The Kabilang-bilangan Reef in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, was temporarily closed to the public by Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., following a drowning incident Sunday, Aug. 28, that claimed the lives of four persons, including two minors.
Escalante said that the city government will extend assistance to the families of the drowning victims.
The Philippine Coast Guard in Northern Negros Occidental, meanwhile, said they will summon and hold the boat operator liable for the drowning incident.
While the Kabilang-bilangan Reef is not a restricted area, Commander Joe Luviz Mercurio, chief of the PCG-Negros Occidental District, said the boats in the area are not authorized to ferry passengers to the site.
Escalante said that the reef has recently become a tourist spot in Cadiz City and they were planning to put up facilities in the area. He likened it to the popular sand bar site off the coast of Manjuyod town in Negros Oriental.
But he said the plan was put on hold for next year due to budget realignment.
An observation tower or lighthouse was established in the area by the city government of Cadiz, to serve as a temporary refuge for fishermen during bad weather.
Kabilang-bilangan Reef can only be accessed via a 15-minute boat ride from the mainland and 10 minutes away from Lakawon Island.
Escalante pointed out that sudden strong currents are a normal occurrence since Cadiz is a coastal locality facing the Visayan Sea.
PCG investigations showed that all the victims were swept away by the strong current./GB
