Dev’t agency wants Lake Lanao excluded from Bangsamoro

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is pushing for the exclusion of Lake Lanao, the second largest lake in the Philippines, from the new Muslim region to be created under the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

MinDA Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino said her office is working to exclude Lake Lanao from BBL because “one of our banner projects in Mindanao is nurturing and preserving our bodies of water because water is one of our best assets [on the island].”

It would be difficult for the national agency to manage the lake, which is found in Lanao del Sur, if it will be under the autonomous regional government, she indicated during a visit to Dapitan City here on April 21.

When asked if she thought the BBL would jeopardize MinDA’s development plans, Antonino did not give a direct answer. She only said, “That’s why we have to exclude Lake Lanao from BBL.”

Article III of BBL provides that all inland bodies of water within the Bangsamoro territory shall be part of Bangsamoro, and its preservation and management shall be under the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro government.

Antonino said 8 of the 18 river basins in the country are found in Mindanao. One of them is Pulangi River, which runs the 255-megawatt Pulangi Hydro Power Plant Complex. Meanwhile, Agus River from Lake Lanao is driving the turbines of Agus Hydro Power Plant Complex.

These two power plant complexes are supplying more than half of Mindanao’s needed electricity.

MinDA is the former Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) created by President Corazon Aquino on March 19, 1992. It started operating during the administration of her successor, President Fidel Ramos.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved on February 17, 2010, Republic Act 9996, which created MinDA. Its task is to coordinate and integrate socio-economic development efforts in Mindanao. – Rappler.com