Strike while the sun shines.
That was what residents living along the coastline of Laguna de Bay who had endured months of flooding are now urging national government agencies.
This, as the Laguna de Bay finally returns to normal after breaching its critical maximum threshold during the monsoon rains last year.
Good news
Laguna de Bay’s waters now show signs of returning to “normalcy” after it breached its critical threshold level of 12.50 meters after a week-long monsoon rain on July 2025 that was compounded by successive typhoons later that year.
In an advisory, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) reported that the lake’s average water level now stands at 11.50 meters, or at least one meter below the critical level.
For residents living along the coastline of Laguna de Bay – particularly in parts of San Pedro and Biñan cities who have been submerged in knee-deep floods since last year – this is a welcome piece of news.
According to LLDA officials, the receding waters of Laguna de Bay is due to the prevailing northeast monsoon (amihan), which had resulted in less rainfall during the past months.
“With the absence of major rain events, the 21 major tributaries are no longer providing high-volume runoff. The lake currently relies solely on the base flows of these tributaries,” the agency added in a social media post.
With the expected onset of the dry season in March or April, officials expect “a steady decline in water levels, driven by prevailing climatic and hydrodynamic conditions.”
Swift action
These favorable developments have boosted the push for local officials in the province for long-term solutions to the perennial problem of flooding in communities living near Laguna de Bay.
Recently, officials of Biñan City, Laguna joined officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in a “coordination and consultative meeting” at Barangay Dela Paz.
Dela Paz, along with Barangay Malaban, were among the communities along the shoreline of Laguna de Bay that receive the brunt of flooding from Laguna de Bay during the rainy season.
During the inspection tour, DPWH officials pointed out the success of a key project of former Representative Len Alonte: a retaining wall along Barangay Dela Paz that was later transformed into a public park called the Biñan City Esplanade.
"Ang recommendation po [ni DPWH Undersecretary Charles Calima], i-replicate daw po yung nasabing proyekto, i-derecho sa San Pedro," Mayor Gel Alonte reported in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
Pumping stations, drainage
The city executive added that Representative Arman Dimaguila is also pushing for a permanent pumping station in Biñan City following the success of the improvised mobile pumps installed along the Mariano River.
In a separate social media post, Representative Dimaguila also raised proposals to the DPWH for a road canal network in Barangay Dela Paz.
“Pinag-aaralan na nila ito upang masimulan na ang mga proyektong ito sa lalong madaling panahon. Minabuti nating ipinakita ang actual na mobile pumping station at kalagayan ng coastal areas ng Laguna Lake sa Biñan sa kanila,” Dimaguila added.
Alonte, for his part, added that the LGU is now working to fast-track the Dela Paz road canal network before the onset of the rainy season.
“In fact, pinapaalalahanan na po natin ang mga taga-Dela Paz, kasi yung Almeda Road, doon po gagawan ng drainage system. Sigurado na po kami na magkakaroon ng traffic sa lugar na iyon kapag pinasimulan ang nasabing proyekto,” the mayor told OpinYon Laguna.
Essence of time
Residents believe that time is of the essence in solving the problem of flooding in Laguna de Bay.
With another rainy season only two or three months away, they believe what is needed is urgent action among local and national officials to immediately implement proposed fixes to the flooding problem.
Otherwise, how can they be assured that their lives and livelihood could be put at risk once the rains come back?
(With reports by Christian Magdaraog and Jeremy Rago)
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