MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit an inventory of projects around Laguna de Bay that may have reclamation components, escalating a government inquiry into controversial development activities along the lake’s Taguig shoreline.
The directive comes after questions were raised over projects allegedly involving reclamation work in the Taguig portion of Laguna de Bay and whether the necessary government approvals and environmental requirements were secured.
According to GMA News, the PRA also wants authorities to determine who authorized the reclamation activities linked to the controversial project in Taguig City. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said stakeholders—including the Taguig City government, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and the PRA—are expected to meet to discuss the projects and determine what problems may have occurred.
The development follows the DPWH’s issuance of a cease-and-desist order covering projects connected to the questioned reclamation activities.
P3.7 billion in projects under scrutiny
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has put the value of identified DPWH flood-control and multipurpose projects along the questioned Taguig reclamation areas at approximately P3.713 billion.
The figure covers completed, ongoing and suspended projects, based on official records and Lacson’s investigation, according to the Philippine News Agency and Inquirer.net.
Lacson has described the projects as being associated with what he calls “illegal” reclamation and has said he intends to submit additional evidence to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Importantly, the allegations remain subject to investigation and verification. The reported project costs do not, by themselves, establish that public funds were illegally spent or that the projects were fraudulent.
Why the Taguig shoreline projects are being questioned
The controversy intensified after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) previously flagged projects along the C6 area of Taguig.
A 2025 DENR assessment raised concerns that some activities presented as flood-control projects appeared, based on satellite imagery, to involve reclamation within Laguna de Bay.
GMA News previously reported that project signboards at several sites identified DPWH-funded works, including a multipurpose building and improvements to the Laguna Lakeshore area. Other projects involved flood-mitigation structures.
The LLDA, meanwhile, said the Taguig City government had not coordinated with the agency regarding the projects. LLDA officials have also said that public consultation and the required environmental and regulatory documents are necessary before construction can proceed in the area.
PRA: No approved reclamation project in Laguna de Bay
The issue is particularly significant because the PRA previously declared that no reclamation project within Laguna de Bay had been approved by the authority.
In July 2025, the PRA ordered the immediate cessation of unauthorized reclamation activities in the lake and said projects without the agency’s approval were unauthorized.
The authority stressed that Laguna de Bay is a major natural flood catch basin for Metro Manila and surrounding areas. Changes to the lake’s shoreline and water-retention capacity can therefore have consequences beyond the immediate project sites.
Government now wants a complete inventory
The latest PRA directive effectively broadens the scrutiny beyond the disputed Taguig projects.
By asking the DPWH to identify projects around Laguna de Bay with reclamation components, authorities can determine how many projects may be involved, where they are located, what agencies authorized them, how much public money was allocated, and whether the necessary permits and clearances were obtained.
That inventory could become crucial in determining whether the questioned activities were properly classified as flood-control, infrastructure or reclamation projects.
It could also help establish whether different government agencies had overlapping or conflicting understandings of the projects.
Projects ordered stopped
The DPWH has confirmed that it issued a cease-and-desist order covering projects connected to the alleged unauthorized reclamation.
There is a minor discrepancy in publicly reported dates concerning the order: reports have referenced both August 20 and August 30 in discussing the issuance and reporting of the stoppage. The consistent point across the reports is that the DPWH has moved to halt the projects following directives involving the PRA and the Office of the President.
The government is now expected to examine the projects through inter-agency coordination involving the DPWH, PRA, LLDA and the Taguig City government.
A bigger question beyond Taguig
The controversy is no longer simply about one lakeshore development.
The PRA’s order to inventory reclamation-related projects raises a much broader question: How many projects around Laguna de Bay may have involved land-filling or shoreline alteration, and were all of them properly authorized?
That question matters because Laguna de Bay is not simply vacant land waiting for development. It is a critical water body that plays an important role in flood management, fisheries, communities and the wider environment.
For now, the government inquiry is focused on establishing the facts—including project approvals, permits, funding, implementation and accountability.
The answers could determine whether the Taguig controversy involves isolated regulatory lapses or points to a much wider problem in the way projects around Laguna de Bay have been planned and implemented.
The next major piece of the puzzle may be the DPWH inventory: once the list is submitted, the public could finally see the full scope of the projects now under scrutiny.
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