Laguna de Bay
Encyclopedia
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake
in the Philippines
and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia
(in terms of surface area) after Tonle Sap
in Cambodia
and Lake Toba
in Sumatra
, Indonesia
. It is on the island of Luzon
between the provinces
of Laguna
to the south and Rizal
to the north. Metro Manila
lies on its western shore. Its surface area is 949 square kilometers and has an average depth of only about 2 meters. The lake is shaped like a stylised 'W', with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore. Between these peninsulas, the middle lobe fills a large volcanic caldera
. Laguna de Bay drains to Manila Bay
via the Pasig River
. The lake is one of the primary sources of freshwater fish in the country.
There is a large island in the lake, Talim Island
, which is under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan
and Cardona
in Rizal province.
is a town in Laguna province, along the south shore of the lake.
In the pre-Hispanic era, the lake was known as "Puliran Kasumuran
" (Laguna Copperplate Inscription. 900 AD), and later by "Pulilan" (Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala.1613. Pila, Laguna
).
) is believed to have been formed by two major volcanic eruptions, around 1 million and 27,000-29,000 years ago. Remnants of its volcanic history are shown by the presence of maars at the southern end of Talim Island
.
Laguna de Bay is a large shallow freshwater body in the heart of Luzon Island with an aggregate area of 911.36 km² and a shoreline of 220 kilometers. It is considered to be the third largest inland body of water in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by the province of Laguna in the east, west and southwest, the province of Rizal
in the north to northeast, and Metropolitan Manila in the northwest. The lake has an average depth of 2.8 meters and its excess water is discharged through the Pasig river
.The enormous caldera of Laguna Lake is actually a 930 square kilometer caldera. The southern and eastern portions of Metro Manila
occupy a huge portion of its watershed.The potential super volcano last erupted 28000 years ago with a colossal to mega colossal force of VEI 8.
The lake is fed by 45000 square kilometres (17,374.6 sq mi) of catchment areas and its 21 major tributaries. Among these are the Pagsanjan River
which is the source of 35% of the Lake's water, the Sta. Cruz River which is the source of 15% of the Lake's water, the Balanak River, the Marikina River
, the Mangangate River
, the Tunasan River
, the San Pedro River, the Cabuyao River, the San Cristobal River
, the San Juan River
, the Bay
, Calo and Maitem rivers in Bay, the Molawin
, Dampalit river, Dampalit, and Pele river, Pele rivers in Los Baños, the Pangil River
, the Tanay River, the Morong River
, the Siniloan River
, and the Sapang Baho River
.
In order to reduce the flooding along the Pasig River
during the rainy season, peak water flows of the Marikina River
are diverted through the Manggahan Floodway
to Laguna de Bay which then serves as a temporary reservoir. In case the water level on the lake is higher than the Marikina River, the floodway can also reverse the flow.
's (LLDA) Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) division, it revealed that 70% of biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) loadings came from households, 19% from industries, and 11% came from land run-off or erosion (LLDA, 2005).
As far as industries and factories are concerned, there are about 1,481 and increase is expected. Of the said figure, about 695 have wastewater treatment facilities. Despite this, the lake is absorbing huge amounts of pollution from these industries in the forms of discharges of industrial cooling water, toxic spills from barges and transport operations, and hazardous chemicals like lead, mercury, aluminum and cyanide. Based from the said figure, 65% are classified as “pollutive” industries.
The hastened agricultural modernization throughout the region took its toll on the lake. This paved the way for massive and intensified use of chemical based fertilizers and pesticides whose residues eventually find their way to the lake basin. These chemicals induce rapid algal growth in the area that depleted oxygen levels in the water. Hence, oxygen
available to the lake is being used up thereby depleting the available oxygen
for the fish, causing massive fish kills.
As far as domestic wastes are concerned, around 10% of the 4,100 metric tons of waste generated by residents of Metro Manila are dumped into the lake. As reported by the now defunct Metropolitan Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), only 15% of the residents in the area have an effective waste disposal system. Moreover, around 85% of the families living along the shoreline do not have toilets.
Because of the problems facing and threatening the potential of the lake, the then-President Ferdinand Marcos
signed into law Republic Act (RA) 4850, otherwise known as the law creating LLDA. The LLDA is the main agency tasked to oversee the programs that aimed to develop and protect Laguna Lake. Though it started as a mere quasi–government agency with regulatory and proprietary functions, its charter was strengthened by Presidential Decree (PD) 817 in 1975 and by Executive Order (EO) 927 in 1983 to include environmental protection and jurisdiction over the surface waters of the lake basin. In 1993, by virtue of the devolution, the administrative supervision of the LLDA was transferred to the DENR by EO 149.
On January 29, 2008, the Mamamayan Para sa Pagpapanatili ng Pagpapaunlad ng Lawa ng Laguna (Mapagpala) accused the Laguna Lake Development Authority
(LLDA) of the deterioration of Laguna Lake due to multiplication of fish pens beyond the allowable limit.
The system encourages companies to invest in and operate pollution prevention and/or abatement systems in their establishment. Applying the "polluter pays principle
", the system effects direct accountability for damage inflicted on the integrity of the Laguna de Bay region thereby encouraging individuals and business establishments to internalize into their decision-making process the environmental impacts of their day-to-day activities. The EUFS covers all enterprises in the administrative jurisdiction of LLDA that discharge wastewater in the Laguna de Bay system. These include commercial and industrial establishments; agro-based industries and establishments (such as swine farms and slaughterhouses); clustered dwellings (i.e., residential subdivisions); and domestic households
Under the EUFS, a firm is required to secure a discharge permit which is renewed annually at the LLDA. The discharge permit effectively allows the firm to discharge its wastewater to the lake or through its main tributaries. The discharge permit gives the establishment a legal right to dispose their waste water in the Laguna de Bay region. Wastewater is basically sewage, storm water, and water used around the community, including firms.
Domestic wastewater includes black water, or wastewater from toilets, and gray water, which is wastewater from all sources except toilets. Black water and gray water have different characteristics, but both contain pollutants and disease-causing agents that require monitoring. Nondomestic wastewater is generated by offices, businesses, department stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, farms, manufacturers, and other commercial, industrial, and institutional entities. Storm water is a nonresidential source and carries trash and other pollutants from streets, as well as pesticides and fertilizers from yards and fields.
According to the Clean Water Act of 2004, the DENR (through the LLDA) shall
The technical aspect regarding the quality of wastewater is given in DENR Administrative Order 1990-35. The order defines the critical water parameters’ value versus the classification of the body of water (e.g., lake or river). Discharge permits are issued by the LLDA only if the wastewater being discharged complied with the said order.
The EUF is paid for the amount of pollution that is discharged into the tributary rivers in the Laguna de Bay region. It is composed of a fixed fee and a variable fee. The fixed fee covers the administrative cost implementing the Environmental Users Fee System and is based on the volume of wastewater that is discharged.
According to LLDA Board Resolution 33, as amended, the fixed fee is different for those firms that discharge wastewater without or with heavy metals.
Wastewater without heavy metals:
Wastewater with heavy metals:
The fixed fee also depends on the volume of wastewater discharged. For a firm that discharges wastewater without heavy metals, the fee is PhP 24,000 if the discharge is more than 150 m3 per day, PhP 16,000 if the discharge is between 30 to 150 m3 per day, and PhP 8,000 if the discharge volume is less than 30 m3 per day. Those firms that discharge wastewater with heavy metals pay higher fixed fees. The fee is PhP 12,000 for a firm that discharge less than 150 m3 of wastewater with heavy metals per day and PhP 24,000 if the discharge is more than 150 m3 per day.
The variable fee is calculated with the reference to the biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD5) loading as well as to the volume and concentration of the wastewater being discharged. According to the same policy, the variable fees is PhP 30 per kilogram of total BOD5 when the BOD5 concentration is less than 50 milligrams per liter and PhP 30 per kilogram of total BOD5 when the BOD5 concentration is greater that 50 milligrams per liter.
For example, the traditional cure for a child constantly experiencing nose bleed in Victoria, Laguna is to have the child submerge his or her head in the lake water at daybreak.
When nipa hut
s were more common, huts made in the lake area were constructed out of bamboo that would first be cured in the waters of Laguna Lake.
Some experts on the evolution of local mythologies suggest that the legend of Mariang Makiling may have started out as that of the Lady (Ba'i) of Laguna de Bay, before the legend was transmuted to Mount Makiling
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
(in terms of surface area) after Tonle Sap
Tonlé Sap
The Tonlé Sap is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia.The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997....
in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Lake Toba
Lake Toba
Lake Toba is a lake and supervolcano. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about , the lake stretches from to...
in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is on the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
between the provinces
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Laguna
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
to the south and Rizal
Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,...
to the north. Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
lies on its western shore. Its surface area is 949 square kilometers and has an average depth of only about 2 meters. The lake is shaped like a stylised 'W', with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore. Between these peninsulas, the middle lobe fills a large volcanic caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
. Laguna de Bay drains to Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
via the Pasig River
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
. The lake is one of the primary sources of freshwater fish in the country.
There is a large island in the lake, Talim Island
Talim Island
Talim Island is an island in the Philippines.-Features:Talim Island is located at the center of the Laguna de Bay lake under the municipality of Binangonan on the western side and the municipality of Cardona on the eastern side in the province of Rizal...
, which is under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan
Binangonan, Rizal
The Municipality of Binangonan is a first class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 238,931 inhabitants in 38,488 households in census. It has a land area of 64.38 km²....
and Cardona
Cardona, Rizal
Cardona is a 3rd class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 44,942 inhabitants in 7,953 households...
in Rizal province.
Name
"Laguna de Bay" is the Old Spanish term for "Lake of Bay". "Laguna" is the Spanish word for "Lake", and BayBay, Laguna
Bay is a 3rd class also considered as 2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 60,756 inhabitants in 15,194 households...
is a town in Laguna province, along the south shore of the lake.
In the pre-Hispanic era, the lake was known as "Puliran Kasumuran
Laguna Copperplate Inscription
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the earliest known written document found in the Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by a sand laborer working on Lumbang River near the outlet to Laguna de Bay, in Barangay Wawa, Lumban, in the Laguna province.The inscription on the plate was first...
" (Laguna Copperplate Inscription. 900 AD), and later by "Pulilan" (Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala.1613. Pila, Laguna
Pila, Laguna
Pila is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 44,227 people in 7,750 households...
).
Geography
Laguna de Bay (also the Laguna CalderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
) is believed to have been formed by two major volcanic eruptions, around 1 million and 27,000-29,000 years ago. Remnants of its volcanic history are shown by the presence of maars at the southern end of Talim Island
Talim Island
Talim Island is an island in the Philippines.-Features:Talim Island is located at the center of the Laguna de Bay lake under the municipality of Binangonan on the western side and the municipality of Cardona on the eastern side in the province of Rizal...
.
Laguna de Bay is a large shallow freshwater body in the heart of Luzon Island with an aggregate area of 911.36 km² and a shoreline of 220 kilometers. It is considered to be the third largest inland body of water in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by the province of Laguna in the east, west and southwest, the province of Rizal
Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,...
in the north to northeast, and Metropolitan Manila in the northwest. The lake has an average depth of 2.8 meters and its excess water is discharged through the Pasig river
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
.The enormous caldera of Laguna Lake is actually a 930 square kilometer caldera. The southern and eastern portions of Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
occupy a huge portion of its watershed.The potential super volcano last erupted 28000 years ago with a colossal to mega colossal force of VEI 8.
The lake is fed by 45000 square kilometres (17,374.6 sq mi) of catchment areas and its 21 major tributaries. Among these are the Pagsanjan River
Pagsanjan River
The Pagsanjan River , on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, is a river system that flows through the towns of Lumban, Pagsanjan, and Cavinti...
which is the source of 35% of the Lake's water, the Sta. Cruz River which is the source of 15% of the Lake's water, the Balanak River, the Marikina River
Marikina River
The San Mateo - Marikina River is a main river system in Eastern Metro Manila, Philippines. A river stretching from Rodriguez, Rizal, to Pasig City that connects to Pasig River as major tributary near Napindan Area in Pasig City.San Mateo - Marikina River used to be an important transport route...
, the Mangangate River
Mangangate River
The Mangangate River , also referred to as the Alabang-Cupang River, is a river system in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay....
, the Tunasan River
Tunasan River
The Tunasan River , also referred to as the Tunasan-Cuyab River, is a river system in the Philippines. This river begins in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and ends 9 kilometers later at the border of Muntinlupa City, and San Pedro, Laguna. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay...
, the San Pedro River, the Cabuyao River, the San Cristobal River
San Cristobal River
The San Cristobal River is a river system in Calamba City, Philippines. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay....
, the San Juan River
San Juan River (Calamba)
The San Juan River is a river system in Calamba City, Philippines. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay and is regularly monitored by the Laguna Lake Development Authority through one of its 15 river monitoring stations.Along with the San Cristobal River, it is one of the two major...
, the Bay
Bay River
The Bay River , also known as the Sapang River or the San Nicolas River, is a river system in Bay, Laguna. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay and is the more southern of two small rivers that hem the town proper of Bay.The other is the Calo River , another Laguna de Bay tributary,...
, Calo and Maitem rivers in Bay, the Molawin
Molawin River
The Molawin River, also referred to as the Molawin Creek, is one of the many low volume flowing rocky streams crisscrossing the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños and some areas of the town of Los Baños...
, Dampalit river, Dampalit, and Pele river, Pele rivers in Los Baños, the Pangil River
Pangil River
The Pangil River , also known as the Bambang Hari River, is a river system that runs through Pangil, Laguna in the Philippines. It is one of 21 River tributaries of Laguna de Bay and is regularly monitored by the Laguna Lake Development Authority through one of its 15 river monitoring stations.The...
, the Tanay River, the Morong River
Morong River
The Morong River , also referred to as the Morong-Teresa River, is a river system in Rizal, Philippines. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay...
, the Siniloan River
Siniloan River
The Siniloan River , also known as the Romelo River, is a river system that runs through Siniloan, Laguna on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines...
, and the Sapang Baho River
Sapang Baho River
The Sapang Baho River is a river system that runs through Rizal Province and Marikina City in the Philippines. The name, when literally translated, means "smelly creek." It is one of 21 River tributaries of Laguna de Bay and is regularly monitored by the Laguna Lake Development Authority through...
.
Uses
The lake is a multipurpose resource. It is a navigation lane for passenger boats, source of water for a nearby hydroelectric power plant, food support for the growing duck industry, aquaculture, recreation, fishery, flood control, source of irrigation water and a "virtual" cistern for domestic, agricultural, and industrial effluents. Because of its importance in the development of the Laguna de Bay Region, unlike in other lakes in the country, its water quality and general condition are closely monitored. This important water resource has been greatly affected by development pressures like population growth, rapid industrialization, and resources allocation.In order to reduce the flooding along the Pasig River
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
during the rainy season, peak water flows of the Marikina River
Marikina River
The San Mateo - Marikina River is a main river system in Eastern Metro Manila, Philippines. A river stretching from Rodriguez, Rizal, to Pasig City that connects to Pasig River as major tributary near Napindan Area in Pasig City.San Mateo - Marikina River used to be an important transport route...
are diverted through the Manggahan Floodway
Manggahan Floodway
The Manggahan Floodway is an artificially constructed waterway in Metro Manila, the Philippines. The floodway was built in 1986, with the cost of 1.1 billion pesos, in order to reduce the flooding along the Pasig River during the rainy season, by diverting the peak water flows of the Marikina...
to Laguna de Bay which then serves as a temporary reservoir. In case the water level on the lake is higher than the Marikina River, the floodway can also reverse the flow.
Environmental issues
Government data showed that about 60% of the estimated 8.4 million people residing in the Laguna de Bay Region discharge their solid and liquid wastes indirectly to the lake through its tributaries. A large percentage of these wastes are mainly agricultural while the rest are either domestic or industrial According to DENR (1997), domestic and industrial wastes contribute almost equally at 30% each. Meanwhile, agricultural wastes take up the remaining 40%. In a recent sensitivity waste load model ran by the Laguna Lake Development AuthorityLaguna Lake Development Authority
The Philippines' Laguna Lake Development Authority abbreviated as LLDA is one of the attached agencies of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources responsible in the preservation, development and sustainability of the Laguna de Bay and its 21 major tributary rivers.- History...
's (LLDA) Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) division, it revealed that 70% of biochemical oxygen demand
Biochemical oxygen demand
Biochemical oxygen demand or B.O.D. is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The term also refers to a chemical procedure for...
(BOD) loadings came from households, 19% from industries, and 11% came from land run-off or erosion (LLDA, 2005).
As far as industries and factories are concerned, there are about 1,481 and increase is expected. Of the said figure, about 695 have wastewater treatment facilities. Despite this, the lake is absorbing huge amounts of pollution from these industries in the forms of discharges of industrial cooling water, toxic spills from barges and transport operations, and hazardous chemicals like lead, mercury, aluminum and cyanide. Based from the said figure, 65% are classified as “pollutive” industries.
The hastened agricultural modernization throughout the region took its toll on the lake. This paved the way for massive and intensified use of chemical based fertilizers and pesticides whose residues eventually find their way to the lake basin. These chemicals induce rapid algal growth in the area that depleted oxygen levels in the water. Hence, oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
available to the lake is being used up thereby depleting the available oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
for the fish, causing massive fish kills.
As far as domestic wastes are concerned, around 10% of the 4,100 metric tons of waste generated by residents of Metro Manila are dumped into the lake. As reported by the now defunct Metropolitan Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), only 15% of the residents in the area have an effective waste disposal system. Moreover, around 85% of the families living along the shoreline do not have toilets.
Because of the problems facing and threatening the potential of the lake, the then-President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
signed into law Republic Act (RA) 4850, otherwise known as the law creating LLDA. The LLDA is the main agency tasked to oversee the programs that aimed to develop and protect Laguna Lake. Though it started as a mere quasi–government agency with regulatory and proprietary functions, its charter was strengthened by Presidential Decree (PD) 817 in 1975 and by Executive Order (EO) 927 in 1983 to include environmental protection and jurisdiction over the surface waters of the lake basin. In 1993, by virtue of the devolution, the administrative supervision of the LLDA was transferred to the DENR by EO 149.
On January 29, 2008, the Mamamayan Para sa Pagpapanatili ng Pagpapaunlad ng Lawa ng Laguna (Mapagpala) accused the Laguna Lake Development Authority
Laguna Lake Development Authority
The Philippines' Laguna Lake Development Authority abbreviated as LLDA is one of the attached agencies of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources responsible in the preservation, development and sustainability of the Laguna de Bay and its 21 major tributary rivers.- History...
(LLDA) of the deterioration of Laguna Lake due to multiplication of fish pens beyond the allowable limit.
The Environmental User Fee System
To realize the objectives of the creation of LLDA, the agency implemented policies to curb the possibility of stressing the lake’s assimilative capacity. The most recent policy was the Environmental User Fee System (EUFS). The EUFS was implemented by virtue of LLDA Board Resolution 22 in 1996. The objective of the policy was to “…(reduce) the pollution loading in to the Laguna de Bay by enjoining all discharges of liquid wastes to internalize the cost of environmental degradation…”. Formally, the said board resolution aptly defined the EUFS as a “market–based” policy instrument aimed at reducing the pollution loading in the lake. As such, companies found to have unusually high concentration of pollutants in their emissions, need to pay fines or lake “user–fees”.The system encourages companies to invest in and operate pollution prevention and/or abatement systems in their establishment. Applying the "polluter pays principle
Polluter pays principle
In environmental law, the polluter pays principle is enacted to make the party responsible for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment. It is regarded as a regional custom because of the strong support it has received in most Organisation for...
", the system effects direct accountability for damage inflicted on the integrity of the Laguna de Bay region thereby encouraging individuals and business establishments to internalize into their decision-making process the environmental impacts of their day-to-day activities. The EUFS covers all enterprises in the administrative jurisdiction of LLDA that discharge wastewater in the Laguna de Bay system. These include commercial and industrial establishments; agro-based industries and establishments (such as swine farms and slaughterhouses); clustered dwellings (i.e., residential subdivisions); and domestic households
Under the EUFS, a firm is required to secure a discharge permit which is renewed annually at the LLDA. The discharge permit effectively allows the firm to discharge its wastewater to the lake or through its main tributaries. The discharge permit gives the establishment a legal right to dispose their waste water in the Laguna de Bay region. Wastewater is basically sewage, storm water, and water used around the community, including firms.
Domestic wastewater includes black water, or wastewater from toilets, and gray water, which is wastewater from all sources except toilets. Black water and gray water have different characteristics, but both contain pollutants and disease-causing agents that require monitoring. Nondomestic wastewater is generated by offices, businesses, department stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, farms, manufacturers, and other commercial, industrial, and institutional entities. Storm water is a nonresidential source and carries trash and other pollutants from streets, as well as pesticides and fertilizers from yards and fields.
According to the Clean Water Act of 2004, the DENR (through the LLDA) shall
“implement a wastewater charge system in all management areas including the Laguna Lake region and Regional Industrial Centers through the collection of wastewater charges/fees. The system shall be established on the basis of payment to the government for discharging wastewater into the water bodies. Wastewater charges shall be established taking into consideration the following: a) to provide strong economic inducement for polluters to modify their production or management processes or to invest in pollution control technology in order to reduce the amount of water pollutants generated; b) to cover the cost of administering water quality management or improvement programs, including the cost of administering the discharge permitting and water pollution charge system; c) reflect damages caused by water pollution on the surrounding environment, including the cost of rehabilitation; d) type of pollutant; e) classification of the receiving water body; and f) other special attributes of the water body.”
The technical aspect regarding the quality of wastewater is given in DENR Administrative Order 1990-35. The order defines the critical water parameters’ value versus the classification of the body of water (e.g., lake or river). Discharge permits are issued by the LLDA only if the wastewater being discharged complied with the said order.
The EUF is paid for the amount of pollution that is discharged into the tributary rivers in the Laguna de Bay region. It is composed of a fixed fee and a variable fee. The fixed fee covers the administrative cost implementing the Environmental Users Fee System and is based on the volume of wastewater that is discharged.
According to LLDA Board Resolution 33, as amended, the fixed fee is different for those firms that discharge wastewater without or with heavy metals.
Wastewater without heavy metals:
| Fee | Volume of Wastewater Discharge |
|---|---|
| PhP 24,000 | More than 150 m3 per day |
| PhP 16,000 | Between 30 and 150 m3 per day |
| PhP 8,000 | Less than 30 m3 per day |
Wastewater with heavy metals:
| Fee | Volume of Wastewater Discharge |
|---|---|
| PhP 12,000 | Less than 150 m3 per day |
| PhP 24,000 | More than 150 m3 per day |
The fixed fee also depends on the volume of wastewater discharged. For a firm that discharges wastewater without heavy metals, the fee is PhP 24,000 if the discharge is more than 150 m3 per day, PhP 16,000 if the discharge is between 30 to 150 m3 per day, and PhP 8,000 if the discharge volume is less than 30 m3 per day. Those firms that discharge wastewater with heavy metals pay higher fixed fees. The fee is PhP 12,000 for a firm that discharge less than 150 m3 of wastewater with heavy metals per day and PhP 24,000 if the discharge is more than 150 m3 per day.
The variable fee is calculated with the reference to the biochemical oxygen demand
Biochemical oxygen demand
Biochemical oxygen demand or B.O.D. is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The term also refers to a chemical procedure for...
(BOD5) loading as well as to the volume and concentration of the wastewater being discharged. According to the same policy, the variable fees is PhP 30 per kilogram of total BOD5 when the BOD5 concentration is less than 50 milligrams per liter and PhP 30 per kilogram of total BOD5 when the BOD5 concentration is greater that 50 milligrams per liter.
Cultural impact
Laguna lake has had a significant impact on the cultures of the communities that grew up around its shores, ranging from folk medicine to architecture.For example, the traditional cure for a child constantly experiencing nose bleed in Victoria, Laguna is to have the child submerge his or her head in the lake water at daybreak.
When nipa hut
Nipa Hut
The nipa hut also known as bahay kubo, is an indigenous house used in the Philippines. The native house has traditionally been constructed with bamboo tied together and covered with a thatched roof using nipa/anahaw leaves....
s were more common, huts made in the lake area were constructed out of bamboo that would first be cured in the waters of Laguna Lake.
Some experts on the evolution of local mythologies suggest that the legend of Mariang Makiling may have started out as that of the Lady (Ba'i) of Laguna de Bay, before the legend was transmuted to Mount Makiling
Mount Makiling
Mount Makiling, also rarely Mount Maquiling, is a potentially active volcano in Laguna province on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It rises to 1,090 m above mean sea level.-Legend:...
.
External links
- http://www.bayrotary.org
- History of Pila: A Secular and Spiritual History of the Town 900 A.D. to Present
- http://www.llda.gov.ph
- http://www.denr.gov.ph