'Laguna Lake rehab project not just about dredging'

MANILA, Philippines - The Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project is not just about dredging and cleanup, an umbrella group of different people’s organizations stressed yesterday.

Pamana Lawa, representing residents of the province who stand to benefit from the development plan, said those opposing the project are misunderstanding the actual scope of what is going to be done.

The group said the rehabilitation includes other initiatives that will ultimately solve Laguna and even Metro Manila’s flooding problems.

“The safety of residents is the most important here. We are sure that there will be no more flooding, including Metro Manila,” Lawa convener and spokesperson Domeng Gonzaga told The Star in an interview.

He explained that aside from dredging, the rehabilitation would involve the construction of 30-meter wide roads that are 12.5 meters above sea level.

Gonzaga scored how what he tags to as “pabago-bagong sistema” (changing systems) is delaying the project which is supposed to begin this year.

“The development of the Calabarzon (Ca­vite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) area is affected,” he said noting that Laguna is suffering the most.

According to the rehabilitation plan, the project has four main components in so far as scope of work is concerned and dredging is just one of them.

In parallel with the dredging works of the Napindan Channel the construction of suitable ferry stations at strategic locations as dictated by current and projected demographic developments in the involved areas will take place.

The ferry stations will be modeled on the current ferry stations built along the Pasig River and will allow full integration of the offered ferry services with the current ferry services offered along the Pasig River.

The rehabilitation project will also involve the construction of infrastructure for relocation areas in order to allow for the relocation of lake-side based informal settlers.

Dredging will be done to restore critical draught to the Napindan Channel and to enable flood mitigation, water holding capacity and transport services.

While the Napindan Channel, which has a length of around seven kilometers will be deepened, approximately 4,630,000 cubic meters will be dredged from the Laguna Lake.