THE BEAUTY OF

Taal Lake

PUBLISHED March 12, 2009

PHOTOGRAPHY and WORDS BY MARIANO SAYNO

Taal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Philippines. It’s also known as Bombon Lake during its early years. It is a freshwater lake in Batangas province and fills the Taal Caldera, an enormous volcanic crater that was formed when the Taal Volcano erupted between 500,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Besides being the third largest lake in the Philippines, it is also known for having one of the most active volcanoes in all of Southeast Asia—the Taal Volcano.

The lake was once an inlet of nearby Balayan Bay, but due to series of major eruptions of Taal Volcano in the early 18th century, it blocked the lake’s sole outlet to the sea causing the waters to rise. Eventually, several lakeside towns like Lipa, Taal, Sala, Bauan and Tanauan were submerged by the lake.

Present poblaciones or town centers along the lakeshore are Talisay, Cuenca, Alitagtag, Mataas na Kahoy, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Laurel, Santa Teresita and Balete surrounded by current lake waters at present time.

The Taal Lake basin was first declared as a national park, known as the Taal Volcano National Park on July 22, 1967, covering 62,292 hectares (153,930 acres).

The lake was once an inlet of nearby Balayan Bay, but due to series of major eruptions of Taal Volcano in the early 18th century, it blocked the lake’s sole outlet to the sea causing the waters to rise. Eventually, several lakeside towns like Lipa, Taal, Sala, Bauan and Tanauan were submerged by the lake.

Present poblaciones or town centers along the lakeshore are Talisay, Cuenca, Alitagtag, Mataas na Kahoy, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Laurel, Santa Teresita and Balete surrounded by current lake waters at present time.

The Taal Lake basin was first declared as a national park, known as the Taal Volcano National Park on July 22, 1967, covering 62,292 hectares (153,930 acres).

The waters of the lake have sheltered many endemic species, including Malipoto or Trevally—a freshwater-adapted fish that has evolved in these desalinated waters. Another endemics is Sardinella Tawilis (freshwater sardines), threatened by overfishing.

The lake also has a population of Hydrophis semperi, one of the world’s rarest sea snakes—hence its name as Lake Taal snake.

Taal Lake can be appreciated when viewed from Tagaytay City, which provides an overview of both Taal Volcano and Lake Taal. Visitors can see panoramic views of both Taal Volcano and Lake Taal as they travel through Tagaytay City on their way to or from Taal Volcano. For travelers who wanted to see the lake in ground level, one can visit Talisay for some water activities like kayaking, boating or simply dining out in restaurants and resorts along the lake.

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Balayan Bay

Among the many contributions of Balayan Bay that Batanguenos are proud of, the bay served as a fishing village and a summer retreat for locals

Taal Church Basilica

This Minor Basilica is canonically known as the Minor Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours and is located in the town of Taal, Batangas, within

Sigpawan Festival

Each year, the Sigpawan Festival, which is held in Lemery, Batangas, takes place on Easter Sunday. The highlight of the festival is the Fluvial procession

Calaca Church

It is with Raphael the Archangel that the 184-year-old Spanish Colonial era church in Batangas gets its name. The Calaca Church is more commonly known