The city government of San Pablo, Laguna has decided to give Sampaloc Lake, the largest of its "Seven Lakes," a much-needed "breather" by restricting activities around the lake.
In a recent social media post, the San Pablo City Information Office announced that tourist activities around the lake will be restricted from October 1 to November 15.
The "rest period" aims to give national and local government agencies the opportunity to conduct rehabilitation works on the structures around the Sampaloc Lake.
"Layon ng hakbang na ito na tiyakin ang kaligtasan ng publiko, panatilihin ang kaayusan at kalinisan, at maihanda ang Sampaloc Lake bilang isang pangunahing yaman at atraksyon para sa mga San Pableño at mga turista," the city government said in its press release.
These include the rehabilitation of the Dagatan Boulevard which circles the lake, as well as of public parks and other structures; inspection of all houses and structures around the lake for fire and structural hazards; trimming of trees around the lake; and the reorganization of waste collection programs.
The Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation (FSLF) and other organizations will also push through with their weekly cleanup activities around the Sampaloc Lake, a program that was started last September.
During the "rest period," public activities are restricted to jogging and walking along designated areas, while large-scale events such as concerts and fun runs will be strictly prohibited.
Meanwhile, vehicular entry to the Sampaloc Lake area is limited to cars belonging to residents, registered guests, fishermen, and owners and customers of business establishments with permits.
Vendors were allowed to sell their goods along the area of the lake until October 5, or until their stocks ran out.
Sampaloc Lake is the largest and best-known of the "Seven Lakes" of San Pablo City, which are one of the area's top tourist destinations.
Over the years, however, residents and environmentalists have expressed their concerns over the effects of pollution and "over-tourism" on the lakes' ecological health.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #SampalocLake