Restoration, Development and Governance of Dagatan Lake,

San Antonio, Quezon, Philippines

This is the authors’ original manuscript of an article published in

Taiwan Water Conservancy Journal (2017), vol. 65, no.1, pp. 44–54

Bing Baltazar C. Brillo, PhD.

UP Scientist and Associate Professor
Institute for Governance and Rural Development
College of Public Affairs and Development
University of the Philippines Los Ban͂ os
Email: bbbrillo@yahoo.com; bcbrillo@up.edu.ph

Ephraim C. Quinones, M.A.

Assistant Professor
Institute for Governance and Rural Development
College of Public Affairs and Development
University of the Philippines Los Ban͂ os

Aileen V. Lapitan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Institute for Governance and Rural Development
College of Public Affairs and Development
University of the Philippines Los Ban͂ os

Abstract

Predicated on the scarcity of socio-political studies on small lakes in the Philippines and
on a small town’s successful revival of a ‘dead’ lake, the article looks into the governance and
development experience of Dagatan Lake. Specifically, it delineates the governance practice in
Dagatan Lake using the critical areas identified in the Integrated Lake Basin Management’s
(ILBM) framework, and explains the key factors behind the small lake’s restoration. The study
finds that: (a) on institutions— an ‘active’ local government was a decisive factor in the restora-
tion project; (b) on policies— the formulation of a Master Development Plan (MDP) is a vital
management-development issue; (c) on participation— the practice of development continues to
be top-down; (d) on technology and information— scientific interventions remain critical in sus-
taining the conservation efforts; (e) on finance— partnership with the private sector should be
explored post-restoration. The study contends that the successful restoration of Dagatan Lake
was anchored on the confluence of three factors: (i) the local government’s adoption of agri-
tourism strategy; (ii) local lobbying for the lake’s preservation; and (iii) the tapping of informal
ties to DA-BFAR for assistance. The article expands governance and development studies on
small lakes in the country as it places Dagatan Lake on the map of scholarly discourse.

"1
 Keywords

Dagatan Lake, Development, Governance, Lake Restoration,

San Antonio, Small Lake, Philippines

1. INTRODUCTION

Dagatan Lake is a small freshwater lake situated in San Antonio, Quezon. By road, it is
only 10 kilometres away from Tikub Lake of Tiaong, Quezon (see Figure 1), and about 27 kilo-
metres away from the seven crater lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna. Unlike those other small
lakes, which are relatively well-known in the Philippines, Dagatan Lake has been so little-
known that it was even thought of as a dead or dried-up lake. Until recently, it has been virtually
unheard of in scholarly literature, particularly in lake studies in the country (see Brillo 2015a).
Dagatan Lake’s successful restoration— making it the ‘newest’ small lake in the country invites
query as how a fourth-class municipality with relatively less resources than most towns, was able
to pull it off where others failed. Such remarkable achievement offers a good case for illustrating
and evaluating the governance and development of a small lake, considering that many small
lakes in the country are arbitrarily governed and ecologically threatened (e.g., Aralar et al. 2005;
Fernandez 2011; Aralar et al. 2013; LLDA 2014; GNF 2014). Small lakes also suffer from schol-
arly neglect despite prevalence in the country as the overwhelming majority of lake studies heav-
ily concentrate on the major lakes (Brillo 2015a; see also Guerrero III 2001, 2005). On top of
this, the few existing information about small lakes mostly relate to limnology and aquaculture
studies, evidently pointing to the paucity of socio-political studies (Brillo 2015a; see also Brillo
2015b,c, 2016a,b,c). The imbalance in literature makes it imperative to generate more of the
much-needed academic research on governance and development of small inland water resources
in the country.

The article assesses the governance and the restoration-development of Dagatan Lake. In
particular, it delineates the governance of Dagatan Lake using the critical areas identified by the
Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM), explains the key factors behind the small lake’s
restoration and development, and elucidates the issues and lessons drawn from the experience.
On the whole, the study aims to literally put Dagatan Lake on the map of scholarly literature
(specifically, in small lake studies, and generally, in water resources studies) and advance the
governance-development studies on small lake in the country. As a caveat, the paper defines a
small lake as an inland body of water that is permanent in nature (not intermittent) with a surface
area of at least one hectare but not more than 200 hectares (see Brillo 2015a). The concept of
restoration, development and governance are broadly defined in the study. Simply, restoration
refers to the process of reviving and rehabilitating the lake and its ecosystem; development refers
to the process of bring economic and/or social improvement in the lake and its community; and

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governance refers to the systems and process of managing, utilising and conserving the small
lake.

2. METHODOLOGY AND METHODS

The study employed a case study design in examining the governance and development
of Dagatan Lake. Data drawn from interviews, focused group discussions, site observations and
few existing documents on the lake were analysed using content analysis approach where they
are classified into a set of criteria. The criteria adopted are that of the ILBM’s critical areas of
governance: (a) institutions (refer to the presence of effective organisations), (b) policies (refer to
the existence of broad plans and specific rules), (c) participation (refers to the involvement of
people), (d) technology (refers to the utilisation of technological interventions) and information
(refers to the adoption of traditions and scientific knowledge), and (e) finance (refers to the ade-
quacy and sustainability of funds) (see ILEC 2007; Nakamura and Rast 2012). The ILBM is the
most recent approach in lake governance which, in principle, takes a holistic perspective and is
committed to integrated management of lakes and their basin via incremental, continuous and
improvement of governance (Nakamura and Rast 2011). The findings are outlined in a narrative
presentation which proceeds as follows: first, the status, restoration and development of Dagatan
Lake; second, the assessment of the small lake’s governance; and the conclusion.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 The Status, Restoration and Development of Dagatan Lake

Dagatan Lake is an inland water resource located in Barangay San Jose in the Municipali-
ty of San Antonio, Quezon. It is rectangular-shaped and has a surface area of around seven
hectares only (see Figure 2). The small lake’s main access point is its northern tip at Barangay
San Jose Road, which connects to the Tiaong-Lipa Highway. Unlike Tikub Lake and the seven
crater lakes which are volcanic in origin (LLDA 2008; PAWD-CENRO 2013), Dagatan Lake is a
natural depression which has served as the catch basin of the surrounding lands. It has no water
inlets and outlets or flowing natural springs which, consequently, makes the water level shrink
during summer and swell back during rainy season. It becomes replenished by rainfall and sur-
face runoff, and gets discharged by seepage, evaporation and overflow to the adjacent rice fields.
In the past, Dagatan Lake was utilised for subsistence fishing, domestic purposes (e.g., washing
clothes, bathing, and as waterhole for animals), and as a traditional water source for crop cultiva-
tion. In the 1950s, the local fisherfolk introduced and cultivated water hyacinths in the small lake
to enhance it as spawning grounds of the native fishes. However, the water hyacinths proliferated
uncontrollably, eventually covering the surface of the entire lake (PAWD-CENRO 2013). Over
the years, many people were led to believe that the small lake had dried up completely.

In the 1980s, locals lobbied for the local government to include the revival of Dagatan
Lake in San Antonio’s agricultural development agenda. They insisted that the small lake contin-
ue to subsist as water remains beneath the dense covering vegetation. In response, the Municipal

"3
Agriculture and Fisheries Council (MAFC) launched a project to introduce tilapia farming in
Dagatan Lake. The project facilitated the establishment of a cooperative, clearing a portion of the
vegetation, and the installation of ten fish cages. However, tilapia cage farming in Dagatan Lake
only flourished for as long as the local government sponsored the project. It lasted for only a
couple of years due mainly to slow fish growth and management issues. Since the project’s fail-
ure, Dagatan Lake had remained untouched by development activities for the next two decades.
Eventually, the small lake was reclaimed by water hyacinth and surrounding grasses, reaching
the point where the surface of the small lake was completely covered by vegetation. The relapse
reinforced the notion among the locals that Dagatan Lake has dried up and is well on its way to
being forgotten (see Figure 3).

At the heels of the Tourism Act of 2009 (Republic Act [RA] 9593), which endorses
tourism as a major engine of the national economy, the Municipal Government adopted agri-
tourism as a key strategy in promoting socio-economic development in 2010. In particular, the
local government decided to prioritise tourism promotion through its vision of making the town
‘the resort capital of Quezon Province’ (Local Government of San Antonio 2012). Under this
context, the possibility of restoring and developing Dagatan Lake became an administrative
agenda. The local government grounded the idea to rehabilitate the small lake on past claims that
the lake is not dead and that there is still water below the heavy covering of vegetation. In addi-
tion, local officials believed that reviving the Dagatan Lake will improve the irrigation needs of
the farmers within the vicinity of the small lake. The move to revive the small lake was boosted
by the Philippine Association of Water Districts’ (PAWD) and Community Environment and
Natural Resources Office’s (CENRO) joint initial assessment of Dagatan Lake. The assessment
reports the following: (a) the lake is in a degenerative state, mostly covered with water hyacinth
and cattails; (b) the lake’s water can still be found about half a meter below the accumulated
vegetation; and (c) that the lake is teeming with native fishes, particularly the native catfish
(PAWD-CENRO 2013; see also Local Government of San Antonio 2013).

Being a fourth-class municipality with limited resources, the initial action taken by the
local government was to seek external funding for the proposed restoration project— the clean-
ing and rehabilitation of Dagatan Lake. Early on, the Municipal Government sought financial
assistance from various agencies but to no avail. The request of the local government was either
turned down or unanswered by the likes of the Provincial Government, the Department of Envi-
ronment and Natural Resources, the Department of Tourism, and the Philippine Army. The cru-
cial break came in 2012 when the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries
and Aquaculture Resources (BFAR) manifested to the local government their interest in Dagatan
Lake’s restoration project. The development of the linkage between the Municipal Government
and DA-BFAR may be credited to key officials from the province of Quezon who have ties with
San Antonio. For instance, Secretary Proceso J. Alcala of DA had been a two-term representative
of the second district of Quezon, to which the town of San Antonio belongs. At the same time,
Director Asis G. Perez of BFAR hails from the town of Tiaong, an immediate neighbour of San
Antonio. This favourable circumstance facilitated the local government’s quest in securing re-
source assistance for the project. DA-BFAR agreed to provide funds and technical support for

"4
Dagatan Lake’s rehabilitation project under its fishery enhancement program for inland water
resources (Palma 2015a,b). In particular, the conservation of the indigenous fish species found in
the small lake, specifically Clarias macrocephalus (native catfish), Monopterus albus (Asian
swamp eel), Trichogaster pectoralis (Snakeskin gourami), Cyprinus carpio (Common carp), Ore-
ochromis sp. (Red tilapia), and Channa striata (Snakehead murrel). Since most of these freshwa-
ter fishes are endangered, their preservation was used as the main rationale for reviving Dagatan
Lake.

Under the DA-BFAR fishery enhancement program, Dagatan Lake restoration project
was officially launched on 25 March 2013. The funds allotted totalled 2.5 million pesos in 2013,
1.3 million pesos in 2014, and an additional 1.3 million pesos for the rehabilitation of the lake
after typhoon Glenda. At the onset, the restoration project utilised 80 labourers from the com-
munity to manually clear and remove the overlaying vegetation of the lake (Local Government
of San Antonio 2013) (see Figure 4 and 5). The three-year rehabilitation project included the fol-
lowing activities: habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, fisheries repopulation, mainte-
nance of fish refuge/sanctuary, and buffer zone rehabilitation (Palma 2015a). On the whole, the
restoration of Dagatan Lake has resulted in the revival of indigenous fisheries resources, en-
hancement in the irrigation services of the inland water resources, and the fomentation of eco-
tourism development (Palma 2015b).

3.2 The Assessment of the Governance of Dagatan Lake

The ILBM is an approach in lake governance that is globally promoted by the In-
ternational Lake Environment Committee (ILEC). It is based on the lessons learned from a study
conducted by the Global Environment Facility-Lake Basin Management Initiative (GEF-LBMI)
of 28 major lakes around the world from 2003 to 2005. In principle, the ILBM is grounded on
the distinct properties of lakes: (a) integrating nature (that is, various forms of pollutants from
diverse sources end up in lakes); (b) long retention time (that is, pollutants stay on the lake for a
long time due to its depth, water volume, and stagnant nature); and (c) complex response dynam-
ics (that is, as the ‘mixing bowl’ of various pollutant inputs, changes and interventions in the lake
are intertwined, non-linear and multifaceted). As a governance and development approach, the
ILBM underscores the watershed/basin system of lakes and is committed to integrated manage-
ment for their sustainable use (see ILEC 2007; Nakamura and Rast 2011).

In applying the ILBM to Dagatan Lake, the approach focuses on the critical areas in the
governance and development of the small lake, specifically: (a) institutions that refer to the pres-
ence of agencies and/or organisations committed to the administering of the lake; (b) policies,
which refer to plans and programs providing clear directions in managing and developing the
lake; (c) participation, which refers to the practice of involving people in decisions and/or en-
deavours in the lake; (d) technology and information, which refer to the utilisation of technologi-
cal interventions to improve the management/conservation of the lake and application of scientif-
ic/traditional knowledge to better understand the issues/problems; and (e) finance, which refers
to the institutionalisation of a fund generation mechanism.

"5
 Institutions. Dagatan Lake is under the administration of the Municipal Government of
San Antonio, Quezon. This authority emanates from the Local Government Code of the Philip-
pines (RA 7160) which gives jurisdiction to the local government over the small lake as part of
its geographical territory. In particular, the offices of the Municipal Agriculturist, the Municipal
Environment and Natural Resources (MENRO), and the Municipal Tourism are collectively re-
sponsible for the management, development and conservation of Dagatan Lake. The Municipal
Government is assisted by two national agencies DA-BFAR and DENR-CENRO. The former
was instrumental in the restoration project as fund source, and the latter conducted the prelimi-
nary assessment on the small lake. On the ground, the local government administers the small
lake via the Dagatan Lake Fisherfolk Association (DLFA) which enforces the regulations and
maintenance activities. DLFA was organised in 2014, as the municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Re-
sources Management Council (MFARMC) of the small lake, pursuant to the mandate of the
Fisheries Code of the Philippines of 1998 (RA 8550). Presently, DLFA-MFARMC has 15 mem-
bers (mostly lake residents), some of whom are provided allowance by the Municipal Govern-
ment and designated as full-time lake maintenance workers of Dagatan Lake.

The foremost factor that worked for the revival of Dagatan Lake is ‘active’ efforts of the
local government. The Municipal Government of San Antonio took the initiative and was reso-
lute in pursuing the restoration agenda of the small lake. Despite early setbacks, the local gov-
ernment was persistent in exploring possible avenues for generating the needed funds and help
for its project. It succeeded when it was able to tap into informal ties— connecting with DA and
BFAR, which at the time were headed by key officials from Quezon province who were in some
way linked the town of San Antonio. DA-BFAR offered to finance the restoration and rehabilita-
tion of the ‘forgotten’ small lake through its fishery enhancement program for inland water re-
sources. Such commitment of a national agency was crucial since a fourth-class municipality
with tight budget constraint would unlikely have launched and completed the restoration project
by itself. In addition, the revival of Dagatan Lake also benefited from having a consensus sup-
port since there is virtually no opposition to the project from the community. Despite the existing
partnership with DA-BFAR, the Municipal Government has to build more linkages down the
road. In particular, the local government needs to sustain the flow of funds in order to maintain
the conservation efforts in Dagatan Lake and to set off ecotourism development. To date, the
small lake remains little known and lacks the basic facilities for tourism. A possible area to ex-
plore is cultivating the involvement of the Provincial Government, the local business community,
and nongovernmental organisations. These institutions have so far been out of the picture in the
undertakings in Dagatan Lake.

Policies. Dagatan Lake is primarily governed through the Local Government Code. On
the other hand, its utilisation and development is guided by the Philippine Fisheries Code and the
Tourism Act. These broad national laws frame the plans, programs and projects in Dagatan Lake.
On the ground, the development of the small lake is defined by three utilisations— as a fishery
sanctuary, irrigation services and tourism pursuit. The revival of Dagatan Lake was underpinned
by the DA-BFAR fishery enhancement program for inland water resources, which was intended

"6
to preserve the endangered native fish species. In effect, it made the small lake a fishery sanctu-
ary. The restoration of Dagatan Lake can also be considered to enhance its capacity to supply wa-
ter to the surrounding farms. Tourism development in Dagatan Lake is guided by the Municipal
Government’s agri-tourism pursuits and vision to make San Antonio the resort capital of the
province. Transforming the small lake into a tourist destination is seen as a way to expand liveli-
hood opportunities of the locals and to propel tourism development in the whole town.

The move to make Dagatan Lake a tourist destination, however, must align with the small
lake’s conservation commitment— being a sanctuary for indigenous fishery resources. In har-
monising the fishery sanctuary and tourism agenda, the basic step in Dagatan Lake is to formu-
late a Master Development Plan (MDP), which would serve as the overall framework for its
management, utilisation and development. In principle, an MDP ensures that programs in the
small lake are coherent, consistent, and suited to facilitate initiatives as it conveys direction for
action. To make systematic headway toward the sustained development of Dagatan Lake, it is
imperative for the Municipal Government to make an immediate effort to initiate the crafting of
such an MDP. MDP formulation is more labor-intensive than capital-intensive activity. It primar-
ily requires constant consultations and technical support, activities that can be handled by a
fourth-class municipality with assistance from outside experts.

Participation. Dagatan Lake has actively involved constituents and a local organisation
in the DLFA-MFARMC which currently serves as the main platform for local participation. The
involvement of the people was evident in the activities conducted to restore the small lake. At the
onset, the locals supported and joined the effort to clean and remove the covering vegetation of
Dagatan Lake. They also mobilised via ‘bayanihan’ (voluntary work) for the subsequent activi-
ties, particularly tree planting, seeding of fingerlings, and clean-up operations after typhoon
Glenda. However, the participation of the locals generally continues to be ‘top-down,’ in which
undertakings and decisions are solely determined by the Municipal Government. The commit-
ment of the local government remains the crucial factor on initiatives in Dagatan Lake, regard-
less of the participation of the people.

Technology and Information. Technological and scientific interventions have been

poured into Dagatan Lake. These interventions were evident during the restoration process under
the guidance of DA-BFAR. In particular, the following were undertaken: (a) water quality evalu-
ation; (b) indigenous fish stocks verification; (c) re-population via fingerling seeding; and (d)
fish sanctuary-hatchery establishment. Beyond this, technological interventions and scientific
information are still necessary for sustaining the conservation of the small lake, as well as in bet-
ter understanding and addressing the threats it faces. For instance, the geophysical features
around Dagatan Lake suggest that the body of water is the natural catch basin of the surrounding
area, which suggests the possibility of a siltation problem. Considering Dagatan Lake is only
about seven hectares and its depth is still undetermined, a scientific study is needed to certify
whether run-off instigated siltation poses a serious infilling risk to the small lake’s long term ex-
istence. Furthermore, information from historical research may also help advance tourism in Da-
gatan Lake. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Dagatan Lake has a historical significance for its

"7
proximity to a former Japanese military detachment site during World War II. A historical study
would authenticate the claim which, if true, can create more interests in Dagatan Lake as well as
heighten its tourism pitch not only as a restored inland water resource and fish sanctuary but also
as a ‘historical’ lake.

Finance. Sourcing funds is a major problem in Dagatan Lake. From early on, finances
for proposing and initiating the revival of the small lake had been a challenge. At present, fund-
ing for organising and instituting tourism in the small lake is much needed. Although fund scarci-
ty is a common problem in resource management-conservation-development activities of local
governments, such setback is acute in Dagatan Lake since the local government belongs to one
of the lowest income classes among Philippine municipalities. Even though the whole restoration
project was underpinned by DA-BFAR funds and technical assistance, the municipal government
needs to explore other financial sources for sustained conservation efforts as well as to kick-start
the establishment of infrastructure for tourism in Dagatan Lake in the coming years. The private
sector, specifically the private sector can be considered as funding partners as they yet to be
tapped for the small lake’s restoration and development. Furthermore, the institutionalisation of
financial support from the local government is another concern in the management of Dagatan
Lake. At present, the funding support is discretionary on the part of the Municipal Government
which provides allowance to the maintenance workers of the small lake. The funding support for
the small lake’s continued development must be institutionalised as a regular item in the Munici-
pal Government’s annual budget to ensure that this practice would extend beyond the current
administration. Such measure would ensure that whoever sits at the helm of the Municipal Gov-
ernment at any time cannot exclude Dagatan Lake from the fiscal agenda.

4. CONCLUSION

The article examined the governance and the restoration-development of Dagatan Lake.
In looking at the nitty-gritty of governance using ILBM’s critical areas, the study’s assessment of
the Dagatan Lake experience illustrates the following: (a) in institutions, the decisive factor is
having an ‘active’ local government that takes the initiative and is resolute in reviving the small
lake; (b) in policies, the key issue is the formulation of an MDP which would serve as framework
in managing, utilising and developing the small lake as well as in harmonising the fishery con-
servation and tourism agenda; (c) in participation, the arrangement vis-a-vis activities and deci-
sions continues to be ‘top-down’— defined from above by the local government regardless of the
active involvement/participation of the locals; (d) in technology and information, scientific inter-
ventions which have been utilised in the restoration of the small lake remains crucial, particularly
in managing and in better understanding conservation issues; and (e) in finance, the funding
problem is ubiquitous but addressing this in post-restoration necessitates exploring partnership
with the private sector, particularly the business and non-governmental organisations. Moreover,
the successful restoration of Dagatan Lake can be explained by the confluence of three factors:
(i) the local government’s adoption of agri-tourism strategy which elevated the agenda of reviv-
ing the small lake; (ii) local lobbying efforts; and (iii) tapping of informal ties to gain access to
funding and technical assistance from DA-BFAR through its fishery enhancement program for

"8
inland water resources. These findings delineate the face of governance practice in Dagatan
Lake, as well as the working ingredients behind the restoration-development of the small lake by
a municipality in the country’s economic fringes.

The successful revival of Dagatan Lake offers a model for resource restoration and con-
servation. Its governance experience offers a broad guide for managing the many other endan-
gered small lakes in the country. This contribution is timely and consequential, considering: first,
the now universally recognised thinking that many issues on water resources are largely associat-
ed with failure of governance (see UNESCO 2012; World Water Council 2012; UNWWAP 2015;
UNDP-WGF 2015); second, the threatened condition of many lakes in the Philippines (see Ar-
alar et al. 2005; Fernandez 2011; Aralar et al. 2013; GNF 2014); third, the acknowledged abun-
dance of small lakes in the country and in the world (see Lehner and Doll 2004; Downing et al.
2006; Oertli et al. 2009; Brillo 2015a); and lastly, the now-accepted significance of small lakes in
maintaining the global ecology (see Kelly et al. 2001; Smith et al. 2002; Scheffer et al. 2006;
Hanson et al. 2007; Downing 2010). The article also literally placed Dagatan Lake on the map of
scholarly literature by providing key socio-political information on the formerly ‘dead’ small
lake. To end, this study hopes to help ‘democratise’ lake studies in the Philippines by precipitat-
ing more studies beyond the major lakes— onto the many other small lakes in the country, par-
ticularly in the area of governance and development.

"9
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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Dagatan Lake of San Antonio, Quezon

Figure 2: Satellite photo of Dagatan Lake
Figure 3: Vegetation overlay of Dagatan Lake
Figure 4: Vegetation clearing of Dagatan Lake
Figure 5: Dagatan Lake after the restoration efforts

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