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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Cebu local officials recently allowed limited rafting at the Kawasan falls in Badian town but continue to impose a total ban on diving in the area.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said her decision to allow regulated rafting stemmed from a request by the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO) who complained that it has reduced tourist arrivals at the Kawasan falls.
“(There is no more) diving because it is more dangerous,” Garcia told Cebu Daily News (CDN).
The ban on diving came about after the death of a Korean national in a diving incident on Good Friday early this year.
A technical working group (TWG) headed by Garcia upheld a town ordinance passed by the Badian municipal government and an executive order issued by Badian Mayor Carmen Lumain that prohibited diving and bamboo rafting at the waterfalls respectively.
Kawasan's main falls located in Barangay (village) Matutinao was one of the destinations during the three-day Suroy Suroy sa Sugbu Southern Heritage Trail.
CDN saw that a bamboo raft was used by some local guests separate from the Suroy Suroy group.
The group paid at least P300 for an hour's use.
Cebu Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale said CATO officials approached her and Mayor Lumain to request them to facilitate lifting the ban on rafting.
Kawasan falls has become a favorite destination for local and foreign tourists especially Korean students who come to Cebu to study or tour.
Cottage operators would rent out their bamboo rafts to tourists who would visit the area especially during weekends and holidays.
The municipal government also collects a P10 entrance fee which they share with Barangay Matutinao where the main falls is located and barangays Balhaan and Solsogan, the water sources.
Magpale said she and Lumain referred the CATO request to Garcia who agreed to lift the ban.
Lumain said regulated rafting was allowed at the Kawasan falls since early this month.
However, only two of the five rafts that used to be floated near the falls were allowed to be used this time.
The use of the raft is also limited to only eight persons, Lumain said.
Following the Good Friday diving incident, Garcia instructed the Kawasan Falls TWG to study the possibility of demolishing structures like restaurants and cottages that were illegally built within the different levels of the Kawasan falls.
They wanted to implement the 20 meters easement that will be measured starting from the highest waterline of any lagoon in the waterfall system.
The Cebu Capitol intends to establish a “common picnic” where cottages a few meters away from the waterfalls to replace the illegal structures.
Magpale said they started to negotiate with lot owner Mateo Duque for the acquisition of at least 2,000 square meters of lot which the province would convert into a common picnic area.
Duque's lot is located near a wooden bridge that provides access to the vicinity of the main falls.
“Once we complete the negotiations, we can already demolish the illegal structures. But we don't want to do it at this time we don't also want to deprive them (visitors of the Kawasan Falls) of shade,” she said.
Kawasan Falls is composed of at least three separate waterfalls.
The lowest level of the falls, which hosts the largest lagoon, is where most structures are located.
There are at least 44 privately owned cottages that are rented out to visitors with most of these cottages lacking in business permits.
