Anything unpleasant to the eye will be removed from the shoreline of Laguna de Bay, particularly garbage heaps and illegal structures, including shanties that serve as homes to thousands of squatters, an official of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) said.
Generoso M. Dungo, acting assistant general manager and head of the Shoreland Management Office of the LLDA, said the clearing of the shores of Laguna de Bay started last year with LLDA teams conducting surveys and investigations around the lake as part of the Duterte administration’s development and rehabilitation effort of the lake.
The rehabilitation of Laguna de Bay, also the country’s largest aquaculture hub, was ordered by President Duterte upon assuming the presidency in 2016.
The marching order was to clear Laguna de Bay of illegal structures, including fish cages and fish pens that choke the 90,000-hectare lake, in effect, reducing the traditional fishing grounds of small fishermen.
About 13,000 hectares of the water body is occupied by large fish cages and fish pens operated mostly by agri-fishery companies and individuals. The lake’s shores are also home to tens of thousands of fishermen and informal settlers.
On Tuesday the LLDA highlighted anew its ongoing effort to develop and rehabilitate the Laguna de Bay, ordering the closure and subsequent takeover of reclaimed areas from two companies in Taguig City.
A cease-and-desist order was earlier issued against the companies for illegal land reclamation and garbage-dumping activities in Taguig area.
In a news statement, the LLDA said the cease-and-desist order was issued by LLDA General Manager Joey Medina against IPM Construction and Development Corp. and Level up Construction on June 14 to stop the dump-and-fill activities of the two firms.
Charges were also filed against the two companies for violation of Republic Act 4850, the law that created the LLDA, in connection with the illegal land-reclamation activities. Separate charges were also filed for violation of Republic Act 9003 and Republic Act 9275 or the Clean Water Act.
IPM is accused of illegal land-reclamation activities over a 37-hectare portion of the lake, while Level Up is charged with the same offense covering a 10-hectare in the same area.