CALAUAN, Laguna (PIA) – Sen. Imee Marcos said a collective action is needed to protect Laguna de Bay from becoming another Manila Bay where at least 22 reclamation projects are in place since last year.

In her visit in Calauan, Laguna on Wednesday, Aug. 2, Marcos expressed her fears on having reclamation projects that could further harm the lake which is facing congestion, siltation and pollution from various human activities.

“Mahirap mangyari sa tubigan natin ‘yan (reclamation). Paubos na ang tubig at dapat talagang asikasuhin nating maigi. Kasi kinakatakutan natin na huwag namang maging Manila Bay,” the senator said.

Marcos, however, did not say what reclamation projects have been proposed for Laguna Lake.

She expressed the belief that preserving Laguna de Bay from pollution and reclamation projects is important for biodiversity and for the environment.

“We look forward to all of this, protecting the biodiversity and livelihood of the people concerned. I think we should keep watch over Laguna de Bay – its development and its future. Dahil maraming pamilya ang umaasa talaga sa Laguna de Bay. We should protect it,” Marcos said.

According to the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), fisheries and aquaculture remain the dominant activities in the lake. An estimated 13,000 fishermen depend on Laguna de Bay for their livelihood harvesting around 80,000 – 90,000 metric tons of fish a year.

“The lake can still sustain fisheries but is threatened by contamination from pollution. Likewise, invasive species threaten not only the biodiversity but also pose an alarming impact on indigenous species and on the economic operation in the lake,” the LLDA said in its website.

During her visit, Marcos discussed with Laguna Vice Governor Karen Agapay her plans to revive various flood control projects under the administration of her father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

She said the projects could be re-implemented to protect Laguna de Bay and its surrounding communities.

“Itong flood control [projects]… Itong matagal nang mga Paranaque and Laguna spillway na project dati ng tatay ko, siguro kailangan nating balikan iyan ‘pagkat ang Laguna de Bay ay isa sa mga pinaka-productive o pinaka-mayamang lugar. Pinaka-mayamang imbakan ng tubig na lawa na may hanapbuhay, may environmental sector.”

Known as the largest inland body of water in the country and third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, Laguna de Bay covers 18 cities and towns in Laguna, nine towns in Rizal, and two cities in Metro Manila. It is also one of the major local sources of freshwater fish in the country, which supports approximately 9,000 hectares of fish pens and fish cages. 

In a recent study by Filipino scientists of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology and published in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research journal, microplastics have been found in areas with ‘intensive’ human activities ranging from household discharges, liquid waste from chemical industries, and intensification of economic activities. (CH/PIA-Laguna)