The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc have asked the House of Representatives to investigate the P122.8-billion Laguna Lake Expressway Dike Project (LLEDP), which is allegedly being implemented without public consultation.
In House Resolution 29, the legislators, led by Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao said the House Committees on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources, Natural Resources and Ecology, and Southern Tagalog Development should look into the socioeconomic impact of the LLEDP.
“The Kilusang Mamalakaya ng Pilipinas [Pamalakaya–Pilipinas] argued that the LLEDP has been planned and is now being carried out against the sentiments of affected and concerned sectors who fear that the project would cause the massive dislocation of communities and the loss of livelihood of poor sectors,” Casilao said.
Other authors of the resolution are Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Gabriela Party-List Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Party-list Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.
According to Casilao, the LLEDP would include a 47-kilometer expressway dike from Taguig City to Los Baños with two sections, namely Bicutan to Calamba and Calamba to Los Baños.
Aside from the dike, a 700-hectare reclamation area from Taguig to Muntinlupa City will also be part of the project.
“The estimated cost for the construction of the expressway dike is P122.811 billion, excluding the P2.1-billion government support funding for right-of-way,” said de Jesus.
The full implementation of the LLEDP would involve massive reclamation to supposedly aid traffic flow and mitigate flooding in the western coastal communities along Laguna Lake.
On the contrary, Pamalakaya–Pilipinas reported that the project would directly affect 18 villages in the National Capital Region, 32 villages in the Southern Tagalog region or at least a million people living onthe shores of Laguna Lake.
“When the Pamalakaya-Pilipinas and Save Laguna Lake Movement (SLLM) surveyed the affected areas, it showed that the project would endanger the lives and safety of the population along the lake. It will also practically destroy the lake, thereby threatening the food security in Metro Manila and heighten the risk of flooding,” said Zarate.
The two groups are requesting for the termination of the LLEDP, the rehabilitation of Laguna Lake, the cancelation of reclamation and privatization projects, and the protection of rights of the fishermen and other affected sectors.
Castro and Tinio said the LLEDP would violate the right to livelihood of a great number of fishermen, workers, and urban poor. They added that the project would compromise the multimillion-peso fisheries sector.
“Fish-pen and fish-cage operations have long served as sources of income for fishermen. Furthermore, the Laguna Lake also provides economic activities, such as the marketing of fish products, consignations, retailing, wholesaling for food processing, fast food and restaurant businesses,” Elago said.