After years of opposition to calls to dredge Laguna de Bay, officials in charge of the lake’s ecological health seemed to have made a 360-degree turn.
Following the recent monsoon rains that resulted in the lake’s breaching its critical high threshold, an official of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) now expressed his support to calls to commence dredging operations in the lake.
In an interview with the Philippine Information Agency, LLDA Acting General Manager Engr. Leopoldo Parumog said that he had recommended to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the dredging of Laguna de Bay.
During the interview, the official claimed that dredging is deemed the “ultimate solution” to the lake’s looming problems and appealed for legislative support to finally push through with the program.
“It’s about time na ma-dredge na siya at iyon ang aking panawagan. Dito walang gastos ang gobyerno eh, sa mga nagpo-propose sa amin eh. Nananawagan po tayo sa Congress o Senate na sana po masuportahan at magkaroon ng programa na maituloy na ang dredging operation sa Laguna de Bay.”
To recall, Biñan City Representative Arman Dimaguila has been vocal in his push to conduct dredging operations at Laguna de Bay, which he said will greatly mitigate flooding along Biñan City’s coastal barangays.
The official’s statements represent a sudden shift in the tone of the LLDA, which had claimed that dredging the lake itself is a “self-defeating” tactic as the space left behind by dredging will immediately be filled with water and silt.
“Ang LLDA ay sumusuporta sa 'targeted dredging', ang iprayoridad ang mga lugar na talagang barado o masyadong mababaw o makipot tulad ng river mouths, deltas, waterways, at mismong outlet. Sa mga lugar na ito, ang dredging ay nakakatulong sa daloy at sirkulasyon ng tubig at nakakabuti sa water quality ng lawa,” one particular social media post read out.
Now, however, Parumog said that the agency is considering proposals from private partners to help address the lake’s siltation and mitigate flooding in lakeshore communities, with little to no expense to the government.
“Hindi po ito maliit na bagay. May mga proponent naman tayo na walang gastos ang gobyerno. Hindi kayang gastusan ng gobyerno na i-dredge ‘yan lahat. So may mga programa tayong ganyan na to dredge Laguna de Bay, at iyan po ang ipinu-push natin sa Malacanang,” the official pointed out.
As of 9 a.m. on September 2, the current water level of Laguna de Bay was recorded at 12.65 meters, exceeding the lake’s critical level of 12.50 meters.
The LLDA said heavy rains have significantly contributed to the increase in the lake’s water level, while also pointing to the adjacent Manila Bay, which has maintained a consistently high water level.
The agency also said it remains uncertain as to how long the lake will remain at a critical level, adding that only nature can determine when the water level will return to normal.
(With report from PIA/OpinYon News Team)
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