El Niño leaves Lake Tabeo near Mt. Pulag dry

BAGUIO City — Mountain climbers heading to the famous mountain hikers mecca — Mt. Pulag— in Kabayan, Benguet will no longer see the pristine Lake Tabeo due to the low water level.

Lake Tabeo is one of the four mystical lakes in Barangay Ballay in Kabayan, Benguet. The three others lakes are Lake Inkuluh, Lake Latep-Ngapos and Lake Ambulalakaw. 

Hikers can see these lakes prior to their climb leading to the summit of Mt. Pulag, Luzon’s highest and the country’s second highest peak.

According to the Kabayan Tourism Office, it is normal that the lakes experience low water level every summer season.  But this is the first time that Lake Tabeo dried up.

The drying up of the lake is due to the extreme heat brought by the El Niño phenomenon, the KTO explained.

While there is no rain, the heat continually speeds up evaporation of the lake water, it added.

The ourism office, however, said that hikers still go to the lake and take their souvenir shots with the scenic background.