PRA clarifies: Reclamation project under cease-and-desist order belongs to DPWH, not Taguig
The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) on Tuesday confirmed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), not the City of Taguig, is the actual implementing agency behind the reclamation activities under scrutiny along Laguna Lake.
The clarification came after Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano raised the issue during a Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing on PRA’s proposed 2027 budget.
There, PRA Assistant General Manager Atty. Joseph Literal identified DPWH as the implementing agency of the Taguig Lakeshore project that received a cease-and-desist order.
“Sino ang proponent ng mga cinease-and-desist niyo sa Taguig?” Cayetano asked.
“DPWH,” Literal answered.
Literal confirmed the same for the Laguna Lake Road Network (LLRN), a project ten times larger than the Taguig one. He first named the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) as implementing agency, then pointed to DPWH after Cayetano corrected him.
Cayetano asked whether the project counted as reclamation under PRA’s own definition. Literal said yes, prompting the senator to ask why PRA had not issued a cease-and-desist order for it, too.
Cayetano also established that neither project had secured a PRA permit before construction began, a lapse traceable to DPWH in both cases.
He summed up the problem: “Ang ugat ng problema natin hindi ang city, hindi ako, hindi kung sino man – kundi ang kakulangan ng DPWH.”
DPWH has pursued the Lakeshore projects for roughly 20 years without proper PRA authorization, Cayetano noted, and PRA’s enforcement came only after construction was already underway.
He added that PRA had not enforced its authority since 2019, and that in Taguig’s case, the cease-and-desist order came amid media coverage, all without coordination with the city, its mayor, or its lawmakers.
“Hindi niyo ako tinanong. Dalawang senador ang taga-Taguig (he and Senator Pia Cayetano). Hindi ninyo tinanong y’ung mayor. Hindi ninyo tinanong y’ung dalawang congressman. Tapos ang DPWH, takot sumagot sa inyo,” Cayetano said, adding that PRA only sent a letter requesting title documents, which should have gone through the Land Registration Authority instead.
He also flagged a contradiction: DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon publicly announced the cease-and-desist order on the Taguig project even though DPWH itself was the proponent being ordered to stop.
“Inorderan niya ang sarili niyang tao,” Cayetano said, pointing out the absurdity.
PRA officials did not dispute that DPWH links both the enforced and unenforced projects. Literal said the agency is now arranging a coordination meeting with DPWH, LLDA, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Cayetano urged PRA to open that meeting to Taguig City and other affected local governments as well.
“Sana ini-involve natin y’ung local (government)… Konting malasakit din pabalik sa isang siyudad na nagmamalasakit din sa lahat,” he said.
PRA Chair Alex Lopez apologized “for any inconvenience in the miscommunication.
Filipino Version
Paglilinaw ng PRA: DPWH, hindi Taguig, ang may hawak ng pinahintong reclamation project
Kinumpirma ng Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) nitong Martes na ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) — hindi ang Lungsod ng Taguig — ang aktwal na implementing agency ng mga reclamation activity na binubusisi ngayon sa Laguna Lake.
Lumabas ang paglilinaw matapos kwestiyunin ni Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano ang isyu sa Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing para sa panukalang 2027 budget ng PRA.
Sa hearing, sinabi ni PRA Assistant General Manager Atty. Joseph Literal na ang DPWH ang implementing agency ng Taguig Lakeshore project na inisyuhan ng cease-and-desist order.
“Sino ang proponent ng mga cinease-and-desist niyo sa Taguig?” tanong ni Cayetano.
“DPWH,” sagot ni Literal.
Kinumpirma rin ni Literal na DPWH ang may hawak ng Laguna Lake Road Network (LLRN), na sampung beses na mas malaki kaysa sa proyekto sa Taguig. Una niyang sinabi na Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) ang implementing agency, pero itinama ito ni Cayetano at itinuro niya ang DPWH bilang agency na nasa likod ng proyekto.
Tinanong ni Cayetano kung maituturing na reclamation ang proyekto ayon sa sariling definition ng PRA. Kinumpirma ito ni Literal kaya tinanong siya ng senador kung bakit hindi rin naglabas ang PRA ng cease-and-desist order para sa LLRN.
Isiniwalat din ni Cayetano na parehong walang PRA permit ang dalawang proyekto bago nagsimula ang construction. Ayon sa kanya, DPWH ang may pananagutan sa kakulangang ito sa parehong proyekto.
Binigyang-diin niya: “Ang ugat ng problema natin hindi ang city, hindi ako, hindi kung sino man – kundi ang kakulangan ng DPWH.”
Ayon kay Cayetano, humigit-kumulang 20 taon nang isinusulong ng DPWH ang Lakeshore projects nang walang kinakailangang PRA authorization. Aniya, kumilos lamang ang PRA para ipatupad ang kanilang authority matapos nang magsimula ang construction.
Dagdag pa niya, hindi nagpatupad ang PRA ng authority nito mula 2019 at ngayon lamang kumilos. Sa kaso ng Taguig, sinabi niyang naglabas pa ang PRA ng cease-and-desist order kasabay ng media coverage, ngunit hindi muna nakipag-ugnayan sa lungsod, mayor, o mga mambabatas nito.
“Hindi niyo ako tinanong. Dalawang senador ang taga-Taguig (he and Senator Pia Cayetano). Hindi ninyo tinanong y’ung mayor. Hindi ninyo tinanong y’ung dalawang congressman. Tapos ang DPWH, takot sumagot sa inyo,” ani Cayetano. Dagdag niya, nagpadala lamang ang PRA ng liham na humihingi ng title documents, na dapat sana ay idinaan sa Land Registration Authority (LRA).
Tinukoy rin niya ang nakikita niyang kontradiksyon: inihayag mismo ni DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ang cease-and-desist order laban sa Taguig project kahit DPWH din ang proponent na inuutusang itigil ang proyekto.
“Inorderan niya ang sarili niyang tao,” ani Cayetano.
Hindi itinanggi ng mga opisyal ng PRA na DPWH ang may kaugnayan sa parehong proyektong ipinatigil at sa proyektong hindi pa ipinapatigil.
Sinabi ni Literal na nag-aayos na ang ahensya ng coordination meeting kasama ang DPWH, LLDA, at Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Hiniling naman ni Cayetano na isama rin sa meeting ang Taguig City at iba pang local government units na maaapektuhan.
“Sana ini-involve natin y’ung local (government)… Konting malasakit din pabalik sa isang siyudad na nagmamalasakit din sa lahat,” aniya.
Humingi naman ng paumanhin si PRA Chair Alex Lopez sa naging abala ng “miscommunication”.
Share This Post
