Laguna de Bay

Laguna de Bay, conveniently referred to as Laguna Lake, is the largest lake in the Philippines. Laguna de Bay is pronounced Laguna de bai, where the vowel “a” has a short sound, and was named after the town of Bay, in the province of Laguna during the Spanish colonial period.

The lake is located southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north. A freshwater lake, it has a surface area of 911–949 km2 (352–366 sq mi), with an average depth of about  and an elevation of about one meter above sea level. The lake is shaped like a crow's foot, with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore and filling the large volcanic Laguna Caldera. In the middle of the lake is the large island of Talim. Its water drains to Manila Bay via the Pasig River. 

The lake is one of the primary sources of freshwater fish in the country. However, lingering environmental issues have jeopardized its ecology; such as overfishing and those created by population pressure, industrialization and invasive species of foreign fish.

 Etymology 

In the pre-Hispanic era, the lake was known as "Puliran Kasumuran" (Laguna Copperplate Inscription,  900 AD), and later as "Pulilan" (Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, 1613. Pila, Laguna).

The lake was known as La Laguna in the Spanish colonial period up until the early 20th century. The Spanish word laguna refers to a lagoon and freshwater lake."Laguna". Spanish Dict. Retrieved on October 18, 2012. The province of Laguna was coined after the lake itself.U.S. Bureau of Census (1905). "Census of the Philippine Islands, 1903, Vol. II". Government Printing Office, Washington. 

260px|thumb|right|Laguna de Bay cliff

As it is known today, Laguna de Bay — meaning, "Lagoon of Bay" — was named after the lakeshore town of Bay (pronounced Bä'ï), the former provincial capital of Laguna province. Alternate spellings of the town's name include "Bae" or "Ba-i", and in the early colonial times, "Bayi" or "Vahi". The town's name is believed to have come from the Tagalog word for "settlement" (bahayan), and is related to the words for "house" (bahay), "shore" (baybayin), and "boundary" (baybay), among others. 

The introduction of the English language during the American administration of the Philippines, elicited confusion as the English word "bay", referring to another body of water, was mistakenly substituted for the town's name  — that leads to its common mispronunciation. It has been frequently reminded that the word, "Bay", in Laguna de Bay, refers to the town. On occasion, the lake's proper name is substituted as a matter of convenience, even in government websites, as "Laguna Lake", such as by the Laguna Lake Development Authority.

 Laguna Caldera 

Laguna Caldera is a potentially active volcanic caldera and a geographical depression that forms the middle lobe of Laguna de Bay.

References

Category:Lakes of the Philippines