Caliraya Lake — Attraction in Lumban

Lake Caliraya is a man-made lake situated in the municipalities of Lumban, Cavinti, and Kalayaan in Laguna province, Philippines. Created in 1939, the lake has developed as a popular spot for water sports and outdoor recreation including fishing. Surrounding the lake are a number of resorts and vacation homes which cater to tourists.

Lake Caliraya was created after the construction of Caliraya Dam, an embankment dam started in 1939 by US Army Corps of Engineers Chief in the Philippines, Lieutenant Colonel (later 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 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 penstocks 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.[1]

Development of the areaEdit

Lake Caliraya was rediscovered in the late 60's by the Nieto and De Padua families who then popularized the lake to Manila's elite and expatriate 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.[2]

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...

Lake Caliraya is a man-made lake situated in the towns of Lumban, Cavinti, and Kalayaan in Laguna province, Philippines. 🏝

History

Lake Caliraya was created in 1937 by the US Army Corps of Engineers headed by Major General Hugh J. Casey by flooding the Cavinti valley of the Sierra Madre to generate hydroelectric power for Manila. It was sabotaged by retreating Americans to prevent use by the invading Japanese who rebuilt it, then themselves sabotaged it as their own defeat approached. The Americans placed largemouth bass in the lake. Through the years, the lake remains the most popular bass fishing spot in the country. It was 'discovered' in the early 70's by Manila tourists who then popularized the lake to Manila's elite and expatriate community. Property value increased dramatically, more so when the main road was upgraded to concrete and the hydroelectric plant...

Except for the jet skis in particular resorts, this is a calm and refreshing ecotourism destination. We took a 1-hour boat tour around the lake from Surf Kamp last August 1, 2021 and enjoyed the tour, seeing lush greeneries and remote islands that we thought we could camp in someday. But from an environmentalist's perspective, I was concerned about houses and buildings built along the shore (ignoring the legal water easement). There was also a place along the lakeshore which was recently cleared thru kaingin and another which had tons of garbage. I hope the local authorities could...