Jamboree Lake
Jamboree Lake is a small recreational lake in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, the Philippines. At 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres), it is the smallest natural lake in the country located within the 587-hectare (1,450-acre) New Bilibid Prison Reservation.[1][2][3] It is one of two lakes located entirely within the borders of Metro Manila, the other being the artificial La Mesa Dam and Reservoir in Quezon City.
| Jamboree Lake | |
|---|---|
 View southwest from General Paulino Santos Avenue near Gate 1 | |
  Jamboree Lake | |
| Location | Muntinlupa, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°23′8″N 121°2′8″E |
| Type | Natural lake |
| Primary inflows | None |
| Primary outflows | None |
| Basin countries | Philippines |
| Max. length | 0.28-kilometer (0.17 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.12-kilometer (0.075 mi) |
| Surface area | 1.5 ha (3.7 acres) |
| Islands | 1 |
Description
Jamboree Lake is a narrow, serpentine lake, about 0.28 kilometers (0.17 mi) long, and situated some 1.8 kilometers (1.1 mi) west of the Laguna de Bay coastline in Poblacion, Muntinlupa. It is in the eastern portion of the New Bilibid Prison Reservation lying close to the NBP Gate 1 at its boundary with Camella Homes Alabang IV-A and the Tensuan villages of Poblacion along the South Luzon Expressway. The lake lies just to north of the Magdaong River which flows down to the southern boundary of the reservation into Muntinlupa's border with Bacoor. It has no visible inlets or outlets. Its water level depends mainly on ground water level or precipitation amount.
Jamboree Lake is in a hilly area and is surrounded by trees and greenery, with a depressed garden, known simply as Sunken Garden, located immediately to the southwest. Near its southern edge is the Memorial Hill that features a vintage Japanese cannon used during World War II, as well as a grotto statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and the burial ground of Major Eriberto Misa, the longest serving director of the New Bilibid Prison.[3] The lake and its gardens are bounded by General Paulino Santos Avenue and Insular Prison Road. The main prison facility and maximum security compound is located 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) south of Jamboree Lake at the southern end of General Paulino Santos Avenue.
The lake contains habitats of tilapia and silver perch.[4]
History
Very little is known about the lake's origins, other than the presence of a small replica of the Statue of Liberty that once stood in the middle of the lake during the 1940s.[3] With the transfer of inmates from the Old Bilibid Prison (Bilibid Viejo or Cárcel y Presidio Correccional) in Santa Cruz, Manila to this new facility in 1941, the lands surrounding the lake served as the prison's food production area. Early inmates from the Cordillera Administrative Region helped develop the area by building terraces along the lake's shoreline reminiscent of the rice terraces in their native Ifugao.[3]
The lake also figured during World War II and was also near the site where the first regular masses were held in the 1950s before a permanent chapel (Our Lady of Mercy) was built to serve the prison employees and inmates. In 1955, the Statue of Liberty replica was replaced by the Lady of Justice statue designed by former Bureau of Corrections officer Moses Saunar.[3]
The lake was declared a "cultural and historical wealth" by the local government and was placed under the jurisdiction and management of the Muntinlupa Cultural Affairs Office and Tourism Council in 1999.[5]
References
- "Atlas of Inland Wetlands in Mainland Luzon Philippines" (PDF). Department of Environment and Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "History: Transfer of Bilibid Prison to Muntinlupa". Bureau of Corrections (Philippines). Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "City Landmarks". City Government of Muntinlupa. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- Manila Bulletin (12 February 2015). "PH's smallest lake revived for eco-tourism". Yahoo News. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "Ordinance No. 99-020" (PDF). City Government of Muntinlupa. Retrieved 14 April 2019.