a dam doesn't give a damn

The government says “Build, Build, Build”
But an empire isn’t built without victims
The project begs to question
Whose hands will build what is built
and who benefits from the built?
At what cost?
At whose loss?

Water is a need
But so is a shelter, a home
A dam divides and fractures what is whole
It dictates the water flow
In what direction does it flow?
Toward growth and life necessities?
Or toward greed and supremacy?

History tells of empires
When one dissipates, the other thrives
As one falls, the other rises
Flora, fauna, and future generations lost
We are responsible for their well-being
Does accountability go away
when we choose to look the other way?

I hope we learn to listen to and nurture
the stories of people who know Mother Nature
Ancestors who don’t care for the privilege
of being raised in cities of concrete
We know the dam can’t solve this matter
It doesn’t listen to the things that matter
Because a dam doesn't give a damn.

- Nicolei Buendia Gupit
(Inspired by the artist’s experience listening to Dumagat-Remontado community concerns around Tinipak River in Daraitan, Rizal with friends and colleagues on Earth Day on April 22, 2023)