Tumalog Falls to be closed for cleanup

CEBU, Philippines — As Sumilon sandbar opens to the public again today, Oslob Mayor Jun Tumulak announced that Tumalog Falls will be temporarily closed from April 17 to 19 for cleanup its perimeter area.

The municipal government had sought the help of habal-habal groups, which directly benefit from the visiting guests, to clean the perimeter area.

The perimeter which will be cleaned is divided into three areas of responsibility--- the first one is from the falls entrance to the falls itself, the second is from the highway to the falls entrance, and the third is from Tan-awan to the falls entrance.

Tumulak said that the area needs cleaning because the municipal employees assigned to clean the area were not able to cleanup all the mess left after tourists flocked in the area during the Holy Week.

He described that the most common garbage are leftover plastic packs of food brought and left in the area by the tourists.

He urged the guests to treasure the eco-tourism destinations as much as the locals do.  He continued that the efforts to clean up the tourist destinations in Oslob town reflect their desire to protect the environment.

After the two consecutive temporary closures, the municipal government is on its move to regularly close the destinations at least once a month to give the stakeholders a day to do a general cleaning.

For Sumilon sandbar and diving site, the municipal government and its stakeholders primarily composed of fishermen have agreed not to accommodate tourists every third Wednesday of the month.

Instead, they will collaborate to clean-up the area. This measure will be implemented starting May.

Tumulak added that this measure is still on its experimental stage and is yet to be passed as an official legislation.  This measure, the mayor claimed, is benchmarked from the practice of Malapascua Island wherein the island is closed for one day every week.

Meanwhile, Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said that the meeting between the representatives of the towns of Badian and Dalaguete together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is eyed to be set on an earlier date in order to organize the management of Osmeña Peak.

“Deterrent nato kay ang ownership man,” she told reporters in a press conference yesterday.

Osmeña Peak is part of Badian town and is part of the rock formations near its boundary with Dalaguete town. Tourists often enter through Barangay Mantalongon, part of Dalaguete, due to the paved roads leading directly to the destination.   At present, the municipal government of Dalaguete has a tourist center at the base camp of the peak. (FREEMAN)