Urban planner says Laguna Lake can solve Metro water woes

MANILA, Philippines – Instead of just waiting for enough rain to fall on the Angat Dam after the dry season every year, the government should look into how the Laguna Lake can actually solve Metro Manila’s water woes.

Renowned urban planner Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr., in an interview with The Star, said the country’s biggest lake which is also the third largest in Southeast Asia has so much excess water.

 Instead of building dams, he said the government should make use of the untapped potential of the Laguna Lake to provide enough water to the metropolis.

He said the Taal Lake, on the other hand, can supply water for the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon (Calabarzon).

Palafox explained that after tropical storm Ondoy, Laguna Lake became a 115,000-hectare body of water which can actually fit Singapore which is only 71 hectares big.

According to him, the first step would be to deepen and dredge the lake in order to maximize its holding capacity considering how garbage and sludge has become a problem. “The immediate action now should be the dredging,” Palafox said, noting that it is time to put an end to “talk, talk, talk” and “analysis-paralysis.”

He said utilizing the Laguna Lake as Metro Manila’s main source of water can be realized in 10 years but the first step should be to clean up and dredge it.

After Ondoy, Palafox said he made 23 recommendations which include dredging the lake and implementing a reforestation program for the mountains.

He said Ayala, Alabang is actually using Laguna Lake water for drinking since Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general manager Edgardo Manda himself explains that surface water is still clean.

Laguna Gov. “E.R.” Ejercito earlier expressed similar sentiments on how dredging and clean up of the Laguna Lake should be pursued.

He said it is one of the major solutions to address the problem of flooding and overflowing and get the garbage out of the water.

Ejercito said the Laguna Lake is one of the 18 remaining living lakes in the world which needs to be saved and protected.