Preamble
WHEREAS, rapid expansion of Metropolitan Manila, the suburbs and the lakeshore towns of Laguna de Bay, combined with current and prospective uses of the lake for municipal-industrial water supply, irrigation, fisheries, and the like, have created deep concern on the part of the Government and the general public over the environment impact of such development on the water quality and ecology of the lake and its related river systems; WHEREAS, inflow of polluted water from the Pasig, River, industrial, domestic and agricultural wastes from developed areas around the lake and the increasing urbanization have induced the deterioration of the lake and water quality studies have shown that the lake will deteriorate further if steps are not taken to check the same; WHEREAS, floods in Metropolitan Manila area and the lakeshore towns are also influenced by the hydraulic system of the Laguna de Bay, and any scheme of controlling the floods will necessarily involve the lake and its river systems; WHEREAS, the Laguna Lake Development Authority is empowered under Republic Act No. 4850 to conserve and develop the resources of the Laguna de Bay region to promote socio-economic well-being of the people but in the exercise of these functions, deficiencies and ambiguities in the present provisions of the law were found which impede the accomplishment of the Authority’s goal; WHEREAS, under existing laws, other government agencies have varying degrees of jurisdiction and control of the lake resulting in problems of coordination, planning and management thereby hampering the efforts of the Authority to plan and implement its overall development plans for conservation and utilization of the lake resources in accordance with the provisions of its character; WHEREAS, in view of the foregoing consideration, the passage into law of the amendments embodied in this Decree is necessary; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree, order and make as part of the law of the land the following amendments to Republic Act No. 4850;