NEWSFLASH

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ZAMBOANGA LAKE MULLED FOR TOURISM PROJECT

Zamboanga City, Jan. 3, 1998 - A Master Development Plan for the city now includes proposals for the development of a small lake near the Zamboanga International Airport into a unique freshwater fishing and boating area for local and foreign tourists.

City Planing and Development Officer Juan Gaspar said data is now being gathered about the lake, locally known as "Pantano" and just recently saved from becoming a major ecological disaster.

The lake, covering several hundred hectares, is located between the Zamboanga Golf and Country Club and the barangays of Malugutay and San Roque. It was a stopover for migratory wild birds and teemed with indigenous marine life.

Plans are afoot to convert the lake into a tourist spot for fishing and boating.

The lake nearly became a garbage dump in 1991, but residents barricaded the road to the lake and prevented city government dump trucks from accomplishing their mission.