Solon wants Laguna Lake dredging project revisited: It will help flood control efforts

LAKE PENS “Bangus” and tilapia grown in Laguna de Bay’s fish pens are being harvested here in this file photo taken in 2018. The supply of fish from here are brought to markets in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. A lawmaker recently expressed hopes that the government revisit dredging Laguna Lake to help flood control efforts. INQUIRER file photo / REM ZAMORA

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has urged the national government to revisit the possibility of dredging Laguna Lake, as it would immensely help in flood control efforts both for Metro Manila and the surrounding Laguna towns.

Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez during the hearing of the House of Representatives’ Committee on ecology on Thursday said that the government should assess whether there is a need to revitalize the theP18.7 billion Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project, shelved in 2010.

The said project aimed to dredge or scrape the bed of Laguna Lake, making it deeper and therefore increasing its capacity — which may be helpful during rainy days when tributaries like the Marikina and Pasig Rivers overflow.

“The capacity factor of Laguna lake is maliit nga lang po so we need to increase it. Dahil nga po ang mga naapektuhan po ay yung buhay ng ating mga mamamayan na nakatira sa lakeshore. We have so many barangays that live in the lakeshore of Laguna lake and also the Rizal Province,” Fernandez said in his opening speech.

(The capacity factor of Laguna Lake is small, that’s why we need to increase it, because a lot of people living near the lakeshore are affected.  We have so many barangays who reside near the lakeshore of Laguna Lake, and also the Rizal Province.)

Fernandez, who authored House Resolution No. 376 which was tackled by the committee, said that the depth of the Laguna Lake used to be 12 meters, but it has become even more shallow at just 2.5 meters.

“The very reason that we wanted to revisit this project that was initiated 15 years ago — 15 years ago na ‘to […] it was conceptualized by former president, our colleague, Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo — the very essence of the project was to rehabilitate and to recapacitate, para ‘yong capacity factor ng ating Laguna Lake mas ma-increase,” he explained.

(The very reason that we wanted to revisit this project that was initiated 15 years ago — this was conceptualized 15 years ago by former president, our colleague, Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo — the very essence of the project was to rehabilitate and to recapacitate, so that the capacity factor of our Laguna Lake increases.)

“Dahil nga po masyado nang mababaw ‘yong ating lawa, na 2.5 meters na lang po ‘yong lalim. Decades ago, umaabot po siya ng 12 meters ‘yong lalim,” he added.

(This is because our lake’s depth is only at 2.5 meters now.  Decades ago, it reached the 12 meter-mark.)

Laguna Lake, one of the largest inland freshwater bodies in Southeast Asia, is believed to have the potential to contribute greatly to flood control.  Currently, when waters from the mountainous areas of Rizal go down to the lowlands through the Marikina River system, the Manggahan floodway serves as a regulator of waters so that areas along the Pasig River would not be flooded.

However, if the Laguna Lake is already overflowing — which may result in flooding at towns near the lake — the floodway can reverse the flow by closing the gates.  This however would result in higher water levels along Marikina River.

Hence, it was believed that dredging the Laguna Lake’s bed would allow more water into the basin.  However, the project was shelved during the term of former president Benigno Aquino III.

The cancellation of the project led to lawsuits, as Belgian company Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon (BDC) which was tapped to do the rehabilitation project complained of the cancellation.

READ: Gov’t sued for P4B for canceled dredging 

READ: Aquino axed key flood-control project in 2010 

During the hearing, Fernandez also suggested that Laguna de Bay be converted into a source of potable water, as another way to increase capacity.  Local Water Utilities Administration’s Ferdinand Talue said that while a comprehensive treatment process would be needed first, such a function is possible.

“It will involve a comprehensive water treatment process. And we need attendant operating costs, the small municipalities will not be able to afford (it) because of operating the treatment plants,” Talue said

Fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, however, raised concerns over the supposed negative effects that dredging would bring to marine life and ecology in Laguna Bay, as fishing communities would be affected.

Pamalakaya said that dredging can disturb fishing ecology as it destroys the lake’s bed where corals reside, while operations would result in noise pollution, which would drive away fishes.

“Noong 2010 po, malakas na po ang aming naging pagtutol dito dahil ang tingin po naman magbibigay daan po ito sa privatization bukod pa po doon sa lumulubhang  epekto ng dredging sa pangisdaan,” Ronnel Arambulo of Pamalakaya said.

(In 2010, we voiced strong opposition to this project because we thought it would give way to privatization, aside from the possibility of negative effects of dredging to fisheries and fishing communities.)

After the discussions, the House panel formed a Technical Working Group that will be tasked to assess the feasibility of Fernandez’ proposal. With reports from MJ Soriano, INQUIRER.net trainee

RELATED STORIES:

Laguna Lake dev’t is first Berde-certified gov’t building 

Studies bare concerning ecological status of Laguna Lake 

JPV