Laguna de Bay flooding to recede in 5 months

MANILA, Philippines – It would take nearly five months for floodwaters in communities around Laguna de Bay to recede even as over a million residents living around the lake continue to be at great risk of more destructive flooding if rains continue, officials warned yesterday.

Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general manager Edgar Manda raised the alarm over the water levels in the 911-square-kilometer lake that he said could breach the 1919 record of 14.6 meters.

The lake overflowed due to the record rainfall brought by tropical storm “Ondoy.” Many areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces remain underwater.

Authorities blamed the  proliferation of squatters, unchecked subdivision development, deforestation and too much mining as the aggravating factors that worsened the effects of Ondoy and the slow subsiding of floodwaters.

At present, there are already 192 barangays located at the lakeshore that are already under water. Manda warned that more rains could push the floodwaters further inland.

He said the LLDA has already informed the local governments concerned of the rising water level that is already very close to surpassing 1972 levels, the second highest in the history of the lake.

“Based on engineering projections and models, it will take at least 144 days for the water to move back to the lake. Right now from the level of 3.1 billion cubic meters of water inside the lake, we are at the level of 5.7 billion cubic meters of water inside the lake so there’s too much excess water,” Manda told a news briefing.

He said the projection already took into account the rains dumped by typhoon “Pepeng” that lingered in northern Luzon for several days.

At least six more typhoons or weather disturbances are expected to hit the country in the next two months, state weather forecasters said.

Manda also disclosed the LLDA, the National Disaster Coordinating Council, the Metro Manila Development Authority and concerned local government units have given themselves a self-imposed deadline of 72 hours to remove thousands of illegal settlers living in islets in the Napindan Channel and Manggahan floodway to relieve the trapped floodwaters stagnating in various municipalities in Rizal provinces and Marikina City.

From the Manggahan floodway in Pasig City, the floodwaters would then drain to Laguna lake.

Manda, however, said even if the waterways are fully cleared, it would still take months for the water level of Laguna de Bay to settle to its normal levels.

There are six provinces around Laguna lake that include 12 cities, 49 municipalities, and 2,656 barangays. Closest to the lake are 22 towns. The entire watershed area is about 3,820 square kilometers.

Yesterday, President Arroyo visited the towns of Sta. Rosa, Sta. Cruz, Paete, Pakil and Pili in Laguna. –Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)