Daraitan village in Rizal province, Philippines, home to the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous people, may soon be submerged under water once the Kaliwa Dam is completed.
At the heart of the Sierra Madre mountain range in the Philippines lies a quaint village where people live in bungalows made of wood and concrete along the banks of the pristine Agos River . Located 62km north-east of the capital Manila, Daraitan village in Rizal province is home to about 5,700 residents, a majority of whom are members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous people who consider vast hectares of the mountain range as part of their ancestral domain .
Generations of the tribe have lived off the river and its surrounding forests, which have provided them with food, shelter and medicine. Once a year, they come together to perform their sacred healing rituals using the giant marble boulders found along the riverbanks. These rock formations also make a favourite photo spot for tourists. But the village may soon disappear under the same waters that give it life, once the Philippine government finishes building the Kaliwa Dam – one of 16 flagship infrastructure projects of former president Rodrigo Duterte that is being funded by Chin
Philippines Sierra Madre Village Bungalows Agos River Indigenous People Ancestral Domain Forests Rituals Rock Formations Kaliwa Dam Infrastructure Projects China