The Scenic Lake Sebu (Wanderlust by Jay Ledesma)

Photo shoot before entering Surallah going to Lake Sebu

I first had the chance to visit Lake Sebu back in 1993. Last week, after thirty three (33) years, I was back with some of my travel buddies from work. As may be expected, a lot has changed since my last visit. We were fetched from our Gensan hotel by our gracious host, Ms Presy Ballos (one of the top leaders of AIA-PH) and drove all the way to Lake Sebu. It’s a delight to see the expansive and well cemented/asphalted highway and road network leading to Lake Sebu. They also, now, have better accommodation facilities and offer more activities that can be enjoyed by visitors.

Lake Sebu is located in the high-altitude municipality in South Cotabato. It is the ancestral home of the T’boli and Ubo tribes, who continue to predominantly inhabit the community. As such, they are able to preserve their rich customs and traditions.

One of its key attractions is the 7 Falls of Lake Sebu which is a series of breathtaking cascading waterfalls. As we have to catch the 11 am Lake Cruise for our lunch, we were only able to visit the Falls #1. But we were happy and satisfied because aside from marveling the majestic Falls, we had the chance take photos wearing the T’boli traditonal costumes. The more active ones (obviously not us) can do the zipline overlooking the cascading falls. This zipline is considered the highest and longest in Southeast Asia. May be we can do it next time.

From there, we joined the Lake Cruise where we had freshy caught tilapia for lunch. The Lake is known for its tilapia aquaculture. There’s also a portion of the Lake which is full of Lotus flowers in full bloom especially during sunrise. We missed this but if you’re planning to view the blooming lotus flowers, be sure to be at the Lake before sunrise.

Outside the Lake Sebu resort, you can visit the T’nalak weaving center and local museums to have a glimpse of their culture.

Before leaving Lake Sebu, we passed by the Divine Mercy Shrine. The Shrine which stands in the cool and hilly portion of the barangay, boasts of a giant statue of the Divine Mercy, one of the most visited Shrines in the Philippines. The spring water which continuously flows thru the red and white mantle of the statue is believed to be healing water. Devotees and visitors can freely drink or bring it home. We did!

For that cultural immersion and serene mountainous retreat, Lake Sebu is the place for you.

Hope that our Department of Tourism and the South Cotabato LGU can promote Lake Sebu more aggressively, so more people can experience its beauty and charm.