Posted on July 28, 2025
LAGUNA — Severe flooding during heavy rain or storms remains a persistent problem for residents of Barangay Dela Paz in Biñan City
This is the same issue faced by neighboring barangays such as Malaban and San Josef.
These barangays are located near the shores of Laguna de Bay, which has become shallow due to mud and silt accumulation and prone to overflowing.
At the home of Merlinda Escobilla, floodwaters have reached chest level. Fortunately, their house has a second floor where she and her husband, who is a stroke patient, can stay safely. However, the flooding has severely impacted her livelihood.
“Hindi po kami makakilos, pagluluto namin,nasa ibaba kami ,talagang dahan-dahan po ang kilos,” said Escobilla.
Flooding is also a burden for students. Many are forced to spend part of their limited budget on boat rides just to get out of their barangay.
“Sa bangka po P20-P30 eh syempre sa estudyante mabigat po. Kailangan po naming lumikas talaga” said student Erica Habdusan, who is also a Sangguniang Kabataan official.
According to Biñan City Rep. Arman Dimaguila, a former mayor, flood-related damage in Barangays Dela Paz and Malaban alone reaches between P50 million and P100 million each year.
“Nadisrupt ang ekonomiya ng Binan, ang negosyo hihina” the congressman said.
And it’s not just Biñan City. Almost every barangay in towns and cities surrounding Laguna de Bay—including Muntinlupa and Taguig in Metro Manila, and towns in Rizal province—suffers from recurring floods caused by the overflowing lake.
“Kami po ang magsa-suffer talaga niyan dahil kami po ang pinakamababa ang pwesto, lumalaki po ang Laguna Lake,” Dimaguila said.
INCREASING LAKE CAPACITY
According to the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), the lake’s water level has already reached a critical point due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong.
“Nasa around 2.5 meters po ang average na lalim niyan mula sa lakebed,” said engineer Randy Añonuevo, OIC – Division Chief III of the LLDA’s Project Management and Evaluation Division.
He said the lake has become shallower — it used to be 3 meters deep — because of silt.
“Kinakailangan na natin increase ang capacity ng Laguna Lake na mag-hold ng tubig, kinakailangan na nating i-dredge,” Dimaguila said.
He said that those opposed to dredging because of potential damage to the ecosystem should consider how flooding destroys property.
On July 8, Dimaguila filed a resolution at the House to summon the LLDA, Department of Public Works and Highways and UP Los Baños, and other concerned agencies to study the proposed dredging of Laguna de Bay.
While dredging would significantly help increase the lake’s capacity, the LLDA warned that the lake could still fill up quickly due to the natural inflow of water from surrounding river systems.
“Lumaki ang capacity niya pero mapupuno pa rin siya ng tubig kasi naturally kasi may mga rivers system na nakakonekta diyan sa Laguna lake” said Añonuevo.
During the administration of then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, dredging in Laguna de Bay—a project started under former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo—was halted due to alleged widespread corruption.
According to Añonuevo, the project approved by the LLDA board to help address the overflowing of Laguna De Bay is the Parañaque spillway.
SUPPORT FROM ACROSS LAGUNA
Laguna Gov. Sol Aragones and several mayors expressed their support for Dimaguila’s dredging proposal.
“Para hindi paulit-ulit yung problemana tuwing may pag-ulan ay matindi ang baha kasi may mga bayan at barangay dito nakalipas na ang bagyo ng isang buwan pero lubog pa rin sa baha yung mga tao kaya kinakailangan talaga pag-ukulan namin ito ng pansin at papatulong din tayo sa national para sa pondo dito” Aragones said.
Dimaguila also warned that floods lasting three to six months could pose serious health risks for residents.
“Magiging black ang tubig , magiging green yan, at sobrang magiging mabaho, mauuso ang dengue, mauuso diarrhea dahil sa mga nalalanghap natin bukod dito po nagka-alipunga” he said.
Dimaguila vowed that he would not stop until the dredging of Laguna de Bay is given proper attention.
He said he’s ready to seek help all the way to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if needed.
If the overflowing of Laguna de Bay is not resolved soon—through measures such as the proposed dredging operations—local officials in Laguna fear that some communities around the lake may eventually disappear, as they are gradually being swallowed by the waters.
But as long as the government has yet to implement concrete solutions to the problem, residents living around the Laguna De Bay will have to continue enduring the never-ending floods.
