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“LAKE TABOK”, is yet to be included in a cartographer’s map. But its size is enough to be considered as a body of water more than what is flowing in a biologically-dead Butuanon river in Mandaue City.

“LAKE TABOK”, is a product of man’s neglect of his environment and a very tangible piece of evidence of the government’s laxity and dereliction of duty.

“LAKE TABOK”, is a man-made water basin situated in a 2-hectare low-lying idle land privately owned by some families in Tabok, Mandaue City.

The water started to rise in the place in June, 2005 until it reached waist-deep. The water is a collection of the rainwater runoff and the wastewater from the two subdivisions—Palmas Verdes and Palm Heights.

Heavily affected by the water intrusion are the residents in the place. The Oracion family was reportedly forced to sell its property to the nearby IPI manufacturing firm but later it was swapped with the property owned by the Gaisanos—owner and developer of the two subdivisions.

The Oracion property caught the interest of the subdivision developer—Taft Property Ventures and Development Corporation as the company is believed to expand to the nearby lots. Lot owners in Lake Tabok area were reportedly offered to sell their property to Taft Property but most residents are not selling their precious possession inherited by them from their forefathers.

Another house was deserted by its owners when water from Lake Tabok started to sip in their property.

Meanwhile, residents and fishing hobbyists have gone their way catching tilapia from the waters of Lake Tabok… using fishing rod, fish nets and improvised fishing raft.

The problem brought about by Lake Tabok waters was discussed from the barangay level up to the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

But it was not completely given attention until the matter was brought up to my former radio program—“HOY GISING” in July 2005.

I made several interviews and referrals with concerned officials and agencies hoping that immediate actions shall be done. These include series of interviews with the Honorable Chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure–Councilor Allan Borbajo, City Planning Officer Archt. Delia Rodrigo, Tabok Barangay Captain Emil Rosal, the City Health Department (thinking it poses health danger to the residents), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, DENR, and the developer—Taft Property Ventures & Development Corporation.

Through my prodding, the DENR through its Environment Management Bureau (EMB) has acted upon the complaint of the residents by sending its personnel to the site for inspection. In its investigation, the DENR-EMB found several violations of the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued to the developer.

The DENR-EMB slapped a fine of four hundred fifty thousand pesos (P450,000.00) against the developer for violating nine (9) provisions of the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued to Taft Property Ventures. The developer’s ECC was also suspended and its filling activity in the area was ordered suspended.

However, the penalties imposed by the DENR-EMB upon the developer were not enough considering the predicament of the residents. They begged for the immediate action by the City Government so that the water should subside and they could go back their normal routine.

I have endorsed the complaint (petition) of the affected residents to the Mandaue City Council on February 14, 2006 and enclosed some pictures of “Lake Tabok” I’d took to illustrate the seriousness of the problem. The pictures are in this Friendster profile.

The City Council was requested to act on it since it is the one that granted the DEVELOPMENT PERMIT to Taft Property Ventures & Development Corporation for the two subdivisions.

The complaint almost went to naught until an intercession of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas was sought by the residents represented by yours truly.

During the meeting called by Acting Visayas Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago, representatives from the Mandaue City Engineers Office admitted that their office had even issued Notice of Illegal Structures against the developer for the latter’s failure to secure the necessary permits.

Understandably, the Palm Heights subdivision has no building permit and subsequently no electrical and occupancy permits. But residents are already occupying several housing units inside the subdivision.

This happened at the height when Mayor Thaddeo Ouano has repeatedly asked the Department of Public Works and Highways that the Office of the Building Official (OBO) be placed under the Mayor’s office for better supervision after that lapse in the “shabu laboratory” inspection.

It seemed during that time the developer—Mr. Jack Gaisano (“Adopted Son of Mandaue City”) of Taft Property had enjoyed his privilege from Mayor Ouano of not complying with the permits from OBO.

I joined in the intermediaries to negotiate with the owners of the neighboring lots that provisions for culverts should be laid on the ground up to the nearby Butuanon river. Months later, Mayor Thaddeo Ouano led the developer’s equipment and crew in displacing the water off Lake Tabok through an improvised 1-meter canal crossing the Sanchez property towards the Butuanon river.

But that was a temporary solution. Months had passed and the water resides again in the 2-hectare lot. “Lake Tabok’ has resurrected and fishing may go back in the place as its interesting scenes.

In my letter to the Mandaue City Council, I reminded the honorable members of the August body that the City’s Vision 2015, reads partly—“The City will continue to use its potential while maintaining its environmental integrity”.

AMEN