BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The provincial government-run Mambukal Resort in Murcia, Negros Occidental will reopen to tourists fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) beginning Dec. 1.
According to Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, tourists may book their reservations at the resort’s office located at the Capitol Park and Lagoon in this city.
Diaz said they will only accommodate fully vaccinated tourists to ensure the safety of visitors and resort staff.
Visitors are also reminded to follow health protocols upon entry.
The resort was recently declared a sanctuary for wildlife conservation.
Mambukal is home to three species of bats – the Philippine Flying Fox, the Negros Naked-Back Fruit Bat, and the Little Golden Mantled Flying Fox. Two of the species were classified as endangered.
With this, vehicles will no longer be allowed to enter the resort, said Diaz.
Open burning of waste will also be prohibited.
Diaz said they are currently reviewing if they should still allow open fire cooking. The bats’ sense of smell is known to be sensitive at a two-kilometer radius.
“Hopefully maka-enjoy ang aton pumuluyo without degrading the environment and without driving away our important species of animals,” he added.
The Mambukal Resort was closed to the public last year due to restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resort was then converted into a quarantine facility housing locally stranded individuals and returning overseas Filipino workers.
It would then later serve employees of the provincial government who were either asymptomatic or those exhibiting minor COVID symptoms./PN
