Kawasan Falls to stay open during rehabilitation

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Tourists and locals can continue visiting Kawasan Falls even as rehabilitation works begin, with Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro assuring the public that restoration activities will not interrupt tourism operations in Badian town, southern Cebu.

The governor said the rehabilitation would be carried out in phases to allow the popular destination to remain accessible while damaged areas caused by Typhoon Tino were repaired.

READ: Kawasan Falls receives P110-M rehab aid from Capitol

Baricuatro explained that the project would focus on restoring damaged pathways, removing debris, and addressing safety concerns caused by the storm.

“Some of the rocks kay naa na sa tunga tungod sa nahappen sa typhoon. We will make sure that it is safe for everyone and environmentally compliant siya,” the governor said.

(Some of the rocks are now lodged in the middle of the river channels because of the typhoon. We will make sure that the area is safe for everyone and that all rehabilitation work is environmentally compliant.)

READ: Kawasan named among world’s Most Beautiful Waterfalls

She added that the rehabilitation effort was intended solely for recovery and maintenance and would not include the construction of commercial establishments within the area.

“We make sure that we keep the natural environment of Kawasan,” she said.

P110 million budget provided

The Cebu Provincial government recently turned over ₱110 million in financial assistance to support the restoration of Kawasan Falls, one of the province’s top tourism destinations.

Baricuatro said additional funding might be allocated as the project progresses, subject to the availability of provincial funds.

Although no exact start date had been announced, she said rehabilitation works would be expected to begin as soon as preparations would be finalized by the local government of Badian led by Mayor Jerome Librando.

READ: Development, promotion of Eastern Samar’s Maharlika Falls pushed“Naa na silay plan and standby architects. As soon as possible kung maconvene niya [Mayor] ang team, then they will start,” Baricuatro said.

(They already have a plan in place and architects are on standby. As soon as the mayor is able to convene the team, they will begin the project.)

She said the rehabilitation was expected to run for about a year and would require permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources before major works would proceed.

Preserving livelihoods, environment

Baricuatro recently inspected the first level of Kawasan Falls to assess the extent of damage and determine priority interventions needed for its recovery.

READ: In Photos: Over a year since Odette, Badian’s Kawasan Falls remains close to public

According to the governor, restoring Kawasan Falls goes beyond repairing infrastructure, as it also helps preserve livelihoods and strengthen local economic activity.

Typhoon Tino, which hit the country in November last year, triggered severe flooding that damaged portions of the attraction and forced the temporary suspension of Kawasan Falls and canyoneering activities while safety measures were undertaken.

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