Former House Speaker Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano has appealed to the government to put in its priority list the rehabilitation of Laguna Lake that provides livelihood to millions of Filipinos.
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Nanawagan kami sa ating Pangulo na pansinin nang husto ang Laguna Lake, kasi ‘pag sinabi niya, ang mga Gabinete at lahat gagawa at gagawa ng paraan, pero ‘pag wala sa radar ng Malacañang, minsan nakakalimutan,” Cayetano said on the sidelines of his meeting with the delegation of the Philippine-Hungary Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation and the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) last Dec. 4.
(We appeal to the President to give priority to Laguna Lake. When he gives an order, the Cabinet and everyone else will do everything they can to make it happen. But sometimes they forget if it’s not in Malacañang’s radar)
Laguna Lake is said to be the third biggest lake in Southeast Asia and one of the 10 top living lakes in the world.
“Hindi mo naman masisi dahil sa dami (ng dapat gawin) pero ibig kong sabihin, after the presentation, na more than 15 million people around the lake. Magandang proyekto, and win-win ito, mahirap man mayaman, marginalized fishermen, milyonaryong fishpond owner, bata, matanda, makikinabang sa project na ito,” he added.
(We can’t really blame the government because it has a lot of things to do, but this is a good project and will be a win-win solution for 15 million people – the poor and the rich, marginalized fishermen, millionaire fishpond owners, young and old – they will all benefit from this project.)
The JCEC delegation’s site visit to Mercado del Lago last Dec. 4 was initiated by the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA). The site visit was aimed at discussing the proposed projects on the rehabilitation of Laguna Lake and the provision of compact water treatment units for disaster relief operations.
Last October, the Hungarian government “proposed" $30-million worth of assistance to the Philippines for the rehabilitation and water treatment of the Laguna Lake, the biggest lake in the Philippines.
Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, who joined the meeting, described the cleanup of the Laguna Lake as “long overdue.”
“We have to put our money where our mouth is, ‘ika nga. Hindi panay salita; gawin ito... So it’s time to also reassess ngayon ano ‘yung mga priority ni Presidente noong 2016, ano ‘yung mga natupad – at marami naman – at ano naman ‘yung mga medyo napag-iwanan. At isa na diyan ang Laguna Lake,” he said.
(We have to put our money where our mouth is, so to speak. Enough talk, this has to be done. It’s also time to reassess the priorities the President laid down in (his State-of-the-Nation Address) in 2016 – what has been accomplished and what has been left behind. One of these is Laguna Lake)
“Alam kong panahon ng COVID, alam kong marami tayong mga priority, pero kung titingnan mo, Laguna Lake alone, 13,000 fisherfolks and around the Laguna Lake, more than 10 million Filipinos,” he added.
(I know we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I know we have many other priorities, but if you think about it, Laguna Lake alone has 13,000 fisherfolk, and around Laguna Lake there are more than 10 million Filipinos)
Aside from Cayetano and Fernandez, the meeting was attended by Hungarian Ambassador Titanilla Tóth, Philippine-Hungary JCEC co-chair Istvàn Joò, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary and Philippine-Hungary JCEC co-chair Dr. Ceferino S. Rodolfo, and Hungary’s Water Technology Corp. CEO Adrian Kiss, and LLDA General Manager Joey C. Medina.
Cayetano said the government should not only focus on lives and health, but also give due attention to livelihood.
"Ang pagi-invest naman kasi dito (Laguna Lake) ay hindi tapon ng pera eh, investment talaga. Babalik ‘yan sa eco-tourism, sa fisheries,” the former House Speaker said.
(Let’s focus on lives and health, but let us also give attention to livelihood. We aren’t throwing money in investing in Laguna Lake. It will come back in terms of eco-tourism and fisheries)