INTRODUCTION

Batangas province is located at Southern Luzon and housed to diverse

cultures and tourist spots that have captured the hearts, not only of the community

people but also people from all over the world.

The province has become one of the most popular regions in the country.

Batangueños are known for their distinct accent when conversing and for saying

lines like “Ala eh!”, “Ay, kumusta ga?” or “Sinsay muna dine.” Aside from that, they

are also known for delicacies such as Kapeng Barako, Tsokolate Tablea, sumang

magkayakap, lomi, bulalo, ginataang manok sa dilaw, Tapang Taal, Calderetang

Kambing and the lists of the food goes on that is one of the factors why local and

foreign tourists kept coming back to the place.

Apart from the food, the people and the resorts, the place is also known for

its natural beauty including having waterfalls. Tingga Falls is only one of the many

natural wonders of the province of Batangas that deserves a visit. The clear water

from the many springs and streams in the area gushes through weathered rock

and lands in its picturesque base below. The falls is about 30 meters high, with a

swimming area at its base, and the area is adorned and surrounded by curious

rock formations and verdant vegetation. It is semi-developed with concrete steps

built for easy access. The area exudes a cool, relaxing, refreshing atmosphere

where the visitor can relax, swim and soak their stress and worries away. Water

coming from the falls is known to have therapeutic effects to the people who will

bathe with it or drink the water coming from it. Because of this, people who are
suffering from different kinds of illnesses have come to the waterfalls to find

remedy for their health difficulties.

PROBLEM

As time passes, environs of Batangas City became contaminated.

According to Tingga Labac chairman, the contamination of the waterfall started

since the 80s. People nearby the falls dump their wastes in the river. People in the

community seemed to feel invincible from any type of danger they have caused to

the environment until the wastes that they are dumping causes the death of the

once magnificent waterfall.

When Batangas City Water District started operating, people in the city

together with Tingga Labac gained easier access to clean water. With the BCWD,

potable water became just a grip of faucet away. Because of this, residents from

Tingga Labac shy away from the waterfall until their visits in the fall became just

limited during special occasions such as Lenten Season.

Being independent from Tingga Falls for survival, residents became to

neglect it. Wastes including synthetic debris and animal manures and remains are

dumped in the riverbanks causing it to be polluted.

Also, with the advent of hog raising especially backyard farming in the

nearby barangays and municipality like Soro-Soro Ibaba, Soro-Soro Karsada and

Ibaan have paved way for a more polluted waterfall that smells too foul that poses

health risk to the residents living near Tingga Falls.