THE Provincial Government of Negros Occidental has rebranded the Capitol-run tourism establishment in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia town as Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued Executive Order No.21-35, Series of 2021, stating that Mambukal is home to several endemic and wildlife species that requires specific human manipulations for their perpetuation that falls on the category of wildlife sanctuary.
Lacson, who spoke at a program during the reopening of the facility Wednesday, December 1, said the provincial government is eyeing more facilities there, including high-end villas and rooms.
In the meantime, the entrance at the resort is for free. Only the use of the facilities will be paid for by the visitors.
“We made the soft reopening in line with [the declaration of] Alert Level 2 category [in terms of coronavirus disease transmission] of the province,” Lacson said.
Calling it a symbol of Negrense tourism, the resort can now welcome local and foreign tourists, he said.
Lacson emphasized that they want to ensure the observance of the minimum protocols such as wearing face masks and social distancing.
Visitors should pre-register at the Mambukal Office before going there since the resort management limits the people entering the facility to 70 percent of its total capacity.
The governor said they plan to reconstruct the dining structures at the river that were washed away by floods and also put up the kitchen in that area next year.
Aside from these facilities, a new building for the food court being built through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority inside the resort is also nearing completion.