While flying over southern Luzon one early morning last week, I was able to observe the condition of the two lakes, Laguna de Bay and Lake Taal. The weather was perfect, and everything on land was clear.
The color of the water of Laguna de Bay was greyish brown. About 80% of its water surface was occupied by fish pens. In contrast, the water of Lake Taal was blue, and only a small portion of the lake had fish pens.
The contrast between these two lakes is very clear. Laguna de Bay is heavily exploited. The greyish brown color of its water is due to soil particles that do not sink and remain there due to the presence of the fish pens. In other words, the water of this lake is polluted.
Taal Lake is probably deeper and has few fish pens. I asked my friend beside me for the reason for the contrast between these two lakes. He replied that the towns in Batangas around the lake and the PAMB did a good job in regulating the use of the lake and applying good management principles. Lake Taal has been studied by scientists from some universities in Manila, and I suppose government authorities have listened to what they have to say about Lake Taal.
In brief, it is possible to keep our lakes in good condition by good management. So why is Laguna de Bay, located near centers of government environmental offices, a polluted lake?
I am reminded of still another lake, Lake Buhi, in Camarines Sur, which has just been studied and found to be polluted by fish culture activities within the lake and from run-off from the surrounding agricultural areas, endangering the survival of the endemic fish species in the lake and at the same time decreasing the chances of survival of the other fish species. The recent 2-year study should serve as a wake-up call for government authorities to make Lake Buhi a well-managed lake like Lake Taal.
Let’s hope Laguna de Bay and Lake Buhi will soon receive attention from government.
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