Aaron

Joseph

D.

Rosario

NASC 5 UV-1R
Maam Therese Honrade

Eeyore

Exercise 2: Effects of Human Activities in Lake Ecosystem

I. Introduction:
The Philippines is an archipelago surrounded by bodies of water. Freshwater
is a common water area in the Philippines with about 80 lakes and 400
rivers. A great example of a freshwater system is the famous Laguna de Bay;
it is the largest lake in the country with over _ _. This body of water is a
habitat to a wide range of different species of plants and animals. Some of
which are endemic to the country like One main function of this lake is
to give livelihood for the Filipinos. Fishing and Farming are the source of
income to people living within the area.
II. Objectives
At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to:
Describe the interaction of the terrestrial with aquatic ecosystems;
Explain how different economic human activities directly & indirectly affect
the LDB ecosystem, and
Discuss mechanisms by which the lake pollution can be prevented or
minimized.
III. Methodology:

The class will visit sites within the municipalities of Los Baos, Victoria and
Bay near the shores of Laguna de Bay. The different sites to be visited will
show the student examples of human activities that directly or indirectly
affect the ecosystem. Mechanisms and strategies by which negative impacts
of human activities on the lake ecosystem can be minimized will also be
presented.
Note: Students should always observe proper ethics in asking questions to
resource persons or people of the community to be visited. Students should
not openly criticize the owners of establishments so as not to offend them.

Places to be visited:
A. Backyard Duck Farm in Victoria, Laguna
Victoria, Laguna used to have a thriving duck industry. Nowadays only a few
households keep small duck farms. Observe how ducks are raised.
What resources from the lake is an important component of the ducks diet?
Why is it advantageous for the owner of the duck farm to build it along the
lake shore?
Why do the families still keep ducks in their backyard? What are the products
derived from raising the ducks? How much does the family invest in raising
the duck farm? How much is the return of investment?
What are the waste products of the duck farm? How are the waste managed?
Provide possible explanation on the effects of waste water on the lake

ecosystem. What organic compounds will have the most negative impact
on the lake?

B. Septage Treatment Plant (STP), Puypuy, Bay, Laguna

A Filipino-owned company, Envirokonsult Equipment and Services, built and
partially operated the STP in 2013. It is a fully mechanized facility. It has
been providing free services to Bay, Laguna since then. Observe the
operations and the kind of wastes treated by the facility. Note down the
effects of this treatment on the water bodies. Diagram the process of
treatment.
What was the appearance of the septage and the water before treatment?
After treatment?
Describe the condition of the solid components after treatment. What will be
its use?
Will the practice of treating the septage cost-effective? Why or why not?
C. Municipal Plaza in Brgy Poblacion, Los Baos
The Municipal Plaza in Los Baos is where most local government offices can
be found. Next to the plaza is the public wet market and municipal building.
The plaza itself is where most municipal celebrations take place. At the far
end of the plaza, several food establishments can be located like the once
famous Kainan sa Dalampasigan. The local government also encouraged the
establishment of massage areas in the plaza. The port is where small fishing
boat dock and where fishermen cast their lines in the water. A few years ago,
it was also the pickup point of the ferry boats to Manila. Near the plaza,

several swimming resorts are also located. Tourist come and visit Los Baos
and the nearby town of Pansol, Calamba to enjoy the hot and cold natural
springs in these resorts.
Go around the municipal plaza area and observe the different activities being
done there. What are the activities being done near the lake shore?
Why do you think the municipal building/office was built near the lake shore?
What advantage would a lakeside municipal building give?
What advantage would a lakeside public wet market give to the municipality?
Several establishments have been built to promote tourism in the area. What
are the effects of tourism to the lake environment? Provide both positive
and negative effects.
Enumerate the possible

pollutants

coming

from

these

different

establishments that possibly may find its way to the lake. Summarize this in
a table similar to what is written below.
D. Molawin Creek
UPLB spearheads a research and extension activity in cleaning the tributaries
of Mt. Makiling. Molawin Creek which seats within the campus maintains a
demo-site for this activity. This cleaning process, called phytoremediation, is
done with the use of vascular plants, such as kangkong and water hyacinth,
which are capable of absorbing nutrients, heavy metals and other
substances in their organs.
Trace the flow of water from the Hortorium, SU and Biopark. Describe the
basic environmental conditions in the area(s). What might be the possible
changes in the characteristics (both physical and biological) of the water

body brought about by system? Enumerate the positive and negative

impacts.
Using the UPLB Map, trace the flow of the Molawin Creek. Identify different
activities done within and near the creek. Enumerate possible pollutants
coming from these activities.
Propose an alternate solution that can be done to clean the tributaries of Mt.
Makiling.
Summarize some of your observations in the table given below.

Table 1. Different economic activities observe at and near the localities

visited
Localities
Establishments
Activities
Possible pollutants
Victoria

Duck Farm

Farming

Los Baos

Municipal Plaza
Public Markets
Food Establishments

UPLB

Molawin Creek
Hortorium
SU
Biopark

Fiesta
Liga
Bazaars
Party
Bazaars
Feb Fair

Discussion of Results:

Central Bay

East Bay

West Bay

A. Duck Farm
The resources that are common in the Laguna de Bay are seashells,
snails and seaweeds. These are the main feeding requirements for a
duck to survive.
B. Municipal Plaza
C. Molawin Creek