Infanta (Philippines) Municipal Ordinance: rights of the Agos River and Sierra Madre

Summary

On November 29, 2022, the Agos River became a protected area, after the Infanta local government (Quezon province) adopted the country’s first Rights of Nature ordinance. Vice-Mayor of Infanta L.A. Ruanto filed the ordinance, which establishes the Agos River as a Protected Area in the Municipality of Infanta, Quezon recognizing its rights and appropriating funds. The people of Infanta value the importance of their natural resources like the Agos River and Sierra Madre and hope that the Rights of Nature will help protect their environment from illegal activities from various corporations and companies that threaten and destroy it.

The ordinance was adopted the same year that construction of the Kaliwa Dam began on the Agos River. The Kaliwa Dam is a part of a series of projects aimed at increasing the water supply to Manila, which currently faces a water shortage. The dam is planned to be located on the Agos River, where the Kaliwa and Kanan rivers meet. The construction of the dam faces community opposition, especially from Indigenous Filipinos whose ancestral lands are on the river.

As the country’s first Rights of Nature ordinance, the law has further encouraged efforts to adopt a national Rights of Nature law and recognize the rights of other natural entities.

Impact Statement

This ordinance is the first Rights of Nature legislation to be adopted in the Philippines, setting a precedent for and encouraging other Rights of Nature initiatives across the country. The ordinance recognized the rights of the Agos River, which faces ecological damage from the Kaliwa Dam.