Kayaking marathon puts focus on Taal Lake

MANILA, Philippines - Taal Lake will be the beneficiary of a 32-kilometer kayaking marathon from Balai Isabel in Talisay to Agoncillo with a side trip to the Pansipit River set Nov. 21.

Organized by PUSOD, an environmental NGO that is focused on protecting the entire Taal Lake basin, together with the Philippine Kayaking Association (PKA), the event will also serve as the final of this year’s Kayak Explore series of PKA though it is more focused on the environmental aspect than on the sports competition.

“Through this event, we want people to understand better the problems we face in trying to preserve this beautiful lake and get more people, from students, local folks, fishermen, and visiting tourists, to get involved in a concerted effort to protect Taal Lake, we are working with 13 towns and three cities for this project,” said Atty. Ipat Luna, trustee of PUSOD.

 Together with the provincial government of Batangas, about 5,000 illegal fish cages have already been dismantled by the local authorities with more than a thousand more scheduled for next year, according to Luna who has secured the support of Team Energy as the title sponsor for the event. Other sponsors are Taal Vista Hotel, David’s Salon, Kodak, Taal Yacht Club, Balai Isabel, and Primer Group together with some Local Government Units (LGUs) of the participating towns.