Reaping the Fruits of Cleared Waterways

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As some informal settlers retrieve what's salvageable of their demolished quarters in Lupang Arenda, other residents are beginning to appreciate the advantage of a cleared waterway. In the past weeks, more than 800 temporary and permanent houses were demolished in the heavily-swamped squatters’ colony in the lakeshores of Taytay

People can freely fish and enjoy the view in what once was an eyesore and tugboats, dugout (lunday), and other water vessels find ease in traversing through the Napindan that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay and the Manggahan Floodway that allows the free flow of water to prevent floods and garbage pileup. Even those whose houses are due for demolition made no exception to this implementation by the Laguna Lake Development Authority.

LLDA General Manager Edgardo C. Manda says that this is the first wave of demolition of illegal settlers living within the declared danger zones. Lupang Arenda residents suffered from heavy and unusual inundation during Typhoon Ondoy. More than a month before Ondoy, LLDA appealed for the strict enforcement of Danger Zones in the lakeshore towns. Local government units were asked to take the lead in relocating illegal and informal settlers on the lakeshore areas.

GM Manda stresses that what seems to be near-impossible was realized with the determination of Vice President Noli de Castro, in cooperation of Taytay Mayor Joric Gacula, the support of the Metro Manila Development Authority, and the assistance of the Philippine National Police. He adds that were it not for the vigilance of the mass media, the decongestion of the declared danger zones would not have been facilitated and brought to fruition before another disaster strikes.