Look at Laguna Lake now
When publicists of businesses e-mail me with invitations to take part in this and that event, I rarely respond. On those rare occasions that I do respond, I say no thanks. There’s a new one in my inbox about the launching of a restaurant. Give it up, people, I’m the wrong person to invite.
But when I receive legitimate concerns, I take note. Manny of the EcoWaste Coalition, for instance, has been a constant source of information and tips about how, as individuals, we can help reduce ecological threats. Their list of Christmas tips was a wonderful starting point for a column last December.
A few days ago, I received an e-mail from Greenpeace about the encroachment of dump sites on the waters of Laguna Lake. Normally, I don’t pay attention to the usual slogans and propaganda but there was a note that photos taken from the site were available and I responded and asked for permission to publish the photos on my blog. Right, show me the proof and I’ll do my share.
Here’s a portion of the press release:
The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) disclosed last December that dumpsites in four municipalities—Paete and Biñan, Laguna, and Angono and Taytay, Rizal—are located close to Laguna Lake’s shores. Meanwhile fourteen dumpsites various other nearby towns compound the lake’s water pollution problem. Although the LLDA has asked the concerned local government units to implement the Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) the dumps continue to pollute the lake. Toxic leachate from the said garbage dumps are expected to ooze into the lake for years to come, even after the dumps are successfully closed.
The dumps in Angono and Taytay, in particular, occupy the lake’s waters in blatant violation of the Clean Water Act of 2004 (RA 9275), and RA 9003. The Angono dumpsite was supposedly declared closed by Mayor Aurora Villamayor last January 2008, but Greenpeace Water Patrol investigations encountered garbage trucks delivering fresh garbage to the site just a week ago. The Taytay dumpsite, on the other hand, is still fully operational.
Laguna Lake, also known as Laguna de Bay, is the country’s largest lake, and the 2nd largest freshwater basin in Southeast Asia. It is being eyed as a potential source of potable water for Metro Manila. However, according to the LLDA, the lake is in danger of dying in five years if no steps are taken to improve its fast deteriorating water quality.
Last I heard, Laguna Lake is dotted with fish ponds. Tilapia, bangus all all sorts of freshwater fish are being raised there. I look at that bottle of water in the photo and… that’s the kind of water that the fish are raised in?
Beyond the environmental concern is the human angle. Calls to save the environment don’t make sense to me unless the advocates clearly point out that saving the environment is saving man. That’s where so many advocacies fail. You have to humanize these things. That’s why I don’t go for things like “save the Philippine eagle” campaign. The extinction of any specie is part of evolution. If the extinction of one specie lessens man’s chance for survival, then it’s another story. But to fight for something just because it’s fashionable to fight for some cause is silly.
So, when we say we want to save the environment — that we ought to, really — what we’re really fighting for is our own survival and not the preservation of some geographic location. That’s what makes Laguna Lake, our forests and seas worth saving.
A third of what’s been written about me is true, a third is half-true and the rest consists of drug-induced hallucinations. I suppose I’d better let me, rather than them, tell you 
18 responses to "Look at Laguna Lake now"
I watched the news yesterday. Fishermen said before there are 26 varieties of fishes in the lake. Now they could only count 8. Sad, very sad.
And all because of the mentality that every vacant lot is a dumpsite.
it’s probably due to “bakit di na ba nakakapangisda yung iba dito?” mentality.. we won’t take action to save the few until we don’t have any.
Just like ilog pasig
the thought of an ilog pasig in every part of the country is so scary.
My apartment is just a stone throw away from a river here in Korea ,though along the river are rows upon rows of high rise apartment the river is very clean,From my veranda you can see people fishing for fun and wading on the river at any time of the year, it is really amazing when every summer night my family will go down the river bank and have a picnic or do hook fishing .How I wish that someday our river in Philippines will be as beautiful as this.If they can do it here I think there is no reason why we cannot do it there what do you think?
lumaki ako sa binangonan at pamilya kami ng magsasaka at mangingisda. naalala ko pa nung bata ako na malawak na taniman ng palay ng mga lola bago ka pa makarating sa laguna lake, naranasan kong magtanim ng palay hanggang sa mag-ani…minsan naliligo kami sa lawa at malinaw at nakikita mo pa ang ilalim. minsan, panahon ng tulya at wan to sawa ka na makakapamulot nito sa ilalim ng mababaw na parte ng lawa.nakakalungkot, down memory lane na lang ito at ang mga banyaga kong anak eh hindi na makikita and mga kinalakihan ng nanay nila.
Ed, we need a cultural revolution.
frozendelight, “progress” yata yung tawag nila kaya wala na lahat yung mga nabanggit mo.
tunay na nakakahiya para sa akin at sa mga taga Angono na nagmamalaking Arts Capital ng Pilipinas ang aming bayan ngunit wala namang malasakit sa kalikasan. wake up call ang issue na ito upang magtulong tulong ang bawat isa na pangalagaan ang kalikasan.
pollution, lake encroachment, siltation, fishpens, industries, people, among others — bullshit! the real problem with asia’s second largest freshwater basin is the laguna lake development authority. the idea of making industries pay for polluting the lake makes me wonder how much are these investors really paying. financial records of the lake agency does not speak of the truth. industries are paying way more than what has been written in their official receipts. i remember exposing an LLDA official for demanding P 10,000 from a small shoe factory in marikina city. just imagine how much these dinosaurs are earning on the assumption that they are only collecting P 10,000 from all 4,000 establishments in the laguna de bay region. i’m not saying it should be dissolved. what i’m trying to say is that this agency should be devolved to the local government.
connie, hindi ata progression itong nagyayari sa ating natural resources sa pinas kundi regression, scary lalo pa yung ipinakita mong pic ng water quality ng lake, tip lang ito ng iceberg kung paanong ang over population, poverty at ill-governance eh sobra sobrang damage na nagagawa sa kalikasan, kahit nakatira ka pa sa pinakaexclusive na subdivision pag nagrevenge ang nature, baha, landslide wala yang ipinasisintabi…
Fernan, do you mean people would stop dumping garbage just about anywhere if the LLDA was dissolved? Hmmmm… it isn’t only in that area where the garbage dumping happens and all these other places aren’t under the LLDA.
frozendelight, that’s it. OVERPOPULATION. My gripe against the government there is the refusal to adopt a policy on birth control just because the Catholic Church is against it.
This is so sad talaga. Add to that is the proliferation pa of janitor fish in the lake. And this is what people call progress? No, its not, progress for me means having better lives without doing the environment harm. When that happens, the future generations won’t experience what their parents have experienced. I agree about the overpopulation, yan ang isa sa mga grassroot problems natin.
Kinilabutan ako sa nakitang kong nakalutang na basura sa paanan nung me dalang bote. Kaya pala todo safety gear sila. Ngiii…
Laguna Lake is one of the biggest fresh water lake in Asia. Mga kababayan, think for a second that this natural resource is more important than oil or gasoline. This is our future. Don’t mess it up. If you do, it will be suicidal for the future generation. Water will be the most important natural resource for the comming century. Besides, let us respect our “Mother Nature” or else……
dear connie, what i’m trying to imply is that our government agencies in charge of the environment care less of the environment. they are the type of people whose school of thought is more on revenue — noty for the government coffers but for their fat personal bank accounts.
dissolving the LLDA may not solve the problem, but would trim down the number of dinosaurs in the government — that is if they don’t get to be appointed to other positions. they are actually in a corruption galore. i should know, i have been covering that agency for the last 18 years.
insofar as devolving the agency to the local government — who would want to spoil his own backyard? local government units could perhaps be a better alternative than the LLDA. local government officials are not saints, but surely, politicians (most of whom are too sensitive on moves that would adversely affect their political career) would perhaps be lesser evil.
Fernan, re “they are the type of people whose school of thought is more on revenue”
And the public is the type to dumb garbage anywhere.
I am so sick and tired of hearing about the government’s fault. Yes, they are many. But for every accusation that the traffic cop collects kotong on the street corner, there are ten instances of jeepney and tricycle drivers disobeying traffic laws endangering passengers and pedestrians.
Same is true with your accusation about the LLDA.
In our province, the sea near us is so polluted we’ve been having red tide for around 2 years now. The reason why it is polluted is that many squatters living by the shore are using it as a dumping ground for their garbage and body wastes. And also business like slaughterhouses drain their wastes there.
The local city government, aside from issuing warnings about consuming seafood from there, has done nothing to alleviate the miserable conditions. Not even to build proper bathrooms with proper drainage. Heck, even if a proper bathroom was built, it would be so non-maintained, everyone will be going back to the sea to do his deed. A relocation site has been set aside for the squatters but they refused to move as they will be removed from their source of living. But the longer they stay there, the more the sea will become polluted and the less living they will get. So yes, in this instance, it is the fault of both parties.
dear connie, admittedly you’re right. is it safe to say we’re in a hopeless situation? anyway, i really appreciate and glad that somebody like you would spend some of your precious time reading my comment. by the way, we’re religiously publishing a weekly community paper here in rizal. if you’re living in any of the 14 localities of the province, we would be glad to send you free copies weekly. the rizal weekly post is a weekly community paper — in fact, the only local paper that comes out regularly on a weekly basis for the last three years. you may contact us at 344-2241. our editorial office is located at the old concrete aggregates compound, antipolo teresa road, barangay dalig, antipolo city.
“So, when we say we want to save the environment — that we ought to, really — what we’re really fighting for is our own survival and not the preservation of some geographic location. That’s what makes Laguna Lake, our forests and seas worth saving.”
I really agree with you on this one. But that’s the way it should work right? It should be a symbiotic relationship between man and nature. I remember a line in the Matrix where in it was said that man is behaving more like a virus.
I can see Laguna Lake from my home. More than twenty years ago, my gramps said (he lives right next door), from lower Bicutan all the way down to the lake, it was all trees. Development is inevitable but does it have to be so irresponsibly done?? I recently can home from a family trip to San Juan, Batangas. It was a blast until we met some of the fisher folk on our last day there. They talked about real estate development of the area, being evicted and the dying sea.
It just pisses me off that there are solutions to all these problems - environmental and societal - but people are just too lazy to do anything about it. Its always the easy way out. In the end, we all benefit anyway. *shrugs*
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