinese ODA loan
15% will be funded by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)
Environmental Concerns Persist
Despite the government’s assurances, the project continues to face strong opposition from environmental and indigenous groups, who warn of serious ecological consequences.
Critics argue the dam will:
Damage 291 hectares of protected watershed
Threaten 172 plant species
Disrupt local wildlife habitats
Exacerbate climate change impacts in the region
Environmentalists have called for a halt to the project, urging authorities to consider alternative water sources and more sustainable solutions.
The Kaliwa Dam is part of the New Centennial Water Source program, a long-term infrastructure initiative aimed at preventing water crises in Metro Manila. The project has been in development for decades and remains one of the most debated large-scale infrastructure projects in the country.