InTACT (Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions) is a formation program at the Ateneo de Manila University which helps freshmen to adjust to college life.  Through InTACT, students learn about ?social responsibility, academic excellence, spiritual maturity, and cultural rootedness as part of Ateneo?s way of life?.  A major component of the program is an exposure trip to a community adopted by the Ateneo. On January 10, 2015, about sixty freshmen visited the community of Palakpakin Lake in San Pablo City as part of our InTACT class.

Palakpakin Lake is located in Brgy. San Buenaventura, San Pablo City. It has an area of 43 hectares and has a depth of 7.5 to 12 meters in different parts of the lake.  Most residents around the lake are fisherfolk who grow cultured tilapia and other fishes in their fishpens.

Our group of freshmen were accompanied by Dr. Toby Dayrit, Dr. Tess and other officers and staff of the Ateneo Innovation Center which adopted the Palakpakin Lake Community. When we got there, the leader of the fisherfolk, Mang Pando Espallardo welcomed us and spoke about the lake.  Then we were divided into groups and sent out on our mission.

Our mission was to conduct a survey of the community so we can build a database of who composes the members of the village.  We had to walk a bit to get to the assigned areas. We asked the fisherfolk about their families and their work.

When we returned to the house of Mang Pando, we were served a delicious lunch of tilapia fish from the lake, rice, vegetables and noodles. After lunch, the Ateneo Innovation Center presented what they are doing in Palakpakin Lake. This includes their aquaponics project and their remote water monitoring system using solar power. Ateneo will be doing more projects for this and possibly other lakes in the area.