Check illegal reclamation, DENR asked

MANILA, Philippines — As a barangay in Biñan City, Laguna remains flooded even during dry weather, fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to check on illegal reclamation projects in Laguna de Bay.

Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya chair, said a creek in Barangay dela Paz disappeared following the reclamation.

“The local government unit wants expansion of land, that’s why it was involved in the reclamation project. But the residents were affected as the creek was covered,” Hicap said in an interview with The STAR yesterday.

He claimed that flooding in Dela Paz affects 20,000 residents as he warned that the problem could get worse during the rainy season.

“It has been an issue for years. The DENR, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and even the Laguna Lake Development Authority, which is now under the Office of the President, should act on this,” Hicap said.

Hicap added that the flooding in low-lying areas will worsen amid the impact of climate change.