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Application of Environmental Users' Fee System to Household for Enhanced Water Pollution Control in Laguna de Bay, Philippines
Abstract:
The instituted environmental users’ fee system (EUFS) of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) had been assessed with problems and limitations0 as water pollution in Laguna de Bay continued to persist. Thus, one of the identified enhancement measures is the necessary inclusion of the household sector, which accounted by recent studies to about 70 percent of the biological oxygen demand (BOD) loading of the lake. The willingness to pay (WTP) of the households from both the lakeshore and inland municipalities of Laguna de Bay region for improvement of the lake’s water quality was assessed. Using contingent valuation methodology (CVM), a total of 1,643 households from eight municipalities (Angono, Baras, Binan, Carmona, Pakil, Los Baños, Lucban, and Sto. Tomas) and two cities (Sta. Rosa City and Taguig City) were assessed. In addition, households’ awareness, perception, and attitude on Laguna de Bay were also studied in relation to its condition, uses, and other related environmental problems.
About 31 percent of the households interviewed were unaware that their barangays belong to the Laguna de Bay watershed region. Majority of the respondents (77%) disposed their wastewater directly into the canals that would eventually drain into the lake. Also, about 63 percent perceived the lake as being polluted and 88 percent of them believed that the household sector was the major contributor to its pollution in confirmation to prior studies. About 70 percent of the respondents were willing to give about PHP 46.43/household/month for the construction of the treatment facility as an indicator of their means of contributing to the improvement of the lake’s water quality. Households’ total monthly income and educational attainment had significant positive correlation with WTP values but age of respondents was negatively correlated. It was observed that respondents from lakeshore and inland municipalities were supportive to the environmental users’ fee system as a means of enhancing water pollution control of the lake. Thus, their contribution and participation for the establishment of the watershed treatment facility that would hopefully improve the lake’s water quality could be expected.