Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest inland fresh water lake in Southeast Asia (in terms of surface area) after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located in the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north.

 

Metro Manila lies on its western shore. Its surface area is 949 square kilometers and has an average depth of only about 2 meters. The lake is shaped like a stylised 'W', with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore. Between these peninsulas, the middle lobe fills a large volcanic caldera.

 

Laguna de Bay drains to Manila Bay via the Pasig River. The lake is filled with fish pens installed by fishermen who regularly fish there. There is a large island in the lake, Talim Island, which is under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan and Cardona in Rizal province.

"Laguna de Bay" is the Old Spanish term for "Lake of Bay" is a town in Laguna province. In the pre-hispanic era, Laguna Lake or Laguna de Bay was known as "Pulilan" according to the 1613 Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala printed in Pila, Laguna. Thus the name "Pulilan Kasumuran" or "Laguna de Bay water source".

 

 

 

Characteristics of Laguna de bay

The Laguna Lake is a large shallow freshwater body in the heart of Luzon Island, Philippines with an aggregate area of 911.36 km² and a shoreline of 220 kilometers. It is considered to be the second largest inland body of water in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia’s Lake Toba in Sumatra (Guerrero & Calpe, 1998).

 

It is bordered by the province of Laguna in the east, west and southwest, the province of Rizal in the north to northeast, and Taguig, Pateros, Pasig and Marikina (all of which are cities and municipalities in Metropolitan Manila) in the northwest. The lake has an average depth of 2.8 meters and its excess water is discharged through the Pasig river.

 

The southern and eastern portions of Metro Manila occupy a huge portion of its watershed. The lake is fed by 45,000 square kilometers of catchment areas and its twenty one major tributaries. Among these are the Pagsanjan River which is the source of 35% of the Lake's water, the Sta. Cruz River which is the source of 15% of the Lake's water, the Balanak River, the Marikina River, the Mangangate River, the Tunasan River, the San Pedro River, the Cabuyao River, the San Cristobal River, the San Juan River, the Bay, Calo and Maitem rivers in Bay, the Molawin, Dampalit river, Dampalit, and Pele river, Pele rivers in Los Baños, the Pangil River, the Tanay River, the Morong River, the Siniloan River, and the Sapang Baho River.

 

 

 

Importance of laguna de bay

The lake serves as a multipurpose resource. It is a navigational lane for passenger boats, source of water for a nearby hydroelectric power plant, food support for the growing duck industry, aquaculture, recreation, fishery, flood control, source of irrigation water and a “virtual” cistern for domestic, agricultural and industrial effluents.

 

Because of its importance in the development of the Laguna de Bay Region , unlike in other lakes in the country, its water quality and general condition are closely monitored . This important water resource has been greatly affected by development pressures like population growth, rapid industrialization, and resources allocation.