Fishers to LLDA: Back off from water deal with Maynilad

MANILA, Philippines — Two groups of fisherfolk urged the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) on Friday to back off from a looming deal with Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) to tap Laguna Lake as a water source. MWSI needs water from Laguna Lake to supply the cities of Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Bacoor in Cavite province. But the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and the multisectoral group Save Laguna Lake Movement (SLLM) said the project could worsen the sorry state of the country’s biggest lake. Although the LLDA is authorized under Republic Act 4850 to issue permits for the use and abstraction of lake water, it is not authorized to perform acts that are deemed to destroy the ecological balance and very nature of Laguna Lake, Pamalakaya and SLLM said in a joint statement. “The LLDA is not authorized to sell Laguna Lake and change its orientation and social purpose in the name of corporate interests, accumulation of capital and vested interests of people in and out of Malacañang," said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap. “The LLDA general manager has no option but to back off from the LLDA-Maynilad deal and rescind whatever written or verbal agreement the lake authority had entered into with the Lopez-owned water utility," added Hicap, who is also the national convener of SLLM. Hicap said Maynilad’s plan to extract 300 million liters per day from Laguna Lake is extremely dangerous to the lake environment. He said the proposal will entail the closure of Napindan Hydraulic control system, preventing the entry of salt water from Manila Bay. He said fish species in Laguna Lake requires the mixing of salt and fresh water to spawn and survive. “We strongly urge (LLDA general manager Edgar) Manda and the LLDA authorities to refrain from further privatizing and converting the lake for the purpose of Jurassic model of development, super profiteering and fat returns of commissions and kickbacks. The LLDA is hereby prevented by national interest from entering into a contract that constitutes sell-out and all-out destruction of people’s livelihood and environment," said Pamalakaya. Maynilad’s plan is like a death certificate to Laguna Lake, killing not only the livelihood of more than 500,000 people engaged in fish capture and fish culture activities. He said it will also endanger the fish supply and the fish need of millions of people in the National Capital Region, Laguna and Rizal provinces. Pamalakaya and SLLM said despite of the present sorry state of Laguna Lake as Southeast Asia’s second largest lake, it is capable of producing at least 50,000 metric tons of fish per year, enough to addressthe fish requirement of not less than 10 million people. Citing the study conducted by the Netherlands government for the LLDA, it said Laguna De Bay, being the largest lake in the Philippines and strategically located in the heart of Calabarzon region, is the most viable source of water for Metro Manila’s west zone. Maynilad, which is authorized water concessionaire of the Manila Water Sewerage System (MWSS) for the western part of Metro Manila, said the proposed plan if approved will enable the Lopez water utility firm to supply water to the remaining 29 percent covered by its agreement with MWSS in the West Zone area. At present, Maynilad renders water supply to about 703,519 customers, or only 71 percent of its total concession area. The rest of the west zone does not have enough water supply — mainly comprising the areas of Muntinlupa, Parañaque, and Las Piñas. The LLDA said if it gives the go signal Maynilad will take over operations of the existing water treatment plant in Putatan, Muntinlupa, which currently extracts 180,000 cubic meters per month of lake water and then supplies it to the Ayala Alabang subdivision for the residents’ domestic use. Maynilad will gradually implement the 300-million-liters-per-day extraction of water from the Lake. The first 100 million liters per day will be made available to the west zone of Metro Manila in 2010 and then water extraction will be increased to 200 million liters in 2011, and then 300 million liters per day by 2014. - GMANews.TV