Pantabangan Travel Guide

Pantabangan Dam is the biggest manmade water reservoir in the country, and considered one of the biggest in Asia, boasting a storage capacity of almost 3,000 MCM.

The infrastructure was undertaken by Filipino engineers supervised by the National Irrigation Administration. Started in 1971, construction of the Pantabangan Dam was completed in 1974, and said project is an acknowledged milestone in Philippine engineering history. One can't help but be astonished by the dam's awesome engineering works.

Built along the Pampanga River, the multi-purpose dam serves as a hydroelectric plant (with power generation of 100 MW) supplying additional energy for Luzon; as reinforcement against flood (with flood control capability of 330 MCM); and as water supply for irrigation (covering about 106,400 hectares of rice lands).

Today, Pantabangan Dam has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the province, offering a breathtaking scenic view of the surrounding area.

We met a group of motorcycle riders on the way. Since there are portions of rough road, necessary precautions must be undertaken.

I saw a motorcycle with 3 guys, a driver and his 2 backriders. The backriders didn't have helmets, so I thought it was kind of risky to travel that way, considering that there are portions of the road that weren't paved. And even if the roads get fully paved, I believe motorists and motorcycle backriders must wear helmets for safety.

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The Pantabangan Lake is part of the Pantabangan Dam. The dam was built for hydro-power and irrigation purposes. It's about 4 hours north-east of Manila.