THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Last week, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) celebrated its 54th anniversary.
It was a privilege to become part of the agency, having served as its general manager twice, although just for short periods. I was glad because the celebration focused on a body of water that plays a crucial role in the lives of the people living in the province of Rizal – a privilege they share with the residents of the province of Laguna and the National Capital Region.
The occasion was also an opportunity to reiterate the important place that Laguna de Bay has in our past and our present.
In our past columns, we underscored this: Laguna de Bay has served many inspirational and practical purposes. We noted that the Lake’s long shoreline has seen the birth and emergence of many of our nation’s most revered heroes, artists, and leaders. Perhaps, a few other lakes have inspired more artistry and heroism than this body of water.
For example, at the south end of the lake, our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, must have sat on its sandy shore to reflect on the plight and future of his race. He once wrote:
“I spent many, many hours of my childhood down on the shore of the lake. I was thinking of what was beyond. I was dreaming of what might be over on the other side of the waves.”
It is inspiring to note that “what was beyond” and what was “over on the other side of the waves” was the province that would be named after him.
That same shoreline runs across the town of Pateros and the city of Taguig on the eastern side of Metro Manila. We had previously noted that the founder of the Iglesia ni Cristo, the late Brother Eraño Manalo who was born in Tipas, Taguig, must have once walked, prayed, and reflected along these shores.
On the side of the lake, some of the country’s greatest artists drew inspiration from the beauty of its waters. Among them were the muralist Carlos “Botong” Francisco, the painter Vicente Manansala, and composer Maestro Lucio San Pedro.
What is in the waters of Laguna de Bay that can bring out the leadership, heroism, and exceptional creativity of some of the greatest Filipinos who once lived along its shoreline?
In addition to its inspirational value, the lake continues to provide practical benefits – water for household use, for example.
The lake has been tapped to provide several towns of Rizal province with a steady supply of clean water. It will be recalled that several years ago, the joint initiative of the province of Rizal and the Manila Water Corporation (MWC) was established called the Rizal Province Water Supply Improvement Project. It is now benefitting close to half a million residents.
The west-end portion of the lake has also been tapped by the country’s largest private water concessionaire – Maynilad Water Service, Inc. The company supplies water to some nine million customers. Ten percent of what it supplies to them comes from Laguna de Bay.
The role that the lake plays in our lives has not changed and will not change for the next so many decades.
This is why in my message at the LLDA anniversary celebration, I said that Laguna de Bay continues to call us; continues to challenge us; and continues to remind us – of what we are capable of; of what we can be; of what can become as a community, and as a nation.
The biggest call, reminder, and challenge to us today is this: To find ways to use the lake and its waters following the highest level of collaboration possible.
One of my biggest realizations when I was the general manager of LLDA was this: that the lake is the object of competing interests – interests that are valid and legitimate.
I realized that the lake and its waters are like a mother with many offspring vying for her milk, her care, and her attention.
More than ever, today, we have come to appreciate that the water of the lake is an extremely scarce resource; and, that if we are to enjoy its blessings, we have to commit to walking on the path of collaboration.
Today, the lake has become crucial to our survival. We are grateful that there is an LLDA to make sure that, in our bid to survive, we do not deplete the wealth of natural resources God has blessed her with. ([email protected])