Part of the river is referred to as the Bambang Hari - which, when translated, means "riverbank of the king" - because in the mid-18th century, King Carlos IIIofSpain visited Pangil when he was still a prince, and it was said that he used to frequent river often.
[2]
When he was crowned king, he sent the images of the Santo Niño de la O and the Birhen de la O to Pangil in gratitude. the Birhen de la O, which shows a pregnant Virgin Mary, is believed to be miraculous.[3]
In the latest (December 2005[4]) Water Quality Status Report listed on the Laguna Lake Development Authority's site, the Pangil River was listed as "Worse than Class D." It also indicated that this status had been "maintained" since the river was last monitored.
According to the Water Usage & Classification for Fresh Water system used by the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Class D Quality freshwater is suitable for agriculture, irrigation, livestock watering and industrial water supply class II. "Worse than Class D" implies that the Pangil River is not suitable for any of those functions.
A 2004 survey noted with alarm that all the populations were gone. The report attributed the disappearance of the rare and useful species of rice to human activities, particularly "livestock raising, farming, and road construction, which destroy the natural vegetation within the vicinity."
Scientists have noted that further studies are needed to prevent the local extinction of this species.[5]
