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JUMP. A boy jumps from a tree into the waters of Lake Lanao in Marantao, Lanao del Sur.
Ferdinandh Cabrera/Rappler
For BARMM legislators, what is a cornerstone of identity, economy, and survival for many families in the predominantly Muslim region
MANILA, Philippines – For decades, Lake Lanao, sacred to the Maranao people and an important part of Mindanao’s power grid, has suffered under the weight of untreated sewage, deforestation, and the absence of a central authority to protect it.
Now, with biological red flags waving and oxygen levels plummeting in its waters, parliament members in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are pushing to intervene before the damage becomes irreversible. For BARMM officials, what is at stake is not just a body of water, but a cornerstone of identity, economy, and survival for many families in the predominantly Muslim region.
The warnings were buried for years in academic reports and quietly raised in government briefings. But it took a study, which confirmed that the majority of Lake Lanao’s endemic species are either critically endangered or already extinct, for the region’s lawmakers to say it plainly and publicly: one of Mindanao’s most vital ecosystems is dying.
The 2023 environmental condition report by Mindanao State University and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (MENRE) of the BARMM found that “70% of the Lake Lanao’s endemic species are now either critically endangered or already extinct.”
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) also reported “alarming levels of biological oxygen demand in the lake’s northern quadrant,” attributing the contamination to untreated sewage and household waste.
Lake Lanao, which sits roughly 700 meters above sea level in Lanao del Sur, is the largest lake in Mindanao and the second-largest in the country, spanning about 340 square kilometers. It is fed by four major rivers and empties into the Agus River, which drives hydroelectric plants that supply power to Mindanao.
The lake is a cultural and spiritual landmark for the Maranaos, whose name means “people of the lake,” and has remained central to their identity and traditions.
BARMM parliament member Intan Ampatuan said Lake Lanao, or “Ranao” to Maranaos, is considered an “ancient cradle of civilization,” which remained a vital source of food and livelihood for many people in 39 municipalities in Lanao, including Marawi City.
Officials, however, said environmental threats such as deforestation, pollution, and falling water levels have raised alarms, prompting calls for urgent conservation and rehabilitation.
Ampatuan pointed to several contributing factors, including “the indiscriminate disposal of human and household waste directly into the lake, the collapse of traditional agricultural practices and lack of sustainable irrigation, and the absence of an empowered, unified institution to oversee the lake’s long-term protection, rehabilitation, and development.”
She warned the problem represents “not just an environmental decline, but cultural erosion, economic dissolution, and a slow but certain death of a vital Bangsamoro resource.”
On May 29, Ampatuan she called on the BARMM parliament for the immediate rehabilitation of Lake Lanao, authoring Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Bill No. 155 which seeks the creation of the Lake Lanao Rehabilitation and Development Authority (LLRDA).
She called the proposed measure a “rescue mission.”
Joining her in authoring the measure was BARMM member of parliament Rasol Mitmug Jr. and several others, who issued warnings about the lake’s worsening condition.
The proposed LLRDA would function as a central coordinating and technical body under the Office of the Chief Minister of the BARMM. It would be tasked with drafting a 30-year master plan, conducting feasibility studies, enforcing zoning ordinances, and harmonizing efforts among BARMM’s key ministries as well as the provincial government of Lanao del Sur.
Ampatuan said it would be a “regional environmental security strategy” and a matter of “climate justice to the Bangsamoro.”
She emphasized that the proposed law is in line with the BARMM’s “exclusive power over inland waters,” granted under Section 22, Article 13 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. – Rappler.com
