'No less than President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. himself publicly admitted that the Laguna de Bay solution forms part of what he referred to as an 'overall plan' to address the looming water crisis since water from the lake is also used as a source of drinking water for Metro Manila residents.'
AMID continued discharge of industrial wastes in the country’s biggest freshwater basin, the government seemed inclined on tapping the polluted Laguna de Bay in an apparent effort to resolve an impending water crisis.
No less than President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. himself publicly admitted that Laguna de Bay solution forms part of what he referred to as an “overall plan” to address the looming water crisis since water from the lake is also used as a source of drinking water for Metro Manila residents.
However, Marcos made it clear that there is a need to ensure that the quality of water in the lake is not affected by chemicals, even as he hinted at a tall order to process the lake water for human consumption.
Closer Look at the Lake
Laguna de Bay is basically a fishing ground for 13,000 fishermen depending on the lake for their livelihood. It also produces some 80,000 to 90,000 metric tons of fish annually.
In 1999, the LLDA implemented a Zoning and Management Plan (ZOMAP) to ensure the equitable distribution of the lake’s fishery resources. The ZOMAP allotted 10,000 hectares for fishpens, 5,000 hectares for fish cages, areas for sanctuary and navigational lanes, and the rest for open water fishing.
The western part is the most profitable for both capture fisheries and two types of aquaculture due to the regular intrusion of saltwater, creating a brackish water environment that is suitable for milkfish.
However, the lake is threatened by pollution, on top of the proliferation of invasive species that endangers not only the biodiversity but also poses an alarming impact on indigenous species and on the economic operation in the lake.
More Than Fishing
The lake also serves as a reservoir for floodwater to save Metro Manila from flooding. The Manggahan Floodway was constructed to divert floodwaters from Marikina River into the lake. The Napindan control station regulates the outflow of excess lake waters and minimizes the inflow of saline water and pollution from the Pasig River.
It is also used for power generation. In fact, three power plants located in the region are pumping water from the lake to generate electricity.
Laguna de Bay is also known for recreational activities. Although classified only for non-contact recreation such as fishing, boating and sailing, the lake is used for swimming in some communities. Lakeshore resorts near Mt. Makiling extract hot spring waters for health spa and beauty treatment.
LLDA also ventures on eco-tourism projects through the LISCOP Component 1 Project with 6 eco-enhancement projects in Rizal and Laguna Provinces.
Delayed Reaction
“All of these things we have already put up together – we have already put together an overall plan. Now, we have to implement it. There are many agencies that are concerned when it comes to water management. So we have to make it more cohesive,” Marcos said.
The President also directed the LLDA to ensure that industrial pollutants are not discharged into the lake, for the plan to push through amid an imminent drought in view of the El Niño phenomenon.
Interestingly, Maynilad Water Services, which services the West Zone, sources 300 million liters of water per day from Laguna de Bay.
Marcos earlier created the Office of Water Management, which will be directly under the Office of the President, “so we could monitor the situation.”
Legalized Pollution
Ironically, the LLDA has long been allowing industries to discharge industrial waste to the Laguna de Bay and its tributaries via wastewater discharge permits and clearances.
Latest LLDA data showed that there is a high concentration of metallic substances, plastics, coliforms and blue-green algae in the lake, adversely affecting both water quality and the filtration system in the lake.
Long before the creation of the Office of Water Management, environmental groups have described Laguna de Bay as a huge septic tank for solid and liquid waste coming from households, cropland areas, industries, livestock and poultry production as well as fishery activities.
Notably, not a single municipality surrounding the Laguna de Bay and cities encompassing tributaries, is equipped with a sewerage system.
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