Developing a Small lake: The Case of Palakpakin Lake, San Pablo City, Philippines

Developing a Small lake: The Case of Palakpakin Lake, 

San Pablo City, Philippines

Bing Baltazar C. Brillo

Associate Professor

Institute for Governance and Rural Development,

College of Public Affairs and Development

University of the Philippines Los Ban͂os

E-mail: bbbrillo@yahoo.com, bcbrillo@up.edu.ph

This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article published in Water Resources.

Brillo, B.B. (2016). Developing a Small Lake: The Case of Palakpakin Lake, San Pablo City, Philippines. Water Resources, vol. 43, no.4, pp. 611-620.

Abstract—This study assesses the development issues of Palakpakin Lake. Premised on the scarcity of development studies on lakes (as the field is dominated by limnology and aquaculture studies) and small-lake studies (as the field is heavily concentrated on big-lake studies), the article argues that the lake has long been wanting of development initiatives from its administrative agencies. It further contends that the Laguna Lake Development Authority and the City Government of San Pablo must now act to promote development of the lake; specifically, by modifying their model-template approach, by formulating a zoning-development plan, and by fostering ecotourism. These basic actions are necessary in managing, developing and conserving the natural resource, as well as in preparing, informing and precipitating other actions on the lake. 

Keywords: Philippines, Development, Lake, Small Lake and Palakpakin Lake (or Palacpaquen/Palacpaquin Lake)

INTRODUCTION 

Palakpakin Lake is the second largest of the seven crater lakes of San Pablo City; namely, Sampaloc (106 ha), Bunot (30.5 ha), Calibato (43 ha), Mohicap (22.89 ha), Palakpakin (47.98 ha), Pandin (24 ha) and Yambo (30.5 ha) (see Figure 1). Together with Calibato Lake, Mohicap Lake, Pandin Lake and Yambo Lake, Palakpakin Lake is the primary lake in the second group of the Seven Crater Lake Micro-watersheds [38]. It is the second most studied lake after Sampaloc Lake, the premier lake among the seven crater lakes. It is suitable for aquaculture, near the city, and has potential for ecotourism. It is also threatened by pollution, siltation and illegal settlers and fish farm operations. These attributes would have driven administrative agencies to initiate development actions, yet to-date the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and the City Government of San Pablo have no clear timeline for any development action. Developing small lakes in the Philippines is important since they are extensive all over the country and they usually are inhabited by poor communities. In the context of development defined as progress or growth that is inclusive and sustainable [13], small lake development in essence is about, on one hand, improving the conditions of small lake inhabitants (so as to help make development inclusive, reaching local areas), and on the other hand, ensuring the conservation of the water resource (so as to make development sustainable in the long term).

This study explores the lack of development in a small lake— Palakpakin Lake. It argues that the LLDA and the City Government must take the initiative and promote development in the lake. In particular, the agencies must: (1) modify their long held model-template approach of exclusively focusing on Sampaloc Lake and Pandin Lake, since all seven crater lakes need government interventions as all of them are equally threatened; (2) instigate the formulation of a zoning-development plan, since it is basic in resolving issues in the lake; and (3) foster ecotourism, since it is the primary means in improving the economic status of lake residents. Furthermore, this study is part of a long term research project to document and conduct development studies on small lakes in the country. This study is also intended to address the existing scholarly gap in Philippine lake studies— the scarcity of development studies on small lakes in the country [5]. Moreover, since there is no existing definition of small lakes in the Philippines, this study also contributes to literature, by providing a definition of small lakes as lakes with an area of only 200 hectares or less. The author came up with this operationalizing definition after surveying the sizes of the “minor” and least-studied lakes in the country. The study proceeds to discuss the following: why lake studies are important, the present conditions in Palakpakin Lake, lake administration arrangements, and key development issues surrounding the lake. 

PHILIPPINE LAKES, DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AND SMALL LAKES

Lakes are vital to human existence and development since they have over 90 percent of the liquid freshwater on the earth’s surface [17] [23] [24] [35]. From the dawn of civilizations to contemporary modern societies, the natural resource has  served man’s needs, from rudimentary uses, such as drinking water, source of food and transportation, to more complex uses, such as agricultural irrigation, fish farming, flood control and hydroelectric power. Today, the looming possibility of a global water crisis further underscores the importance of lakes to humanity [2] [33]. Moreover, lakes (natural or artificial/reservoir) are also essential in the preservation of the world’s biodiversity and ecosystem. The water resources serve as habitat for a variety of flora and fauna and play a critical role in natural processes such as climate mediation and nutrient cycling. 

Despite the unquestionable value of lakes, human undertakings over the years, such as food production, development activities, settlement, urbanization and industrialization, have brought unprecedented degradation on the natural resource. This reality was empirically confirmed in the Global Environment Facility-Lake Basin Management Initiative’s (GEF-LBMI) study of 28 major lakes around the world from 2003 to 2005, where the project underscored that, overall, the condition of lakes is not improving [17] [40] [41]. This situation is exacerbated since the water management approaches adopted in the past (i.e. 1980s to 2000s) have limited long term impact on improving the condition of water resources such as lakes [1] [2]. 

In the Philippines, many lakes are also at risk of ecological deterioration. This situation was formally acknowledged in the First National Congress on Philippine Lakes held in 2003, when the body conceded that lakes in the country are vulnerable to degradation [9]; and in the Second National Congress on Philippine Lakes held in 2011, when the body reported that despite incremental improvements, the condition of lakes in the country remains threatened [18]. Under this ominous scenario, Philippine lake studies have been increasing over the years, most of which are from the natural sciences perspective and concentrated on big lakes [3] [4] and [6]. A recent survey of Philippine lake studies using the online database of the three leading universities (i.e. University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and Ateneo de Manila University) showed that: (1) 77 percent of the scholarly outputs are classified under the natural science perspective and only 23 percent under the social science perspective; and (2) 80 percent of the scholarly materials are studies on big lakes and only 8.7 percent on small lakes [5]. Research based on the natural sciences is mostly about limnology and aquaculture. Studies on big lakes focus on the largest lakes in the country (e.g. Laguna de Bay, Taal Lake, Lanao Lake and Buhi Lake). This finding suggests that scholarly outputs are scarce on two fronts: (1) research on areas of management and development; and (2) research on small lakes. 

To address the scholarly imbalance, the management-development studies and the small-lake studies must make significant progress. Concurrent advances in management and development studies are critical to better understand the issues and problems which will lead to significant improvements in lake conditions. Management and development studies are interdependent; either one alone cannot address the array of challenges confronting lakes today since biophysical-environmental issues and socio-economic-political-management issues are intertwined and cannot be effectively addressed in isolation. So far, limnology and aquaculture have already made decent progress in Philippine lake studies; management and development research must now advance to offset the scholarly deficit. This will result in a more integrative knowledge building which will translate to better understanding and solutions to the many problems facing lakes in the country.

The need to study small lakes’ existence and issues is required to expand the knowledge base on Philippine lakes. Roughly three-quarters of the country’s lakes are small lakes, yet little is known or written about them. Small lakes are least studied since they are generally considered to have minimal economic significance (relative to big lakes) which then translates to peripheral attention from government agencies, private-funding institutions and scholars. The geographical remoteness of many small lakes in the country is another contributing factor, as they require more resources and efforts to study. There are five main reasons why it is urgent to study small lakes: (1) the shorter time span on irreversibility of ecological degradation; (2) the necessity of information needed to save them; (3) the connection to other natural resources; (4) their crucial role in improving lake communities; and (5) the need to document the natural resource for posterity [4] [6].

Firstly, small lakes are inherently more fragile and vulnerable to environmental deterioration compared to big lakes. Other things being equal, their small size naturally equates to reduced absorptive capacity in neutralizing pollutants/contaminants and shorter time to reach ecological irreversibility. Secondly, critical information is needed to manage the natural resource. Thirdly, many small lakes are a significant component of the system of other natural resources, such as river system and watershed or basin of big lakes. Thus, solving the issues and problems of other systems require knowledge on small lakes. Fourthly, small lakes are abundant in the country and are critical to improve the impoverished conditions of residents around small lakes. Lastly, small lakes must be recorded for future generations. All lakes become extinct, small lakes, in general, may end physically at a faster rate than big lakes. A small lake may disappear through loss of its water, infilling by sediments and other materials or succession [8] [11] [19]. Some small lakes in the country may be gone in just a few decades; a case in point is Manlalayes Lake (the twin lake of Gunao/Gunaw Lake in Dolores, Quezon) which dried out a few years ago before anyone was able to document its existence [5]. 

Taking off from the preceding discussion, this study directly addresses the identified gap in Philippine lake studies by assessing the development issues of a small lake in San Pablo City— Palakpakin Lake. Consistent with the lacuna in the literature, the existing studies on Palakpakin Lake are limited [5] [14] and mainly confined to limnology [7] [20] [21] [34] and aquaculture [12] [36] [37]. So far, the only material found under the broader development studies is the unpublished case study of Quiatchon-Moreno [26] that assessed the participatory governance among the fisherfolks in Palakpakin Lake.

THE PRESENT SITUATION OF PALAKPAKIN LAKE 

Palakpakin Lake is located in San Pablo City and lies within three barangays, namely San Buenaventura, San Lorenzo and Dolores. The lake is about 7.5 kilometers (via Cipriano Colago Avenue) or 12 kilometers (via Werner Schetelig Avenue) from the city proper. It is accessible through Barangay San Lorenzo road which runs along the northern edge of the lake. Palakpakin Lake is circular shaped and considered a catchment area of Mount San Cristobal; a feature shared with all the seven crater lakes. The lake is widely believed to be volcanic in origin, which was formed through a phreatic eruption when shallow lava from Mount San Cristobal reached groundwater causing an explosion that resulted in a crater-like depression [21]. 

As a water resource, Palakpakin Lake has a surface area of 47.98 hectares, an elevation of around 100 meters and an average water depth of only 7.7 meters, making it the shallowest among the seven crater lakes [20] [21]. The water sources of the lake are rainfall, surface runoff, surrounding/underwater springs and inflow from Calibato Lake and Pandin Lake via Pagbuga Stream (their water merges before entering Palakpakin Lake). The lake discharges water through seepage, evaporation and outflow to the rice fields in Calauan, Laguna via Padparan Stream. Compared to the rest of the crater lakes, Palakpakin Lake has rapid water movements due to the strong current flowing in from Pagbuga Stream and out to the Padparan Stream (The two streams are also a lot bigger than the inlets or outlets of the other crater lakes). This characteristic translates to a low water residence time (i.e. the flow of water in and out of the lake [16]) which, in turn, gives the lake the ability to quickly flush out pollutants and other toxic substances.

As a natural resource, Palakpakin Lake is primarily utilized for aquaculture, particularly commercial tilapia production via floating cages. In San Pablo City, aquaculture was first introduced in Bunot Lake in 1976 after the successful introduction of tilapia cage farming in Laguna de Bay by the LLDA in 1974 [22] [27]. Eventually, tilapia cage farming spread to Palakpakin Lake and the other crater lakes. Since the makeup of Palakpakin Lake is suitable for aquaculture, floating cage farming has extensively expanded through the years, becoming an integral feature of the lake. In 2008, the LLDA has reported that the area occupied by fish pens/cages is 8.5 hectares or 18 percent of the total surface area of the lake. In 2013, the Provincial Government of Laguna reported that among the seven crater lakes, Palakpakin Lake’s 85 fish pens was the second highest number of fish cages. A recent ocular inspection of the lake, however, suggests that the current number of fish pens/cages is more than the figures reported by the Provincial Government and the LLDA. 

Over the years, the expansion of fish farming has brought illegal settlements in Palakpakin Lake (see Figure 2 and 3). Houses and other man-made structures run along its banks, mostly on the northern tip of the lake, but there is no sewage system. The barangay’s drainage system also leads to the lake. The settlers’ waste and fish farms’ discharge have polluted the lake. For instance, Palakpakin Lake ranked third in fecal coliform concentration in the water quality analysis conducted by the LLDA from 2006-2008 [15] [21]. If this pollution persists, it may lead to eutrophication, algal blooms and/or hyacinth proliferation.

Heavy siltation is a critical but less perceived problem in the lake. The strong flow of water from its inlet, Pagbuga Stream, to its outlet, Padparan Stream, carries many debris and deposits, leading to Palakpakin Lake’s accumulation of soil and other particles. Consequently, siltation has made Palakpakin Lake the shallowest among the seven crater lakes with an average water depth of only 7.7 meters. The heavy siltation in Palakpakin Lake has been confirmed by studies; for instance, morphometric studies on the lake have suggested that its size appears to be getting smaller in comparison to its original crater form, and remote sensing images have shown that the inlet of the lake is suffering from siltation [7] [34]. If this infilling problem persists, then in the long term, it can significantly shorten the life span of the small lake and can make adjacent low-lying areas susceptible to flooding [8] [19].

One possible solution to the siltation problem is sand/soil extraction in Palakpakin Lake, particularly near the inlet, Pagbuga Stream, where siltation is heaviest. Sand/soil extraction in the lake is currently banned by the administrative authorities, but it is continually practiced in small-scale by some locals. Locals have maintained that the practice is acceptable, provided that the sand/soil extraction is limited to the area near the Pagbuga Stream, the shallowest part of the lake. It will be like dredging the lake, although the extraction operation is to be done manually and in small-scale. Government agencies should seriously consider this suggestion, particularly in determining the feasibility and implications to the water resource. 

Palakpakin Lake is also surrounded by natural springs which feed water to it. The link between the natural springs and the lake, especially the former’s inflow contribution and need to be protected from ecological damage, have not been studied since the focus is usually on aquaculture management and lake’s water quality. Presently, for Palakpakin Lake and the rest of the crater lakes, no definitive program is being implemented to protect the natural springs and their watershed. The watershed of many natural springs is typically located near or within privately-owned lands; hence, it is crucial to come up with clear directives and regulations, such as banning the cutting/clearing of trees and vegetation and the construction of establishments near them. Furthermore, it is imperative that studies are conducted to clearly establish the link between the natural springs and the lake in order to elevate natural springs in the agenda of the stakeholders and authorities of the lake.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF PALAKPAKIN LAKE

The administration of Palakpakin Lake involves a multitude of overlapping laws and two key government agencies— the LLDA and the City Government of San Pablo. The mandate of the LLDA comes from The Laguna Lake Development Authority Act of 1966 (as amended by Presidential Decree 813, October 1975) or RA 4850, which is the principal law in the administration of Laguna de Bay (the largest lake in the country) and its watershed area (which includes the seven crater lakes of San Pablo City). RA 4850 created the LLDA and made it the main agency in supervising and managing the water bodies in the Laguna de Bay region (see RA 4850, section 1 and section 4). Specifically, the LLDA has the primary responsibility to promote the development of the Laguna de Bay region, while providing for environmental management and control, preservation of the quality of life and ecological systems, and the prevention of undue ecological disturbance, deterioration and pollution [20].The LLDA’s authority was strengthened by Executive Order no. 927 issued by then President F. Marcos in December 1983 which gave the LLDA the exclusive water rights over the lakes in the Laguna de Bay region. In the administrative setup, the LLDA’s central concern is Laguna de Bay while its jurisdiction over Palakpakin Lake (as well as the rest of the seven crater lakes) is incidental, being part of the watershed of the Laguna de Bay region. In practice, the downside of this administrative arrangement is that the attention and resources of the LLDA (which generally are inadequate like most government agencies) are concentrated on Laguna de Bay, its principal concern, while the small lakes within its region (the seven crater lakes and Tadlac Lake) usually take peripheral consideration.

The mandate of the City Government of San Pablo comes from The Local Government Code of 1991or RA 7160, which gives the local government unit the authority over Palakpakin Lake being municipal water. Since RA 4850 confers the administration of Palakpakin Lake to the LLDA while RA 7160 bestows the City Government the territorial jurisdiction, this implies coordinative-supplementary arrangement between the two government agencies. The LLDA lays down the comprehensive development framework and approve/disapprove the plans and projects submitted to it by the City Government. Conversely, the City Government legislate the necessary ordinances in support of the overall development strategy of the LLDA. This arrangement was reiterated in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the LLDA and the City Governments of Laguna in 1997.

On the regulation side, the LLDA takes the oversight role and the City Government takes the execution responsibilities. The City Government enforces the regulations of the LLDA since it controls the local police and the barangay units. This role was evident when the City Government demolished the illegal structures in Sampaloc Lake in the early 2000s. This capacity gives the City Government some leverage over the “upper” authority of the LLDA, as the latter’s regulatory actions on the seven crater lakes are almost always anchored on the former’s cooperation and assistance. In practice, the downside of this administrative arrangement is seen when the LLDA procrastinates in deciding on plans or projects submitted by the City Government (e.g. zoning-development plan); and when the City Government becomes reluctant in enforcing the directives of the LLDA (e.g. demolition of illegal settlers in Bunot Lake).

In administering Palakpakin Lake, the LLDA and the City government utilize the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC). The FARMC is principal organization mandated by law, specifically the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 or RA 8550 to assist government agencies in the management, development, utilization and conservation of the water resources throughout the country. The FARMCs are established from the national level to cities and municipalities and formed locally by fisherfolk organizations/cooperatives and NGOs in the locality with the assistance of the government agencies. In the Laguna de Bay region, FARMCs’ formation, sustenance and supervision, which by the Philippine Fisheries Code is under the Department of Agriculture, was devolved to the LLDA in recognition of its exclusive jurisdiction. The Philippine Fisheries Code also mandates that the FARMC be multi-representative in its composition and guarantees the organization’s funding. In practice, however, the FARMC lacks diversity, as the organization is mainly led and comprised by fisherfolks residents, particularly members of the Samahang Mangingisda ng Lawa ng Palakpakin (SMLP). The FARMC also lacks funding, as its leaders have often complained that the funds allocated to them is inadequate to effectively function, sustain and carry out the responsibilities of the organization.

Beyond the Philippine Fisheries Code, the two other laws that have direct bearing on the administration of Palakpakin Lake are the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 or RA 9275 and the Tourism Act of 2009 or RA 9593. In principle, the laws complement and supplement each other, particularly in the development of the lake. On the ground, however, the laws are also a source of divergence since each statute pushes distinct agendas over the utilization of the water resource. Specifically, the Philippine Clean Water Act advances the preservation of the water resource; the Tourism Act promotes ecotourism for socio-economic development; and the Philippine Fisheries Code underscores the interest of the fisherfolks and the fishing industry. Accordingly, the proponents of each law compete and negotiate over in the utilization of the lake. Consequently, the actions, plans and programs in Palakpakin Lake will have to be framed within the orbit that these laws and the intertwined interests they represent.

DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS IN PALAKPAKIN LAKE

With its suitability for fish farming and ecotourism, accessibility and proximity to the city, being the second largest lake among the seven crater lakes, and heavy siltation issue, one would expect that Palakpakin Lake should have been developed by now. It also has the distinction of being the preferred lake (among the seven crater lakes) for experiments and pilot studies [e.g. the lake became a pilot site: (1) in 2008, for the multi-agency project led by Ateneo de Manila University to deploy a wireless sensing network designed to monitor water quality in real time [39]; (2) in 2011, for the multi-agency project led by The Philippines Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) to deploy a wireless sensor network for aquaculture and lake resource management  [10]; and (3) in 2014, for the multi-agency project led by the Ateneo Innovation Center’s (AIC)/SkyEye to deploy an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), designed to take aerial maps of the surface of the lake and its fish pen area [42]. 

The foremost issue in Palakpakin Lake is the absence of development initiatives from the LLDA and the City Government. The LLDA’s involvement is mainly confined to its routine tasks of conducting water quality monitoring, seeding of fingerlings and clearing of water lilies [20], while the City Government’s action is mainly confined to Sampaloc Lake, the premier lake. In the past, the LLDA and the City Government’s lack of actions have been ascribed to prevailing shortage of resources and internal political dynamics. On one hand, the LLDA has often alluded to inadequate manpower (as the agency’s resources is primarily allocated to Laguna de Bay, its principal concern), and to frequent turnover of leadership resulting in varying priorities (as the agency had four different General Managers from 2005 to 2013). On the other hand, the City Government has often cited insufficient funds due the lingering budgetary deficit and sensitivity of local politicians to the pleas from vested interests, particularly against the move to take drastic actions on the lake.

The interaction between the LLDA and the City Government has also been impeded by coordination problems, diverse priorities and passing of responsibilities. For instance: (1) the Third District Congressional Office and the City Government’s project of constructing a concrete boardwalk along the main entrance of Sampaloc Lake was not properly coordinated with the LLDA; (2) when it comes to formulating a zoning-development plan, the LLDA’s priority is Pandin Lake (as the agency has acted on its own) while the City Government’s priority is Sampaloc Lake (as the local government unit intends to come up with a Master Tourism Plan for the city which includes the zoning-development plan of Sampaloc Lake); and recently, (3) when the City Government communicated its preliminary draft of the zoning-development plan for Sampaloc Lake, the LLDA responded by asking the former to craft also a “technical study plan.” Here, a technical study plan is beyond the capacity of the City Government to competently provide since the local government unit does not have the expertise. The LLDA, who has the mandate to provide technical basis for the management, policies and programs for the seven crater lakes [20] and has the pool of experts on lakes, is in a better position to do a technical study plan. Hence, the LLDA should have conducted the scientific study or at least helped the City Government in putting up one; instead of passing the responsibility to the local government unit. Moreover, these factors are aggravated by many lake residents and stakeholders who have grown cynical of the politicians and the LLDA, as the administrative agencies’ actions are seen as lacking in long term commitment and political will, and merely tokenism and symbolic efforts.

The absence of zoning-development plan is another major issue in Palakpakin Lake. The formulation of the zoning-development plan has been a major item on the agenda in forums on the seven crater lakes since the early 2000s. The LLDA and the City Government have acknowledged the necessity for such a plan; for instance, the former had recognized this in its 2005 water quality report on Palakpakin Lake, and the latter in its 2014 citizen’s charter report. A zoning-development plan is considered a basic need since it is necessary for the management, exploitation and protection of a lake. It furnishes the overall map in which the development initiatives and projects in the lake must conform to be systematic, coherent and effective. In particular, the zoning-development plan is the initial step in the administration of the natural resource, as it gives guidance to subsequent plans and precipitates subsequent actions. For example, a zoning-development plan may subdivide the lake and designate the specific area (including the extent and arrangement) for aquaculture and ecotourism; which may then, facilitate the regulation on fish farms and the promotion of tourism.

At present, the efforts of the LLDA and the City Government in formulating a zoning-development plan are concentrated on Pandin Lake and Sampaloc Lake, respectively; the former, being a prospective model for ecotourism development for the seven crater lakes and other small lakes in the country, and the latter, being the main emblem of tourism in San Pablo City [3]. Here, the LLDA had announced that the agency will come up with a zoning-development plan for Pandin Lake by December 2014, and the City Government had intended to do the same for Sampaloc Lake by October 2014. Both the LLDA and the City Government are working following the so-called “model-template” approach [6] where the development of Sampaloc Lake (as primus inter pares) takes precedence and would serve as the pattern for the other crater lakes. But when the success of the ecotourism enterprise in Pandin Lake became widely known (which, in effect, challenged the “hegemonic status” of Sampaloc Lake), the model-template framework was modified to incorporate Pandin Lake; thus, making both lakes the focus in the agenda of the administrative agencies.

The overemphasis by the LLDA and the City Government on Sampaloc Lake and Pandin Lake, and the neglect of the other crater lakes, including Palakpakin Lake, is another issue. As a rule, the seven crater lakes are all environmentally threatened [21], and hence, each equally needs immediate administrative attention. In many development initiatives, Sampaloc Lake and Pandin Lake may take precedence but not in the drafting of a zoning-development plan since it is basic to all the crater lakes. Creating a zoning-development plan largely entails minimal financial cost, as it is more labor-intensive (requiring mainly consultations and technical expertise) rather than capital-intensive. What is usually costly is the implementation of such a plan. Under this premise, the model-template framework should be further modified— all the seven crater lakes must have a zoning-development plan, and the prioritization of Sampaloc Lake and Pandin Lake should only be applied on the implementation stage. 

Concurrently having a zoning-development plan to all the seven crater lakes would bestow the following advantages: (1) better recognition of the similarities, diversities and unique features of each lake; (2) ensures that the development and management arrangement is coordinated and complementary, as the lakes are located close and customarily related to each other; and (3) guarantees that no lake is developmentally isolated and left behind. Beyond this, having a plan is empowering to the stakeholders since in crafting one, the process provides opportunity for the locals to have direct access to decision makers as well as a platform to share their views and ideas. For instance, the local leaders have suggested that the southern area of Palakpakin Lake (near the inlet of Pagbuga Stream) can be designated for tourism development since the water there is not ideal for fish farming, because it is shallow, has strong currents (especially during storms) and few illegal settlements. This local knowledge is valuable information that must be considered by government agencies in designing the zoning area of the lake. Moreover, the move to have a zoning-development plan entails substantial goodwill since, on one hand, it hints that the administrative agencies are doing something important for the lake, and on the other hand, it imparts to the people (as they participate) that they are a significant part of the process.

The absence of ecotourism development is also an immediate problem in Palakpakin Lake because it prevents opportunities, employment for the locals and fund source for the local organization, the FARMC-SMLP. Presently, only fish farming and related activities are the main sources of livelihood in the lake since no ecotourism initiatives or projects have been introduced over the years. Palakpakin Lake has a high potential as a tourist destination since it possesses picturesque natural scenery and is accessible, as there is an existing barangay road that runs along the lake’s northern side. Developing ecotourism in the lake is also consistent with the vision and development strategy of the City Government of making San Pablo City a premier eco-adventure tourist destination in the region. Correspondingly, the City Government has floated the idea of an ecotourism hub— a village-based tourism for Palakpakin Lake. With the inherent problems (such as over expansion of pens/cages, illegal settlements and water pollution) and expansion constraints to fish farming (such as the high cost of commercial feeds, the risk destruction from typhoons, and the 10-percent-limit imposed by Philippine Fisheries Code), ecotourism offers a viable alternative for developing small lakes. In general, ecotourism has the advantages of having more potential for expansion, multiplier effect and work opportunities, and being least harmful effect to the natural resource. Moreover, a key advantage in developing ecotourism in Palakpakin Lake is that the locals are receptive to it. This local openness is significant since getting the support of the lake community would remove a principal hurdle in promoting ecotourism there. 

CONCLUSION

Palakpakin Lake has not been developed despite being accessible and suitable for aquaculture and ecotourism. Among the seven crater lakes of San Pablo City, it is the second largest and has been the subject of the most number of scientific experiments. Threats to it from pollution, fish farming, illegal settlements and serious siltation problems need to be addressed. In spite of all that, LLDA and the City Government have not brought or instigated development actions on Palakpakin Lake, nor is there a definite timetable on when initiatives will be introduced. It is time for the administrative agencies to include Palakpakin Lake in their agenda instead of fixating only on Sampaloc Lake and Pandin Lake. The administrative agencies must take the following actions: (a) adjust the model-template approach of promoting development, currently heavily oriented towards Sampaloc Lake and Pandin Lake, to accommodate Palakpakin Lake and the other crater lakes; (b) create a zoning development plan, fundamental in managing-developing-conserving the natural resource and facilitating succeeding development initiatives; and (c) promote eco-tourism, key to expand livelihood and community development.

This article supplied a development-studies-based research on a small lake in the country. It is meant to partially address the gap in literature, as research is dominated by limnology and aquaculture and heavily concentrated on big lakes. It assessed the present condition and critical development issues of Palakpakin Lake. As a whole, the study advocates two aspects in Philippine lake studies. One, development studies (including governance, socio-economic, history and cultural studies) must parallel the advances in limnology and aquaculture studies to address the scholarly deficit. Two, small lakes are important, too, particularly in the country where their presence is overwhelming. To meaningfully improve the condition of lakes in the country, advancing in two aspects is necessary since they are interconnected— progress in natural-science-based studies and big-lake studies must be coupled with advances in development studies and small-lake studies, respectively. In closing, this article is a small contribution in literature, as there are still many small lakes in the country that need to be documented and analysed under the lenses of development studies. This article hopes for more studies on small lakes in the Philippines, in general, and on Palakpakin Lake, in particular.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This paper benefited, one way or another, from conversations with the following individuals: Vher Egamin, Samahang Mangingisda ng Lawa ng Palakpakin (SMLP) / Arnold Briz, SMLP / Vic Anyayahan, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management (FARMC), San Pablo City (SPC) / Fernando Espallardo, FARMC, SPC / Mandy Marin͂o, Pundasyon ng Kalikasan (Foundation of the Environment) / Roberto Azores, Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation (FSLF) / Felimar Torrizo, Seven Crater Lakes and Watershed Management Council (SCLWMC) / Lope Calanog, Consultant, Seven Lakes Tourism Master Development Plan / Maria Donalyn Eseo, Tourism Council, SPC / Ramon De Roma, Environment and Natural Resource Office, SPC (ENRO) / Emilio Tirones, Mayor’s Office, SPC / Emiliana Casbadillo, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) / Diego Reyes, Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) / Florita Moredo, LLDA.

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