DENR extends ecotourism hours in Taal Lake

LUCENA CITY, Quezon – Ecotourism activities in Taal Lake in Batangas province will now be allowed for longer hours after the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL) approved an amendment to its existing operating schedule.

In a report, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Calabarzon said the PAMB, during its meeting on Monday, approved a resolution extending the operating hours for cruising, boating, and sightseeing activities in the lake.

Under the amended schedule, ecotourism activities may now operate from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., replacing the previous 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule.

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“The adjustment seeks to provide greater flexibility for tourism stakeholders while maintaining strict adherence to safety protocols and the prevailing alert status of Taal Volcano,” the DENR said.

The PAMB, a multi-sectoral body tasked with overseeing protected areas, also discussed concerns affecting communities around Taal Lake, including reports of prohibited “pukot” fishing operations.

Authorities said active or motorized pukot nets, which are dragged along the lake bed and fitted with metal or bamboo frames that scour sediments, remain strictly prohibited because they damage fish-spawning grounds and aquatic habitats.

Henry Adornado, DENR-Calabarzon regional executive director, recommended issuing formal notices to concerned individuals to reinforce compliance with fisheries and protected area regulations.

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The board likewise reiterated the importance of protecting tawilis, a freshwater sardine species found only in Taal Lake.

In 2018, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified tawilis as endangered, prompting authorities to implement a two-month-long closed fishing season every year to help conserve the species.

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READ: DENR imposes 2-month ‘tawilis’ fishing ban in Taal Lake

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) maintained Taal Volcano under Alert Level 1, indicating low-level volcanic unrest.

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Phivolcs reiterated that entry into Taal Volcano Island, locally known as “Pulo,” which sits in the middle of the lake, remains strictly prohibited despite the extended ecotourism hours in the lake./coa