DAUIN, Negros Oriental -- The municipality of Dauin is set to revive the Baslay Hot Spring, the leading tourist spot in Negros Oriental until Typhoon Sendong destroyed it in 2012.
Dauin Mayor Neil Credo announced this to some 160 member-beneficiaries of Baslay Farmers Association (BFA) who are producing a total of 120 hectares of coffee in the area.
"With the help of the Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council) which I requested Vice Mayor Rodrigo Alanano to prepare the necessary ordinance to allocate funds for the reconstruction of Baslay Hot Spring amenities and other development in the area," said Credo.
He added that concrete roads will also be constructed from the highway going to the hot spring with additional funds from the third congressional district.
For his part, Vice Mayor Alanano concurred that the hot spring will be restored to complement the BFA coffee production project.
“I was given an authority by the mayor to allocate funds for the restoration system to bring down the source of hot water or spring from Mt. Iso and Mt. Takdol to Baslay,” said Alanano.
With BFA’s coffee production under the Shared Service Facility program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Dauin officials have encouraged coffee farmer association to set up also coffee shops beside some dipping pools as soon these will be established in Baslay.
Alanano said the reconstruction of the hot springs will start next year, and BFA’s coffee shops should be ready with robusta and Arabica coffee in the area.
Local officials challenged the members of BFA to make Baslay as one of the eco-tourism destinations in the town.
“Due to our strong efforts to preserve and protect our forest and wildlife including endemic plants before which were abundant here, coffee plants productively grown under the forest as the farmers harvested 13 tons this year,” said Alanano.
DTI provided BFA some equipment to increase quality coffee production and competitiveness. (PIA)