MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS & COLLEGUES MY WARMEST GREETINGS TO ALL OF YOU! THE PHILIPPINES, PARTICULARLY LAGUNA DE BAY REGION IS NOW THE FOCUS OF MANY OF OUR COUNTRYMEN ON THE ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. IN MANY OF MY TALKS, I FELT THAT THE MESSAGE OF PROTECTING AND CONSERVING IN WHAT IS LEFT OF OUR BEAUTIFUL LAGUNA DE BAY HAVE NOT REGISTERED IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF MY AUDIENCE. IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE TO ME FOR TWO YEARS NOW, WHEN I ASSUMED THE POSITION OF GENERAL MANAGER OF THE LAGUNA LAKE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS & COLLEGUES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS ARE TOPICS THAT ARE NOT ‘SEXY’. OUR STORIES ARE NOT WORTH PRINTING IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER BECAUSE IT LACKS THE QUALITY OF A NEWSPEG. TYPHOONS KETSANA (ONDOY) AND MIRANAE (SANTI) GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL OUR STORIES ABOUT LAGUNA DE BAY’S PRECARIOUS ECOLOGICAL CONDITION. BECAUSE OF MY STATUS NOW AS FAVORITE SUBJECT ‘CELEBRITY’ OF MEDIA, I MADE SURE THAT MY STORIES AND MESSAGES ARE WELL UNDERSTOOD BY PEOPLE LIKE POLITICIANS, PLANNERS AND ORDINARY CITIZENS. MY SIMPLE MESSAGE TO THE POOR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE LAKE: “““BEING“BEING POOR IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO ABUSE THE ENVIRONMENENVIRONMENT".T". MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS & COLLEGUES IN CLOSING, THE SHORT PRESENTATION I HAVE PREPARED, WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN ECONOMIC-SOCIAL-ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIMENT WE HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING, HOPEFULLY TO FORM A CRITICAL MASS OF A COMMANDING VOICE OF PUBLIC OPINION TO PROTECT AND CONSERVE LAGUNA DE BAY. MABUHAY! EDGARDO C. MANDA General Manager Laguna Lake Development Authority THE LAGUNA DE BAY INNOVATIVE APPROACHES ON LAKE CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT By General Manager EDGARDO C. MANDA LAGUNA DE BAY largest lake in the Philippines total surface area = some 900 km2 average depth of the lake is 2.5 meters shoreline length = some 285 kilometers 3 distinct bays, the west bay, central bay, and east bay that converge towards the south. LAGUNA DE BAY WATERSHED Some 100 streams drain into the lake Pasig River is the only outlet of the lake LAGUNA DE BAY WATERSHED watershed area = approx. 3,820 km 2 It cradles a region encompassing 6 provinces, 12 cities, 49 municipalities watershed total human population = about twelve (12) million Landsat Satellite Image taken April 3, 2002 TRANSPORTATION FISHERIES & FISH FARMING WATERWATER USESUSES RECREATION DRINKING WATER SUPPLY HABITAT FOR VARIOUS SPECIES OF BIRDS WATERWATER USESUSES IRRIGATION POWER GENERATION ISSUES & CONCERNS Shoreland encroachment Water pollution Open dumpsites Deforestation & resource extraction THE LAGUNA LAKE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (LLDA) LEGAL FRAMEWORK The LLDA was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 4850 as a government agency with quasi-judicial function to conserve and protect the watershed within the Laguna de Bay Region. LLDA SOURCES OF FUNDS CY 2008 (In Million Pesos ) LLDA OPERATING REVENUE COLLECTION CY 2008 MANPOWER COMPLEMENT Managerial = 16 Technical = 125 Admin Support = 134 INNOVATIVE APPROACHES 1. Using sports and media to raise awareness on the current problems of the lake eco-system. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES 2. Encouraging partnership with top polluters or multinational corporations to support watershed protection & conservation project like Bamboo Forest Program. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES 3. Tripartite partnership with Government, NGO’s and private sector. NEEDS & GAPS 1. Amend the law creating the LLDA to include annual subsidy or budgetary cover under the annual appropriations act of the congress. 2. Community understanding and participation for maintaining the lake’s eco-system. CHALLENGES AFTER TWO DEVASTATING TYPHOONS LAGUNA DE BAY A day after Typhoon Ketsana hit the Laguna de Bay Region 27 September 2009 A TYPICAL LAKESIDE HUMAN SETTLEMENT A RICELAND CONVERTED TO HUMAN SETTLEMENTS CHALLENGES AFTER TWO DEVASTATING TYPHOONS 1. Convince informal settlers (squatters) along the lakeshore to relocate to safer place 2. Full support and cooperation of local government units in the resettlement of informal settlers and provision of livelihood support 3. Review and harmonization of sectoral policies within the watershed 4. Support from the Philippine Senate and the National Government to revise or change existing laws, Executive Orders, Admnistrative Orders and come out with a comprehensive policy and programs on integrated lake basin management. 5. Educating the public to respect Mother Nature as well as on the consequences for not doing so..