Mangabul Lake

Mangabul Lake used to be a sprawling body of water at Barangay San Gabriel 2nd, with an area of 2,059 hectares.

Due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1990, which drove tons of lahar into the area, the famed lake is now reduced into a farmland.

The name Mangabul comes from the Pangasinan word “subol,” which means overflowing, as the area is believed to have a rich water reservoir. That is why, in the olden times, the Mangabul is famous for rich freshwater produce.

Today, the Mangabul Lake has still waters on it because of the rerouting of the Agno River. Without it, the lake would be entirely a farmland that only gets flooded during the rainy season. The Agno River rerouting has benefited the people by providing a steady source of irrigation and opportunities for productive fishing. 

Through time, the originally forested portions were converted into areas for agricultural cultivation, and the constant accumulation of silt from Agno and lahar from Mt. Pinatubo has decreased the fishery area into little more than a few shallow creeks during the dry season. 

At present, practically the whole area has not only become farmland but also the site of residential houses. Some residents of other barangays also go to the area to work the land during farming season.

In the early 1950’s, President Ramon Magsaysay paid a visit to Mangabul. Residents of San Gabriel 2nd and nearby barangays were amazed at the number of vehicles that passed through their narrow and rocky road.

Due to the privileges brought about by the lake, a number of people have fought over the lots through the years. Controversies resulted in many civil and criminal cases, but the courts always recognized the right of the farmers to the physical possession of the crop lands.

As of this day, the issue of land ownership in the area hinges on the approval of the bills filed by Congresswoman Rose Marie 'Baby' Arenas and Senator Miguel Zubiri that seek to convert the area from being a timberland and reservation into an alienable and disposable public property. This breakthrough -- after a convoluted, decades-long history of  conflict -- was made possible under the administration of Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao. The existing creeks in the area, however, shall be plotted, surveyed and segregated from the other portions of the area by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources and the municipality of Bayambang shall be given usufructory rights over them. Residents of San Gabriel 2nd and nearby barangays have the privilege of fishing in the said area. 

The crops grown in the farms are mainly corn and onion, camote, and squash. The fish being raised in the streams include tilapia, gourami, karpa (carp), pantat (catfish), and dalag (mudfish). Needless to say, the products of Mangabul constitute an important source of revenue for Bayambang. 

The Mangabul area is a melting pot of folk from different barangays of Bayambang and even the neighboring towns of Camiling, Paniqui, and Alcala as they visit the area to farm or to fish.

Edgardo Quiros, assistant director of the National Library of the Philippines, is confident that the Mangabul Lake played a big part in Pangasinan’s history. He believes that Mangabul is a very good place to go if a researcher wants to study local prehistory, because whenever there was a big lake or a big river, the communities during the pre-Hispanic period converged there. 

The natural resources that the Mangabul Lake brings to the people of Bayambang have also enriched the cultural life of the town. The annual Malangsi Fish-tival’s 'Kalutan ed Dalan' (Street Grilling) celebrates the rich freshwater harvest brought by the Mangabul Lake. In 2014, the townsfolk assembled the world's longest grill measuring 8.16 kilometers in the Kalutan ed Dalan celebration to mark the town's 400 years of existence, and the effort was recognized by the Guinness World Records. 

KEY INFORMANT/S: Ricardo A. Lapurga, Elena I. Prestoza

REFERENCES:  www.ugnayan.com, www.congress.gov.ph, www.news.abs-cbn.com, nhcp.gov.ph, Cortes, Rosario M. Pangasinan 1901-1986: A Political, Socio-economic and Cultural History, 1995

NAME OF PROFILERS/MAPPERS: Krista Grace S. Alvarez, Lesly Ann M. De Vera, Danna Jane Q. Abagat, Alvin N. Balois, Kristian Mark G. Delfin, Janelle Jasmin DV. Placido, Arabella Nicole H. Tiangson 

ADVISER: Mr. Christopher Gozum, Bayambang National High School, Senior High School 

DATE PROFILED: June 9, 2019 

 

Note: dalag is also called gele-gele (if arm-sized immature mudfish) and tamus (if small immature mudfish).