Lake Caliraya
Encyclopedia
Lake Caliraya is a man-made lake
situated in the municipalities
of Lumban
, Cavinti
, and Kalayaan
in Laguna province
, Philippines
.
, an embankment dam
started in 1939 by US Army Corps of Engineers Chief in the Philippines, Major General
Hugh J. Casey, with the approval of Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon
. The Caliraya River was dammed at its outlet from a large flat plateau area providing a large water reservoir for generating hydroelectric power for Southern Luzon
. The dam was over 100 feet (30.5 m) high from which a diversion canal was constructed several miles to the head of a steep slope about 950 feet above Laguna de Bay
. Large penstock
s were constructed diverting water down to the powerhouse below, with tailrace to the bay. The high head permitted the use of high-speed turbines and generators at relatively low unit costs. Initial estimate for the project was $5 million, or 10 million pesos, and an output of 40,000 horsepower
.
During World War II
, The dam was sabotaged by retreating Americans to prevent use by invading Japanese who rebuilt it, then, themselves sabotaged it as their own defeat approached. It was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1953 by the National Power Corporation
(NAPOCOR). For his pioneering endeavors in this area, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines in 1972 bestowed on Casey the honorary title of “the father of water power development in the Philippines.
communities. By the acquisition and consolidation of land titles surrounding the lake, they constructed a residential resort subdivision known as Sierra Lakes and the Dos Lagos Club for residents (now known as Lagos del Sol). Property values increased even more so when the main road to the lake was paved courtesy of a grant from the Japanese government and the refurbishing of the hydroelectric plant in 2004. Lake Caliraya eventually became a high-end neighborhood of vacation homes for the rich and famous.
During the 1980s, Lake Caliraya's surroundings were occupied by the local squatters and bandits posing as NPA New People's Army
, which affected tourism and development. Nevertheless, since 1985, there has been major real estate developed with the construction of several small resorts and Caliraya Springs, a golf course and country club. Despite the proliferation of squatters on the roadside due to the negligence of government agencies such as the DPWH (Dept of Public Works and Highways) and Napocor (National Power Corporation), Caliraya continues to be a haven for the rich and the elite, with activities including largemouth bass
fishing
, wind surfing, kite boarding
, wake boarding, jet skiing, water skiing, boating, golf, camping, and other sporting and recreational outdoor activities. Property values remain high, and a new generation of developments, both private and commercial, are slowly coming onstream.
. The lake experiences cool climate all year round. Winds start blowing in Lake Caliraya from the beginning of September up to late May.
Lake Caliraya's bottom, as well as the surrounding hills, are characterized by a reddish clay topsoil. The lake's floor has a very soft clay bottom. Local residents of the lake's surroundings still tell stories about certain areas in the lake that are reputed to have sucked boats down - an unfounded claim typical among superstitious locals.
, and through the years, the lake has remained the most popular bass fishing
spot in the country.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
situated in the municipalities
Municipalities of the Philippines
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit...
of Lumban
Lumban, Laguna
Lumban is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,443 people in 5,456 households. Lumban has an area of 96.08 square kilometers, the fourth largest in Laguna...
, Cavinti
Cavinti, Laguna
Cavinti is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is situated in the foothills of Sierra Madre mountain range, and part of the 4th congressional district of Laguna...
, and Kalayaan
Kalayaan, Laguna
' is a 5th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 21,203 people in 3,788 households....
in Laguna province
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Creation of the dam
Lake Caliraya was created with the construction of Caliraya DamCaliraya Dam
Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam located in the town of Lumban province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range of the Philippines. The reservoir created by the dam, Lake Caliraya, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the Philippines, and later became a popular...
, an embankment dam
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
started in 1939 by US Army Corps of Engineers Chief in the Philippines, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Hugh J. Casey, with the approval of Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...
. The Caliraya River was dammed at its outlet from a large flat plateau area providing a large water reservoir for generating hydroelectric power for Southern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. The dam was over 100 feet (30.5 m) high from which a diversion canal was constructed several miles to the head of a steep slope about 950 feet above Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...
. Large penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s were constructed diverting water down to the powerhouse below, with tailrace to the bay. The high head permitted the use of high-speed turbines and generators at relatively low unit costs. Initial estimate for the project was $5 million, or 10 million pesos, and an output of 40,000 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, The dam was sabotaged by retreating Americans to prevent use by invading Japanese who rebuilt it, then, themselves sabotaged it as their own defeat approached. It was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1953 by the National Power Corporation
National Power Corporation
The National Power Corporation , also known as the NPC or Napocor, is a state-owned company that serves as the largest provider and generator of electricity in the Philippines...
(NAPOCOR). For his pioneering endeavors in this area, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines in 1972 bestowed on Casey the honorary title of “the father of water power development in the Philippines.
Development of the area
Lake Caliraya was rediscovered in the early 60's by the Nieto and DePadua families who then popularized the lake to Manila's elite and expatriateExpatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
communities. By the acquisition and consolidation of land titles surrounding the lake, they constructed a residential resort subdivision known as Sierra Lakes and the Dos Lagos Club for residents (now known as Lagos del Sol). Property values increased even more so when the main road to the lake was paved courtesy of a grant from the Japanese government and the refurbishing of the hydroelectric plant in 2004. Lake Caliraya eventually became a high-end neighborhood of vacation homes for the rich and famous.
During the 1980s, Lake Caliraya's surroundings were occupied by the local squatters and bandits posing as NPA New People's Army
New People's Army
The New People's Army is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA conducts its armed guerrilla struggle based on the strategical line of 'protracted people's war'.The NPA exacts so called "revolutionary taxes" from business owners...
, which affected tourism and development. Nevertheless, since 1985, there has been major real estate developed with the construction of several small resorts and Caliraya Springs, a golf course and country club. Despite the proliferation of squatters on the roadside due to the negligence of government agencies such as the DPWH (Dept of Public Works and Highways) and Napocor (National Power Corporation), Caliraya continues to be a haven for the rich and the elite, with activities including largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, wind surfing, kite boarding
Kite boarding
Kite boarding is a sport based on kitesurfing and snowboarding. It involves the use of a snowboard, with the most obsessed riders buying or building slightly modified snowboards for greater impacts, creating, essentially, a sturdy snowboard, as well as the use of a kite similar to the kite used in...
, wake boarding, jet skiing, water skiing, boating, golf, camping, and other sporting and recreational outdoor activities. Property values remain high, and a new generation of developments, both private and commercial, are slowly coming onstream.
Geography and geological phenomenon
Lake Caliraya is situated approximately 1,200 feet above sea level, and is perched high in the Sierra MadreSierra Madre (Philippines)
The Sierra Madre is a mountain range in The Philippines. It is located along the north-eastern coast of Luzon Island, running north/south. Quezon National Forest Park is situated in the range.-Geography:...
. The lake experiences cool climate all year round. Winds start blowing in Lake Caliraya from the beginning of September up to late May.
Lake Caliraya's bottom, as well as the surrounding hills, are characterized by a reddish clay topsoil. The lake's floor has a very soft clay bottom. Local residents of the lake's surroundings still tell stories about certain areas in the lake that are reputed to have sucked boats down - an unfounded claim typical among superstitious locals.
Lake surroundings and islands
The lake's surroundings have been compared to various North American resorts, as suggested by the abundance of pine trees which were introduced by some of the early developers to replace many of the coconut trees, as well as year-round cool climate, and verdant hills. Also, numerous islands of various shapes and sizes have been formed during the creation of the dam lake. All are unnamed. The biggest island is approximately as big as Rizal Park, while the smallest is actually a sandbar about 3 square meters often submerged during high water. This tiny island can be viewed from Lagos del Sol Resort.Bass fishing
The early developers (Kalaw, Nieto and the de Padua families) seeded the lake with largemouth bassLargemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, and through the years, the lake has remained the most popular bass fishing
Bass fishing
Bass fishing is the activity of angling for the North American gamefish known colloquially as the black bass. There are numerous black bass species considered as gamefish in North America, including largemouth bass , smallmouth bass , Spotted bass or Kentucky bass , Guadalupe bass Bass fishing is...
spot in the country.
Resorts
Lake Caliraya is well-known as the Bass fishing capital of the Philippines and a windsurfing haven for Manilans.- CaliRana Resort: Bgy. East Talaungan, CavintiCavinti, LagunaCavinti is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is situated in the foothills of Sierra Madre mountain range, and part of the 4th congressional district of Laguna...
, Laguna. Facing Cavinti town (Direction of east). - Lake Caliraya Country Club: Bgy. Lewin, LumbanLumban, LagunaLumban is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,443 people in 5,456 households. Lumban has an area of 96.08 square kilometers, the fourth largest in Laguna...
, Laguna. Facing Kalayaan town (Direction of north). - Caliraya Re-Creation Center: Bgy. Lewin, LumbanLumban, LagunaLumban is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,443 people in 5,456 households. Lumban has an area of 96.08 square kilometers, the fourth largest in Laguna...
, Laguna. Facing Kalayaan town (Direction of north). - Caliraya Hilltop: Bgy. Caliraya, LumbanLumban, LagunaLumban is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,443 people in 5,456 households. Lumban has an area of 96.08 square kilometers, the fourth largest in Laguna...
, Laguna. Facing Cavinti town (Direction of south). - Lagos del Sol: Bgy. Kanluran Talaongan CavintiCavinti, LagunaCavinti is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is situated in the foothills of Sierra Madre mountain range, and part of the 4th congressional district of Laguna...
, Laguna. Facing Kalayaan town (Direction of north).