Lake Sampaloc - Philippines

Lake Sampaloc is one of seven interconnected crater lakes in the Province of Laguna, only 70 kilometres southeast of Metro Manila. Lake Sampaloc is the biggest and the most famous of the seven lakes, located in the heart of San Pablo City known as “City of Seven Lakes” - Bunot, Palakpakin, Mohicap, Yambo, Pandin, Calibato and Sampaloc. These lakes are an important resting ground for migratory birds from the north (China and Japan), e. g. White Egrets.

The seven lakes are rather small: Sampaloc (1.04 sq. km), Palakpakin (0.43 sq. km), Calibato (0.42 sq. km), Bunot (0.35 sq. km), Yambo (0.28 sq. km), Pandin (0.20 sq. km) and Mohicap (0.14 sq. km).

Lake Sampaloc has for many generations provided food and livelihood, leisure and respite for the citizens of the city. Its maximum depth measures 27 metres, the average depth is 20 m. Its width is 1.2 km.

The lakes are extremely threatened by human influence (illegal settlement along the shores and resulting pollution) and diverse activities (illegal fish-pens, overfeeding and crowded fish cages) as well as existent infrastructures near the lake for commercial purposes. The overuse of commercial fish feeding has resulted in high nitrogen levels, low dissolved oxygen and a proliferation of water lilies. Fish cages still occupy more than 40 % compared to the allowable 10 % of the surface area set by law.

The Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation (FSLF) is a non-profit foundation in the Philippines that is run by 6 voluntary staff members. The NGO was founded in the year 2000. FSLF's vision is the management of the natural lake environment. FSLF is an environmentalist advocacy group promoting conservation, protection and rehabilitation of the seven lakes of San Pablo City. It also coordinates and supports initiatives for the sustainable management of the seven lakes and educates communities around the lakes on ecologically sustainable practices.

Partner organisation:

Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation

Contact person: Bobby Azores (Director)

Farmers Building

Malvar cor Lopez Jaena Streets

San Pablo City 4000 Laguna

Philippines 

E-mail: friends7lakes@gmail.com

Website www.freewebs.com/fslf; http://friends7lakes.multiply.com