- MITCH M. LIPA
The province of Negros Occidental is resolved to start recovery efforts amid the COVID pandemic, initially for the tourism industry, with the re-opening of the rebranded Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in the town of Murcia this morning, Dec. 1.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson signed an executive order rebranding and declaring the Mambukal Resort as a Wildlife Sanctuary during the soft opening, and led the short tour around the place that was closed to tourists at the start of the pandemic and became a COVID quarantine facility, particularly for Capitol workers and their families, for more than a year.
Lacson said that while the world faces the devastating consequences of the pandemic, tourism stands as one of the most affected sectors. As an essential pillar of the Abanse Negrense agenda, the protection and revival of Mambukal Resort is of paramount importance to the provincial government, he added.
“As we try to re-open our tourism, albeit cautiously, let it be known that, in doing so, safety will remain to be a paramount criteria in all our decisions, for even though we are moving on, we are still in the midst of the pandemic,” the governor said.
Lacson said the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary is a symbol of the province’s tourism. “By having this soft opening, we are saying that we are also opening up our tourism again in Negros Occidental.”
The reopening of the resort is also in line with the Alert Level 2 classification of the province until Dec. 15, which means that visitors should be guided by the guidelines and protocols set by the national Inter-Agency Task Force.
The wearing of face mask at all times is required, pre-booked guest/s must fill up the preregistration form at the entrance to control the number of individuals allowed inside the sanctuary.
Provincial tourism officer Cheryl Decena said that starting this weekend, the pre-booked Capitol employees and their families can visit the resort, with free entrance.
Starting Dec. 6, the resort will accept guests, who have registered at the Mambukal Office at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod City, for a day tour, and will accommodate overnight pre-booked guests beginning Dec. 21.
The Mambukal management also has a new policy for guests with vehicles.
Day tour guests can temporarily park their vehicles in front of the Convention Center, but starting Dec. 21, private vehicles will be stationed outside the entrance to the resort. The province will provide electric vehicles to carry guests from the parking area to their villas.
Decena said that aside from the new policy on the prohibition of vehicles near the villas, grilling and cooking will also be banned to avoid smoke pollution, as well as loud music since the place is already a wildlife sanctuary.
A food court will serve day tourists, and the province intends to reconstruct the dining area by the river, which was damaged during a typhoon. There is also a plan to construct more villas for high-end tourists.
What makes the place a wildlife sanctuary are the endemic species found in Mambukal, and they need to be protected.
Liza Paguntalan of the Biodiversity Conservation Center said that Mambukal is home to several species of bats, particularly the flying foxes, and endemic birds.
The operation of the Mambukal Convention Center, meanwhile, will depend on the Alert Level status of the local government unit. The opening of other facilities will also rest on further developments, particularly with the discovery of the COVID Omicron variant that might affect the local and national alert status. – MML
