On a Lake Ringed by Mountains

Lake Sebu, Philippines

Sept 11,2026

Tucked into the mountains of South Cotabato is a large freshwater lake called Lake Sebu. At 1000m, it has tropical climate but is a tad cooler than the plains. Fingers of land reach out forming islets and peninsulas making no two views the same.

It looks idyllic and may well have been so once upon a time. These days, it is home to a thriving fish industry, mostly tilapia. Large rectangles marked off on the surface are the fish cages. There are an estimated 3000-5000 of them; they are difficult to miss from any point around the rim.

They are tended by men and women who glide noiselessly in small dugouts called bankas. They glide by throwing pails of fish food pellets, checking the nets and sometimes hauling up the nets for fish. It is a delicate dance, the two men working in unison. They even manage to lift the banka from one cage to another without capsizing.

They remind me of the mokoros I saw in Malawi and more recently in Botswana. Of course I ask at the hotel if I can ride one with the fishermen.

“No Ma’am” comes the instant response.

“But” she continues, “the tourist resort at the end of this road has a launch and you can book a tour around the lake. You can rent traditional T’boli clothes and take pictures” she concludes with a broad smile. “You can take your picture in a banka” she adds temptingly.

I decline, suppressing a shudder. This lake sees a lot of tourists, mostly domestic, and a lake cruise tops the list of activities. I wander instead along roads, seeing the wet rice cultivation in sheltered valleys, sloping fields on the mountains and an odd buffalo meditatively chewing cud.

The small roads, a mix of concrete and dirt, wind around the lake connecting small hamlets. The houses on stilts, made of traditional woven palm and wood still exist but are dwindling in number. But most now have the familiar silhouette of square concrete boxes. I have one such and even have a frog prince at the doorstep to catch flies before they cross the sill.

Along the edges of the lake float large lotus pads. Little pockets of them are everywhere. At one time they used to cover large stretches of the lake but have been mostly relegated to the edges now, to make way for the fish cages. It is mid-morning and the flowers are already closed.