AN ESTIMATED P6.9 million in potential income from entrance fees has been lost due to the temporary closure of Tumalog Falls in Oslob, southern Cebu, since March 17, 2024.
The tourist destination was closed for 138th day on Friday, Aug. 2, because its “rain-like” waterfalls continue to diminish.
Tumalog Falls has remained dry despite the state weather bureau declaring the start of the rainy season on May 29 and the end of the El Niño phenomenon on June 4.
Loss
Before the closure, an average of 1,000 tourists per day visited Tumalog Falls, Oslob Mayor Ronald Guaren said in an interview on Wednesday, March 20.
SunStar Cebu asked Mayor Ronald Guaren about the estimated daily loss for Tumalog Falls, but he could not provide a specific amount. Additionally, Oslob Public Information Officer Judel Figueroa was unavailable for comment on Friday, Aug. 2.
The entrance fee at Tumalog Falls before its temporary closure was P50, according to James Paquera, a 24-year-old student from Agbalanga, Moalboal, in a chat interview on Friday.
“Last year, on Feb. 11, we went on a road trip and visited Tumalog with my cousins,” Paquera said in a mix of Cebuano and English, noting that the place is stunning and great for unwinding.
Tumalog Falls’ projected loss of P6.9 million is based entirely on admission fee collection, which is determined by multiplying 1,000 visitors per day by the P50 entrance price and then by the 138 days since its shutdown.
This calculation excludes the influence on other businesses and livelihoods that rely on Tumalog Falls, such as operators, guides, the local government unit, surrounding business establishments, lodgings, food providers, restaurants, the transportation sector, and souvenir sellers.
Viral pictures
Photos of the dry Tumalog Falls went viral on Facebook on Thursday, Aug. 1. “Mao gyapon ang kahimtang sa tubig sa Tumalog waterfalls, Oslob, Cebu, ug mas grabe pa gyud ang pagkahubas karun (This is the situation of the water in Tumalog waterfalls, Oslob, Cebu, and it is even worse now),” read the post on the Tumalog Water Falls Oslob, Cebu Facebook Page.
Guaren said in March that Tumalog Falls was temporarily closed because the cascades had begun to slow.
In an interview with SunStar Cebu on Friday, Guaren said rehabilitation efforts will continue, but he did not elaborate on the plans for restoring water to Tumalog Falls.
The mayor said that the water source for Tumalog Falls had not dried up; instead, he believed that sinkholes in the mountain had absorbed the water. / CDF