The Mountain Lake of Ormoc

When people hear about Ormoc, they think of 3 things – that devastating flood of yore, the recent earthquakes which plagued Leyte and their showbiz couple mayor and congresswoman. But I remember it mostly for an amazing mountain lake I visited once – Lake Danao.

I first visited Leyte in the 1990s for the wedding of my law school classmate and sorority sister who was a native of Ormoc. We took a Manila-Tacloban flight, then a 2-hour van trip to Ormoc City. At the time, the place was more or less developed, but not as urbanized as Tacloban. Nonetheless, it was a known fishing port, a travel hub for those enroute to Cebu, and a commercial center for this side of Leyte.

The highlight of our trip though was the pre-wedding picnic-party at the famed Lake Danao. It used to be called “Lake Imelda”, probably in honor of the former First Lady who is a Leyte native. By a Presidential decree in the 1970s, it became a nature reserve and subsequently put under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) law.

With an elevation similar to Tagaytay, the mountain lake is usually covered in fog, even when it wasn’t raining. My friend said it reminded her of New Zealand. As we drove up the rough and unpaved “dirt” road, the temperatures slowly cooled and the vegetation gradually thickened. Endemic hardwood trees abound, those tropical mountain plants like wild ferns, jungle orchids, and even edibles like berries, mangoes, bananas, papayas, guavas, as well as root crops like cassava, ube, gabi, and kamote grow all-around in a natural hodge-podge. In the cool weather, I was willing to bet some vegetables would likewise grow abundantly here.

When we finally reached the top, it looked like a scene straight out of the Lord of the Rings trilogy – a virtual replica of the “misty mountains”. There was a great panoramic view of the lake, tranquil green waters surrounded by the lush verdant mountain range. Momentarily covered by thick mist, possibly because of the light showers, it soon cleared enough to show its great expanse. 

Apparently, this is part of the Amandiwen range with a nearby dormant volcano Mt.Janagdan which also boasts of another mountain lake – Lake Janagdan. But while Mt. Janagdan is a genuine crater lake, Lake Danao is considered a “graben” or depression caused by the active Leyte Fault. It is also suspected that it is previously part of bigger crater lake caused by ancient volcanic eruptions. A fresh water source, Lake Danao supplies the adjoining towns and is essential for some nearby farmlands.

The lake waters were so eerily still, like glass mirroring its surroundings, hence its green color. They say Lake Danao is the deepest portion of a previous crater lake which got reduced through the centuries. This explains why there are some wetlands and marshes around Lake Danao still. Besides the usual forest creatures like deer and wild boar, there is a wide variety of birds that can be found here. There are hornbills, parakeets, owls and pigeons.

Although it appeared a bit neglected, the location had been developed as a tourist spot-park area. The facilities were still intact and useable by visitors for family picnics. A few years later, during the earthquakes, this place will suffer some damage when deep cracks appeared on the road up, and nearby areas had some landslides. Nowadays, I hear they have installed floating huts on the lake itself. 

From atop the viewing deck, we trekked down to the lake shore. The other wedding guests consisted of some German friends of the groom, and they braved the cold waters for a swim. They noted that the lake was pretty deep and when they dove down, they can’t see much despite its clear waters. We were told that its unknown depths is actually one of the big mysteries of this guitar-shaped mountain lake. Many have tried to measure it, but were unsuccessful to reach its bottom.

Locals say a possible awakening of the nearby dormant volcano or earthquakes caused by the active Leyte Fault is a danger for the adjoining areas. But like all awesome things, Lake Danao with its unique beauty comes an uncertainty that is difficulty to fathom, and people will always live with some degree of risk under it.