Laguna de Bay: The Good Old Days

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Laguna de Bay
en.wikipedia.org

The Philippines is a tropical country, and the summer season is now hitting the country. So, prep your summer outfit and sunnies and gear up to hit the beach.

Wait, forget what I said.

We're not hitting the beach.

Instead, let's talk about our very own sanctuary of the creatures under the sea, the Laguna de Bay.

Laguna Lake was once a source of clean water for the people from the three barangays in the first district. Caingin, Aplaya, and Sinalhan were located beside the lake and the settlers of the said barangays mostly relied on the lake as its source of food and incoming. They used it for their living, but sadly they never returned the favor.

When I was just a kid, my mom used to tell me how clear the water in Laguna lake, they often used it to wash their clothes and took a bath during the summer season.

Sabado de Gloria was a holiday I always looked forward to along with my cousins all for the reason that it was also our chance to go swimming and enjoy the water without paying any fees. The water in the lake was already polluted during those days, but Sabado de Gloria was a day of a miracle for us. The muddy water became lighter and we could see the stones and dead shells. It was a simple delight we always indulge ourselves in.

Then, something happened.

I saw a yellow submarine.

That day, I stepped out of the water and I stopped going to the lake for a swim since then.

It was poop. For the lake's sake! It was a fresh yellow poop, about three inches long probably.

And as I grew older, the water condition got worse. I had hopes that may be, just maybe the water would turn clear during Holy Week, but it didn't.

I never got a chance to dip my foot in the lake since my encounter with Mr. Yellow Submarine, and I just had this thought that I might visit the lake one of these days. You might want to check out Laguna lake too, and an idea might pop out to save or at least minimize the destruction of Laguna de Bay. Wasn't that a bit hopeful for such a hopeless bay? I think not.

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