pagnapagna: IMELDA Lake

"A Sunday hike along the road to see a body of water in the upland barangay of Libtong"

-pagnapagna

-my pagnapagna-

Although there was a Superstorm Churning up at the Visayas (typhoon Yolanda), it was generally sunny that day here in the Ilocos, particularly here in La Union (I get very emotional upon seeing what had happened to my fellow countrymen).

It was 6:53 in the morning when the mini-bus i rode on departed San Fernando City, La Union. It passed by Bauang, La Union, Naguilian, La Union (7:40 am), the Burgos Church (8:01 am) and finally arrived at Burgos Town Proper where the municipal Hall is located at 8:08 the same morning.

From downtown Burgos i braced myself and started walking. Some 50 meters on my walk, i happened to see my high school classmates, now husband and wife, "Rosalie and Gerry" on the roadside with the group of passengers as the bus they rode on had some mechanical trouble. They were with their lovely daughter waiting for another bus to arrive. We had some good short conversation but i had to go on my way.

Walking farther, i arrived at the road intersection where a road branches from the national highway at 8:25 am. There were tricycles waiting for passengers but i had to walk. I just asked confirmation from them if that branching road going down leads to "Imelda Lake".

My ankle area aches a little bit from that generally uphill short walk along the national highway for i had no exercise the past few days. That walk along the intersecting road was a downhill, it is a blessing for i will be exerting lesser effort.

I passed by the barangay Agpay welcome arch at 8:43 am.

barangay Agpay Welcome Arch

Passed by the Agpay Health and Day Care Center at 9:04 am and rested and had a snack at a roadside store at 9:10 am.

a store along the road

a roadside view of distant areas

Libtong marker at the roadside

Seven minutes later, i proceeded walking again along the cemented road and arrived at the Libtong Elementary School at 9:33 am. Few meters away is the Barangay hall of Libtong where i asked directions.

Libtong Barangay Hall

I walked farther to the road fronting the Barangay Hall and arrived at the Barangay Imelda welcome Arch at 9:40 am where the Imelda Barangay Hall can be seen at a distance down the road.

Barangay Imelda Wecome Arch

I walked at a road that branches just beside the welcome arch going down until i reached the Imelda Lake at 9:50 am.

at the Imelda Lake

A man with his carabao smiled at me and within our conversation he told me that the lake is handled by the barangay and it had some fish. For a moment, he even thought of me as a local announcer (radio news reporter).

After our conversation, i surveyed the lake and noticed that it is generally used as watering hole of some sort for carabaos or water buffaloes.

a Water Buffalo dipping in the Lake

There were some dozen domesticated water buffaloes which are used in their farms dipping on the shallow water edges of the lake.

Those are domesticated Carabaos taking a dip

It is quite an interesting scene to see these domesticated water buffaloes at the edges as if they were at the wilds. Some few wild birds fly by once in a while like the white slim birds called egrets and the two hovering big birds up above.

I took a rest under one of the shady trees and ate broiled corn on a cub which i bought earlier on the bus stop-over at Bauang, La Union. Stayed there for a while and took some videos and photos.

At 10:55 am, I departed from the area and went back to a store near the Libtong Barangay Hall where i had another snack (11:05 am). Six minutes later, i continued to walk going back, stopping once in a while to rest and take a shade from the hot sun. At 11:34 am, near the Libtong Welcome arch, i got a tricycle ride going downtown. Passed by the intersection at the National Highway at 12:20 pm and arrived at the Burgos Municipal Hall area at 12:24 pm. From there, i rode a mini-bus bound for San Fernando City, La Union and eventually to Home Sweet Home.

-end of pagnapagna-

Imelda Lake

It is a small land locked body of water which can be called on my opinion as a mini-lake.
It was long disputed by the neighboring barangays of Imelda and Libtong as to where it belongs. From my conversation with a farmer at the vicinity, it now belongs to barangay Libtong but the man in the store at Agpay says otherwise.

It is located beside the roadside's end, rice fields and some patches of forest. Some few meters away is the steep mountainside's edge where you can see the neighboring mountains and the river stream below.

Although its not suitable for leisurely swimming, its water is said to harbor fishes. A good prop up and the area would be a fun area for picnics and a terminal for hikers.

nearby farmlands

Time Duration
Manila to Bauang, La Union (big bus) - 6 hours average
Bauang, La Union to Burgos, La Union (mini-bus) - 20 to 30 minutes
San Fernando City, La Union to Burgos, La Union (mini-bus) - 40 minutes to 1 hour
Downtown Burgos La Union to Imelda Lake (walking) - 1.5 hours to 2 hours
Downtown Burgos La Union to Imelda Lake (tricycle) - 30 to 40 minutes

Subject : IMELDA Lake a.k.a. Libtong Lake

Location : Barangay Libtong

Municipality of Burgos

Province of La Union

How to get there:

From Manila take a bus bound to any of these : Laoag City, Vigan City, Candon City or San Fernando City, La Union. But you have to get down at the bus stop fronting the Bauang Municipal Hall. From the Bus stop walk your way going north to the intersection. Walk a few meters to a road going East at the intersection (Naguilian Road), passing by the food stalls into the waiting shed and ride a bus / mini-bus bound for Baguio City. You have to get down at downtown Burgos, La Union and take a tricycle ride going to the barangay of Libtong where the Imelda Lake is located nearby.