Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur © Jojie Alcantara

“Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

This mystical spot called Lakewood (a huge mountain lake with a quiet town in its riverbanks) holds a peculiar belief among the river dwellers, a tribe called Subanen.  The old folklore was that a giant sea serpent lived underneath this huge lake, somewhat of a local Loch Ness monster.

Unfortunately, as everyone was listening to the tribal chieftain tell these significant tales while we were in a banca, I was caught up in taking photos of the lake and absorbing other activities.  I couldn’t remember if sightings did happen with this mythical creature but I remembered he was talking about other mysterious beliefs, too. Will write about that next time.

I featured Pagadian City and neighboring Lakewood in Mabuhay Magazine (2009), Manila Bulletin and M Magazine (2011).  Zamboanga del Sur is a beautiful province and I would love to go back there again. Photo was taken during my visit in 2008.