Technical committee formed for Laguna expressway dike project

President Benigno Aquino III has ordered the creation an Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) in relation to the implementation of the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project (LLEDP).

Signed on March 22, Executive Order (EO) No. 202 states that the IATC shall be composed of technical representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Laguna Lake Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Philippine Reclamation Authority.

The IATC shall “ensure that all aspects of the LLEDP, including the relocation of the LLEDP-affected inhabitants, waste management, reclamation, environmental protection, property development, and construction, are consistent with the requirements of all applicable laws, rules and regulations,” the order said.

Under the EO, the IATC shall also “assist the DPWH and LLDA in the implementation of the LLEDP and in resolving issues arising from the implementation of the LLEDP.”

The LLEDP is one of the public-private partnership (PPP) projects of the Aquino government.

It is envisioned to provide a “high standard highway cum dike” that will cut travel time from Bicutan in Metro Manila to Los Baños in Laguna from 90 to 35 minutes.

According to the DPWH, the project will also mitigate flooding in western coastal communities along Laguna Lake.

The total cost for the project is at P122.811 billion. Of the amount, P57.897 billion will be for the reclamation, and P64.914 billion will be for the expressway dike. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ, GMA News