It was Holy Week but we got the chance to hire a van and a driver to take us to places worth visiting. We tried our luck to contact a tour guide who could give us information as we tour around, but nobody was available since it was already Holy Thursday. So, we just went ahead and tour on our own. The actual visits with some few good photos were good enough to enjoy the trip. :)
The Chico River dam has a rich historical past. It used to be an electric power generation project in 1973 for the purpose of increasing the electrical power by 50% in Luzon.
Unfortunately, the project didn't push through and finally shelved in the 1980's because the local residents didn't approve of it, particularly the Igorots who were living in the villages. The local residents who resisted the Chico River Dam project continued fighting against it for 3 decades and finally won, causing the project to be shelved for good.
If the dam was pushed through, it would submerge villages of some local residences along the Chico river, including the terraces, their burial grounds and their sacred groves.
Basically, the dam project meant destroying all their property, - which their way of life has been based upon.
The residents who fought hard against the dam didn't find it easy. The Chico River Valley became a war zone where many casualties were involved. High-powered arms were used between the rebels and the government militaries. There were a lot of groups involved during the fight and it would be a long story to tell in detailed information.
I didn't remember much about this while growing up. I was only a 5-year old innocent kid who wanted to play and enjoy the kid's world...:)
But visiting a place with a noted historical past is way more than enough to have a memorable trip such as this, - with the company of loved ones of course!
