Exploring the largest lake in Southeast Asia, Laguna De Bay in Philippines

Want to try a new challenge in navigating the lake? Maybe you should visit the lake this one. The place was named Laguna de Bay and located at Philippines. Laguna de Bay is the Philippines’ largest inland body of freshwater with total area of 90,000 hectares and with an average depth of 2.8 meters. The lake has a total volume of 3.2 billion cubic meters with shoreline of 220 kms. There are 21 tributaries that drain into the lake; 35% comes from Pagsanjan River while 15% comes from Sta. Cruz River. The only outlet of the lake is the Napindan Channel which at its confluence with Marikina River, forms the Pasig River, which meanders along a 24-km. long course westward through a major part of Metropolitan Manila, before eventually discharging into Manila Bay.

Laguna de Bay is a trilobate lake with three corporate bays: the West Bay, Central Bay and East Bay that converge towards the South carving what resembles a large bird or dinosour. The West and Central Bays are separated by talim Island, the largest and most populated of the nine islands within the lake. It is bordered by the ruggedly high Sierra Madre Mountain ranges on the Northeastern portion, the high Caliraya volcanic plateau in the East and the chains of mountains of Laguna and Batangas provinces to the South and Southeast, which include Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Makiling.

The lake is home to variety of creatures and organisms that comprise its biodiversity pool. Of note are the 31 species of fishes, 154 species of phytoplankton, 36 species of zooplankton, and 24 species of macrophytes. Other inhabitants thriving in the lake include different species of mollusks, and crustaceans. The lake also serves as habitat for various species of birds. It is believed that 17 bird species may found in the Mt. makiling Forest Reserve, while 20 species may be found in Pakil, Laguna and Real, Quezon areas.

Though a concerted effort of former Congressmen Frisco San Juan of Rizal Province (Author) with his co-author Wenceslao Rancap passed the bill and approved by Philippines Congress on July 18, 1966 as Republic Act 4850, creating the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA). The enactment of R.A. 4850 was precisely intended to create an instrument to facilitate rational utilization of the lake resources. Their commitment is to keep the lake healthy and beneficial to its surrounding communities. Its programs include:

1. Environmental User Free System,
2. The Laguna de Bay Fishery Zoning and Management Plan,
3. The Shoreland Management Program, and
4. The River Rehabilitation Program.

Here some view from Laguna De Bay in Philippines (Aoutheast Asia)

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