Fisherfolk to delay of Laguna Dike bidding: make it permanent!
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakasng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) on Wednesday hails the delay of the bidding for the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project (LLEDP) and calls for its permanent dislocation altogether.
The LLEDP’s final submission of bids was moved, set to be done on March 14; it was for moved to March 28 due to the bidders’ ‘concerns’. Fisherfolk from Pamalakaya and members of the broad alliance Save Laguna Lake Movement (SLLM) stormed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to sabotage the bidding process last Monday.
“This ‘delay’ is a result of the immense resistance of the fisherfolk and the residents against this project. We vow not to stop our actions and protest against this LLEDP until it’s completely and permanently dislocated. We’ll just keep intensifying their ‘concerns’ until we win.” Salvador France, Pamalakaya Vice-Chairperson said in a statement.
The LLEDP which has two components – a 47-kilometer expressway dike from Muntinlupa, Taguig to Los Banos, Laguna; and 700-hectare reclamation for commercial and mixed use – is one of President Aquino’s biggest projects under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), amounting to P122.8B.
The three qualified bidders are: Team Trident which includes Ayala Land Inc., SM Prime Holdings Inc., Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.andMegaworld Corp.; the San Miguel Corp.; and Alloy Pavi Hanshin LLEDP Consortium.
Fisherfolk leaders from Pamalakaya and SLLM will hold a press conference tomorrow in front of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to show the adverse impacts of the LLEDP to the fisherfolk and urban poor residents who depend on Laguna Lake. ###
