Riding along the steep and not-so-wide road of Toledo carefully looking and checking at both left and right sides of the streets, searching for that tiny sign board that says "To Biga Pit", was a fun-filled and exciting adventure 😎
Another beautiful adventure happened when we explored the mountains of Toledo City. The weather was perfect to explore the outdoors. It was a fair and lovely day even though Mr. Sun was not shining the whole time. Sometimes it got a little cloudy and chilly as there was an approaching storm in our country. Nevertheless, this didn't stop us to go outdoors and see the scenic beauty of the Biga Pit!
BIGA PIT: THE GORGEOUS MAN-MADE LAKE!
BIGA PIT, a man-made lake, is actually a mining pit located in Brgy. Biga, Toledo City, Cebu and is owned by the Carmen Copper Corporation. This mining pit which turned out to be a lovely lake to marvel at has attracted a lot of tourists and nature lovers who love sightseeing.
Half part of the water of the lake is a striking turquoise color while the other half is a shining silver or grey. The activity of the Mine explained so why the lake has this kind of color. The Biga Pit lake serves as the mill tailings storage facility of the Mine. The water that appeared blue has a pH level that is enough for a fish to survive in the lake like the Tilapia fish. However, the lake is not safe for swimming, it may look inviting to dive in because of its blue color but deep down below are the thick files of tailings of the mine.
Putting aside the "mine idea", simply looking at the picturesque view of the lake and its beautiful background -the open sky and the mountains of Toledo will somehow make you forget that it's a man-made lake!
I enjoyed my time gazing and marveling at the stunning lake.
Who can get to view the lake?
Considering that the lake is a tailings storage facility owned by the CCC. The lake is only open for educational tours and business tours. The Corporation has strict implementation and restrictions for anyone who wants to view the lake. For you to see the lake, you must have Authorization for the higher-ups to get in and pass the strict guards of CCC. We didn't have these. We didn't have connections either. So how we got near the lake? Locals! Locals know best. We ask the locals for any possible routes to go to the lake. Thankfully the locals were very generous in giving us the directions. We found the lake through its back door.
We were surprised that there was a community of people living a few distances away from the lake. No wonder the lake has controversies such as the Health of the people living near it and one time also, there was an accident recorded when 4 miners died due to the collapse of the mining pit. This is hazardous for the community living near the vicinity of the lake but I think the locals were on the practical side of things that the lake has brought to them. Since CCC opened the Mining facility in Toledo, it also opened opportunities for locals to have a job. Many locals were given employment and while Biga Pit Lake has attracted tourists, this also allows Habal-habal drivers (private motorbike drivers) to earn income.
Other things you will see around the lake.
Aside from the scenic lake, there are also some beautiful plants and trees surrounding it. There are flower-bearing plants that closely resemble a fern. The color and the quality of the soil are slightly yellow-orange. I noticed that we're several cracks in the soil near the lake as evidence of soil erosion due to floods. The water also looks like there's a mix of crude oil on it. The rocks are brittle and the soil looks dry. However, this unique feature of the soil and rocks around the lake added beauty to it but one should be cautious in visiting the place.
When we went there, we heard a sound of a waterfall, I looked around and carefully examined where was the noise coming from. The noise came from the grey side wall of the pit. I guess it's the tailing of the mines pouring down to the lake. Although Biga Pit is a tailing facility, it's amazing how the lake looks so clean and pristine. There are no foul odors either, all you will smell there is the fresh air coming from the mountains.🍃
The lake is surrounded by several roads too. We saw some Local drivers and vendors passing by. We realized that the lake is not that private as the roads in the lake are the routes going in and out to the community living next to Biga Pit. The locals may be very used to passing through the lake but tourists from other towns and cities shall still observe safety protocols.
How we found the lake?
It has been the Nth time that we went out for a ride without checking the details of the directions or simply the " how to go to's" of a certain place. Hehe. I love it this way, it's exciting and thrilling. Except for going to places for important meetings or events in which I need to check the location to reach the place on time, but for adventures and road trips, Naaaayyyy I choose not to know and go blind. I always want to surprise my eyes and not hurt my expectations, moreover, it is more adventurous this way. Going to Biga Pit is not an exemption!
We found the Biga Pit by asking locals and to every store we dropped by. We dropped by some stores to buy snacks and ask for directions. I think we asked more than 10 locals to make sure that we were taking the right direction. Thankfully the locals were very friendly. Strange that we didn't hear any warnings of caution from the locals, instead they always say, "It's okay to go there Maam/Sir", and "The place is frequently visited by tourists". They even taught us the way "back door". Amazing right?😃
When we finally arrived at the lovely Biga Pit, we didn't waste any of our time marveling at its beauty and taking plenty of pictures.☺️ The lake is stunning. It may be a man-made lake but it has a natural beauty. 😍 Another journey marked: WONDERFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE.😍
Thanks for reading. Have a blast Hive.!