Lake Palakpakin

Lake Palakpakin
Location	San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines
Group	Seven Lakes of San Pablo
Coordinates	14.111°N 121.338°E / 14.111; 121.338
Lake type	crater lake
Basin countries	Philippines
Surface area	43 ha
Average depth	7.5 m
Settlements	San Pablo City

Lake Palakpakin is part of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo system in Laguna, Philippines. Palakpakin is located in Brgy. San Buenaventura, San Pablo City is similar to Sampalok Lake. With an area of 43 hectares, it has a maximum depth of 7.5 meters.

Residents around the lake rely on income from fishpens and fishcages that grow cultured tilapia and silver carps.

Legend

A few kilometers north of the city proper was a village which had become known then for its ancient tree which had a hollow trunk. It was called Palakpak. Some villagers said that on moonlit nights they could see a beautiful, red-haired lady washing her long hair with the hollow trunk serving as her wash basin. There is also river nearby where a big fish appeared each night that the beautiful lady was around. The villagers would not catch it, believing that it must be her pet.

One day a stranger came to the village and tried to solve the mystery about the red-haired lady and the fish. And so one moonlit night, he waited for her. Seeing the lady in her pristine glory, the stranger approached her. All of a sudden there was thunder and lightning. The earth quaked with terrible intensity, while the river swelled alarmingly into a lake. From that time onwards, that lake produces a large quantity of shrimps which when cooked, turned red. People since then had affectionately called their village "Palakpakin," after that ancient tree and the shrimps in the lake became a principal source of livelihood, which they call "Hipong Palakpakin" or Palakpakin Shrimp.

References

• Legends of the Seven Lakes
• San Pablo City