Bodies of water any where in the world have played major roles in supporting generations of men and women on earth. For instant, rivers like the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates combination paved way for the rise of Egypt and Mesopotamia. They have indeed sustained the lives of these civilizations by the advantages they brought for livelihood and protection plus the access to move civilizations existing on the surface of the planet earth. Here in Lanao, we have our very own Lake Lanao supporting much of our households in terms of the hydro-electric power it produces through power plants that regulate the electricity supply all-over Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. However, a threat seems to gradually envelope the abundance of the lake. Human irresponsibility has contributed major problems which will soon put the surrounding provinces around the lake into a fatal situation. Dangers are continually thriving until now and apathy is the only countering force about the scenario. What will be of our own Ranao if people would still imbibe that sense of negligence within themselves? I tell you, the drastic changes would not only mean merely destruction or contamination but the feared the Apocalypse of the Maranaos.
Lake Lanao is the second largest freshwater lake in the Philippines and counted as one of the 15 ancient lakes in the world. It is located in the Province of Lanao del Sur, in the heart of Mindanao at 701.35 meters above sea level. It has an area of 354.60 square kilometers and a mean depth of 60 meter, with the deepest part at 112 meter. One of the five oldest lakes in the world is the center of Maranao life and the source of at least 70% of electric power for the entire Mindanao. The lake is used to extensively to transport other goods and services and used this for treading and fishing’s. This will also give chances to the people beside the lake to explore it. There are lot of benefits that Meranaos get from the lake, this is the major source of food and main transport that serves also the cultural and religious practices and activities of the group. Almost 20-30 MW of power supply out of the 727.1 MW total installed capacity of the six power plant. Employment of selected Maranaos in the Agus 1 and Agus 2 and it's 1% of gross sales from Agus 1 and Agus 2 only. Due to indiscriminate logging in the lake’s watersheds, subsiding water level of the lake as an offshoot of the operation of six hydroelectric plants along Agus River, and unmanaged solid waste materials and waste water, the lake is headed for an environmental disaster that will adversely affect the lives of thousands of people living in the 18 towns and one city around it. Freshwater fish production is already severely affected. The problem of rapidly-increasing garbage is threatening not just the well-being of Marawi City, but that of Lake Lanao, a critical source of power, water and food for the city and several towns in Lanao del Sur. The people residing along the shorelines of the lake immediately felt the effect, in the form of flooding and drying the shorelines. Before the operation of the hydroelectric power plants in the province of Lanao del Sur, the lake has 42 classes of fish and animal species, but sadly, because of the exploitation of the natural resources throughout decades, the local populace stands to lose the purity of the lake. The water pollution define as biological, chemical, or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organism or makes water unsuitable for desired uses. Biological, such as bacteria or viruses. Chemical, including heavy metal, nutrients, pesticides and wastes. Physical, such as sediments, radioactive material, and heat.
Through the irresponsibleness and carelessness of the people of the lake this will led to the destruction of the lake itself. If the people of lake continuing throwing garbages anywhere and not taking good care of it, i don't think if this will be enjoyed by the next generation to generation and may be they will not see the beauty of the lake and would lose the lake. Lake Lanao is one of the ancient lakes of the world and it must be protected, conserved, developed to ensure the future generation's share from its Apocalypse of the Meranaos people.
Thank you to Sir Engr. Pipalawan Naga for giving me an information about Lake Lanao.
