Tadlac 1991
by Oliver Carlos
In the early months of 2021, an alarming news story was aired on television and made its rounds in social media too. It’s about steam that gushed out of some imburnal in a subdivision in Los Banos. At first, so many people were troubled. They thought that Mt. Makiling might just erupt. That mountain is actually a dormant volcano, and an eruption is a possibility. However, when government scientists investigated the phenomenon, they were quick to pronounce that there’s no impending danger. There’s lots of hot springs in my hometown Los Banos, and seeing such steam come out from the ground is normal.
I fully understand the government report. Aside than their reconnaissance, let me add a little history to it. I was an eyewitness to the transformation of the area beginning in 1991, that’s exactly 30 years before the said news story. I was a BS Human Ecology student doing a community study of Barangay Tadlac, Los Banos, Laguna.
Tadlac is famous for the Crocodile Lake. It’s a small round lake that is said to be bottomless. It’s way, way deeper than Laguna de Bay which is just beside it. It’s actually the crater of a small extinct volcano. Locals call that lake “Babaeng Dagatan,” or female lake. There is also a “Lalaking Dagatan” south of it, inside the confines of Barangay Lalakay. Lalaking Dagatan is more of a pond than a lake. It is oblong-shaped and is very much smaller than Crocodile Lake. In between the 2 lakes is a vast marshland that shoots up steam every morning. The ground water beneath is so hot. The artesian wells near the marsh pours out water nearing boiling point. One could cook an egg in a minute with that water. I saw these artesian wells with my very own eyes and felt its extremely hot water with my hands. I even had pictures of the marshland emitting steam in the morning, but sadly, I cannot find my 1991 Tadlac photos anymore.
However, some people from the outside came in, and the place was pristine no more. Firstly, the ridge on the west of Crocodile Lake was quarried. I believe it is part of Barangay Masili, Calamba. You can see today that there’s an eyesore gap on the ridge. It began in the early 1990s.
Then, subdivisions were built south of Crocodile Lake. The marshland was covered with soil, and streets were built on it. That’s the reason why there are steams that jet out of the gutter vents occasionally, just like the one in the news report.
I don’t know if you’re pro or against the exploitation of nature for human use and economic gain. This is one big question we had in our class discussions in Human Ecology. How far can we humans use nature in the name of development?
It is Biblical that we should take care of the environment. It’s one of God’s earliest assignments given to humans. When Adam was created and placed in the Garden of Eden, he was tasked to take care of it.
“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” (Genesis 2:15, NLT)
We are supposed to be good stewards of everything given to us by God, and that includes the environment. It’s common knowledge that if we harm the environment, we are also harming ourselves. The actions we make have consequences; they bounce back on us. If we deforest our mountains and scrape off land from their slopes, it will lead to loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, landslides, and floods. That’s basic. The sight also becomes an eye sore.
When God placed the first humans in the Garden of Eden, he wanted them to develop a great sense of responsibility and accountability. God wanted Adam and Eve to understand that they must take care of everything entrusted to them. They must think that the real owner of this is God, and being a good steward is one way of honoring him. Fast forward to our time, the task is still on. Let us rise up and live up to the challenge.
