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Paoay Lake

Philippines · Asia

Paoay Lake
Paoay Lake. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

About

Paoay Lake (locally known as Dakél a Danum; Ilokano: Big Water) is a lake within the municipality of Paoay, in northwestern Luzon, Philippines. It is the largest lake in the province of Ilocos Norte and one of the largest natural lakes in the area.

Historically known as Lago de Nanguyudan, the lake supposedly was the site of a prosperous barangay called San Juan de Sahagún (Saint John of Sahagún) that sank after an earthquake. The freshwater lake and its 1-kilometre (0.62 mi) surroundings was declared a national park in 1969 by virtue of Republic Act 5631. In 1978, through Presidential Decree 1554, the park was reduced to an area of 340 hectares (3.4 km2) concentrated on the lake itself around its highest water level. In 2025, the park was further designated as a Protected Area to be known as the Paoay Lake Protected Landscape through Republic Act No. 12230.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.

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