Kawasan Falls in Badian remains open to tourists as the Cebu provincial government implements a major rehabilitation program to repair parts of the popular ecotourism destination.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro announced on Wednesday, June 17, that the province will carry out the rehabilitation in phases to avoid disrupting tourism activities and the livelihoods of residents who depend on the attraction.
Instead of a total closure, the rehabilitation work will be done “by phase” to ensure that visitors can continue to enter the area safely while restoration efforts are underway.
“We want to clean the area, remove the debris left by past calamities, and ensure that residents and visitors remain safe,” Baricuatro said.
The provincial government has allocated P110 million for the four-component rehabilitation program, most of which focuses on repairing parts of Kawasan Falls affected by past disasters, particularly Typhoon Tino.
Priorities include removing large stones and debris that were washed downstream by strong floods and are now stuck in some parts of the river.
“Most of these are rehabilitation programs, but we will make sure to preserve the natural environment of Kawasan because after the typhoon, many stones were washed downstream and remain in the middle of the water channels,” she said.
Baricuatro emphasized that preserving the natural environment of Kawasan while ensuring public safety remains the focus of the rehabilitation effort.
Kawasan Falls, one of Cebu’s top tourist attractions, draws thousands of local and foreign visitors each year and serves as a major source of income for the communities in Badian.
