NOT too many have heard of the caves, waterfalls, underground river and other natural attractions in Cebu City’s mountain barangays, much less visited any of them.
Before they become popular tourist sites, city officials want to compile an inventory of all the city’s attractions in the mountain barangays and come up with regulations to preserve them and make sure they are spared from any environmental degradation.
City Councilor Jose Daluz III said he and Councilor Margot Osmeña will visit the sites in the coming months to check on the condition of these attractions and study how they can be developed.
They also want to feature all the natural attractions in the city in a magazine or coffee table book so these can be documented for local and foreign tourists to be aware of.
“Eventually, we plan to develop and improve these areas and of course, it will have to be done in an environmentally sound manner. The idea is to enrich the culture of the area where the attractions are located, and to draw tourists there without sacrificing our environment,” Daluz told Sun.Star Cebu.
He said that before the sites become popular among tourists, they want to implement regulations that will penalize those who pollute the area with garbage and other wastes.
Among the natural attractions in the south district are the waterfalls in Barangay Tagbao, which feature a rock formation that is believed to resemble two lovers.
“Each of these attractions has their own story to tell and we believe it will enrich local culture,” said Daluz.
Other attractions in the mountain barangays are the caves and underground river in Barangay Sudlon I, a big lake in Barangay Bonbon, the waterfalls in Barangay Toong, and lagoons and the thick forests in Barangays Tabunan, Cantipla, Toong and other mountain barangays.
Daluz said that in the meantime, City Hall will have to subsidize the development and upkeep of the attractions.
“We have not discussed yet if we will collect fees from those who visit these sites so for now, the City will subsidize the improvements and maintenance. But for sure we will have to set up regulations because their sites are starting to attract tourists and some of them leave their garbage behind,” he added.
