NARBO

Amidst the development of technologies geared towards successful implementation of integrated water resource management program, the active involvement and participation of the stakeholder groups remain to be the major factor that IWRM practitioners should look deeply into.

Important Features of Laguna de Bay

Laguna de Bay or popularly known as Laguna Lake, is located at the center of the country’s key agro-industrial development zone – also known as the CALABARZON. With a surface area of 900 km2 (90,000 hectares) and a shoreline of 285 km, it is considered as the largest fresh water lake in the Philippines and one of the largest in South East Asia. The 2,290 km² watershed area cover sixty-six (66) Municipalities from five (5) provinces and the highly urbanized Metro Manila area. To date more than 10 million people live within the watershed area that directly or indirectly affect the general condition of the lake.

For a long time, the lake is used predominantly for aquaculture purposes. Commercial and subsistence fishing (for small fisherfolks) are common sights the whole year round. However, thru time other uses have been identified catering to the needs and activities of the various stakeholder groups in the region.

The lake is used for cooling purposes by the industries around the lake. On the other hand, farmers utilize the lake for irrigation and also for recreation purposes. The CBK Power Co., Ltd, a hydro power company, uses the water from the lake to operate its plant. It is also used as a transport route by local merchants and ferry operators.

Located within a highly industrialized and populated area, the lake itself is faced with problems and threats posed by human and industrial activities.  While soil erosion, sedimentation and flooding bring in great loss in terms of biological and physiological aspects, the consolation is that it these are prodded by nature.

On one hand, problems brought resulting from human activities such as encroachment of shoreland areas, illegal aquaculture structures and water pollution are quite alarming unless cooperation, commitment and support are elicited from the concerned stakeholders.

In 1966, the Philippine Congress passed a Law that created the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) as a Government Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC). By virtue of Republic Act 4850, LLDA was vested with developmental, regulatory and propriety functions. The powers and mandate were later on expanded and strengthened to include environmental protection and jurisdiction over the lake basin’s surface water thru the issuance of Presidential Decree 813 (1975) and Executive Order 927 (1983).

The task of managing an important resource such as the Laguna de Bay is a challenge the LLDA continue to face. All through out its existence, the agency formulate plans and policies that geared towards the protection and sustainable management of the lake resources. Such policies and plans are translated into programs and projects that address the identified problems in an integrated manner.

The Environmental User Fee System:  A pioneer market based instrument for pollution control and abatement in the Philippines. The EUF is a fee paid for every unit of pollution that is discharged into the lake or its tributaries.

The Adoption of Zoning Management Plan: The program to address the issue on proliferation of illegal structures and the threat on carrying capacity of the lake. Described as a highly feasible management system for equitable allocation of fishery resources, the areas allotted for fishpens and fishcages are limited to 10,000 and 5,000 hectares respectively.

The Shoreland Management Program : The program aims to control the continuous encroachment and illegal occupancy of informal settlers by implanting guidelines on use/occupancy and lease of the shoreland or bufferzone.

The River Rehabilitation Program: Combining a scientific basin approach to watershed protection and engagement of community support and participation. It is considered as a model in multi-sector /multi-agency approach that paved the way to the organization of network of volunteers in River Rehabilitation Councils and the Environmental Army.

The LISCOP Project :  The Laguna de Bay Institutional Strengthening and Community Participation (LISCOP) Project is really a challenge to the Authority for a number of reasons. It is the first time that LLDA implement a co-financing project that is performance based. The project is funded partly by a loan from the World Bank, a complementary grant from the Netherlands Government, provision of equity from the LLDA and the Local Government Unit. LISCOP provide means of implementing project that addresses pressing environmental problems.

The tools developed by the LLDA to ensure that the programs are successfully implanted on the ground. These are scientifically based and input oriented. These include :

The development of the Decision Support System (DSS) enables to increase management’s understanding of the relations between users of water system and system itself. The DSS is an integrated research efforts in different scientific discipline and translated reports for the information of the management.

The Waste Load Model provides information on waste load contribution on surface water within each basin.

Upgrading of permitting (on line application) , monitoring and enforcement system

Web-Based Mapping System – Laguna de Bay Resource Information System (LDBRIS)

Looking at the tools identified above and correlating them with the respective LLDA programs and projects, clearly necessitates the involvement of concerned stakeholder group/s.

Recognizing that the stakeholders are integral part of the watershed and the vital roles they play in the efforts to implement a water resource program, the LLDA started a shift in its strategy. From a purely regulatory agency, the agency reached out to the different sectors within its jurisdiction.

Established in 2003, the Eco-Index Network aims to encourage industries to take active part in minimizing adverse impacts to the environment. Jointly convened by the LLDA and the DTI- BOI, the membership is confined among the Industrial Estates in the Laguna, Batangas and Cavite areas. The Network now also serves as the avenue for the LLDA to discuss existing and emerging policies that directly affect the industry sector.

One of the major stakeholder groups in the Laguna de Bay Region is the fishery sector. The fisherfolks is considered as the most affected group in so far as the quality of the lake is concerned.   Ironically, they also contribute a lot to the present condition of the lake since most of them are lakeshore dwellers. This paved the way to the organization of the Laguna de Bay Environmental Army.

It is composed of a core of volunteers mostly fisherfolks and farmers (men and women), properly trained and equipped to lead the physical clean-up of the various rivers and waterways. Together with the river councils , the environmental army become instrumental in relaying the river rehabilitation advocacy of the agency.

The creation of river rehabilitation and protection councils was borne out of the need to sustain the river rehabilitation efforts for each of the 24 subwatersheds . Unlike the partnership established for other programs of the LLDA, the RRPC is composed of all (if possible) major stakeholder groups of a specific sub-watershed.

Considered as a model for multi-sector participation, the RRPC was afforded due recognition by the LLDA as the prime partner it the agency’s various environmental efforts. The passage of LLDA Board Resolution No. 114 in 1999 and Board Resolution No. 167 (federating these River Councils) assured these councils of the LLDA’s commitment and support.

The organization of these River Councils also provides opportunity for the different sectors to interact with each other, specifically their respective Local Government Units on areas of environmental management. The partnership also deepens the community participation and open the opportunity for the Local Government Unit to collaborate with other LGUs with the end in view of improving the management of water resources in the area and the environment as a whole.

On the part of the LLDA, engaging the support and participation of the different stakeholder groups simplify the identification of programs and projects. That is to say, the premise that local communities are more knowledgeable when it comes to problems, issues and corresponding solutions were validated. Furthermore, the implementation of policies and programs of LLDA become easier.

The stakeholders are integral part of any waters resource management program. As experienced by the LLDA, purely regulatory and technical approaches work only to some extent. The fact that more than 10 Million people live within the Laguna de Bay Region, eliciting participation from these groups should be done in parallel with these regulatory and technical approaches.