As Burnham Lake is set to reopen on Sept. 1 after a P400-million rehabilitation effort, residents and environmental advocates are questioning whether the project has fixed the lake’s biggest problem – its ecological health. In an open letter to Mayor Benjamin Magalong and the project contractors, the group said the rehabilitation “appeared to prioritize beautification over environmental restoration.” They insisted that the project lacked a proper lake bed management plan, including the installation of sand, gravel and rock layers needed to sustain aquatic life as well as the absence of filtration and mechanical aeration systems.

Dumlao, A. (2026, August 3). Advocates raise ‘lapses’ in Burnham Lake rehabilitation. The Philippine Star, p. 9.