This paper has reported that the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) that no permits for reclamation had been issued in areas surrounding the Laguna de Bay. We will take this to mean that shores of the country’s biggest lake whether in Laguna or in Rizal province have been protected from encroachment by various project developers.
Protection from encroachment of lakes and foreshore land is precisely the job of the PRA. They should not be caught sleeping on the job as our beaches and sea shores disappear or are blocked from public use.
The PRA announcement is suspect as the agency is reported to “suddenly order a halt to all reclamation activities within Laguna de Bay following week-long rains brought by tropical storms Crising, Dante, and Emong.”
These storms and LPAs together with the monsoon (habagat) recently brought havoc to most of Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, with floods so huge and devastating that President Bongbong Marcos had to once again review the scandalous and controversial flood control projects of the DPWH.
In its July 24 statement, the PRA claimed that "any ongoing or proposed activity in the area without PRA’s approval is therefore unauthorized, illegal, and without legal effect, in direct violation of national reclamation policy and environmental law."
The authority said “unauthorized reclamation within the lake limits its natural hydrological function and exacerbates perennial flooding, endangering the safety, livelihood, and welfare of millions of Filipinos.” As such, all "unapproved" reclamation activities are considered void ab initio and may be subject to forfeiture, while persons allegedly involved can be subjected to legal action.
"The PRA is currently conducting legal review, technical field validation, and inter-agency coordination to identify violators, halt illegal operations, and safeguard the lake’s environmental and hydrological integrity," the statement added.
It should be noted that prior to PRA’s statement, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) reported that the lake has exceeded its "critical high threshold" of 12.50 meters due to the nonstop rains brought by successive weather disturbances. Water levels in the lake later reached 12.62 meters.
The LLDA has warned that it may take months for the water to completely subside due to its diminished capacity to hold runoff from waterways leading into the lake.
It is not enough for the PRA to issue motherhood statements about the encroachments in the lake while not providing details on which projects are remiss.
For starters, Opinyon Laguna pointed out that several infrastructure projects, such as the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN), the Calamba-Bay Bypass Road, and floating solar panels spearheaded by the private sector, encroach into the Laguna de Bay. This might be the reason for the recent floods in many Laguna towns.
Will the PRA and the LLDA do something about it?
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