Davide extends suspension of canyoneering

Alegria tour guides and municipal employees undergo training on proper water rescue operations to better assist tourists. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

Thrill-seekers who want to experience the canyoneering adventure in the southern towns of Alegria and Badian will have to wait a little longer.
In an executive order (EO) he released yesterday, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III has extended for another month the suspension of the activity after this was requested by the mayors of both towns.

“Due to the expressed desire of the Municipality of Badian to be actively involved in the formulation of policies and safety measures, as well as in the regulation of the canyoneering activities for the collective welfare of the people of Badian and the tourists or guests of Badian and Alegria, the mayors of Badian and Alegria have jointly requested an extension of the closure order to better address the safety and regulation issues of the canyoneering adventure site,” read the EO.

The two-month suspension of the activity started last June 1 and was supposed to end next week, August 1. But due to the extension, resumption of the activity is set on September 1 yet.

During the suspension, several meetings with the different stakeholders have been made in order to craft safety and security guidelines for the activity, which has been considered as an extreme sport.

The canyoneering activity happens in the Kanlaob River. It starts from Barangay Compostela in Alegria to Barangay Matutinao in Badian and involves jumping from cliffs into the water, wading in the river, scaling rock walls and walking. The activity usually takes between two to three hours or longer if there are a lot of people.

The suspension period also saw the transition of a new administration in Badian as elected Mayor Carmencita Lumain took over former Mayor Robburt Librando. This was also why Lumain requested for the extension since she wanted to be more involved in the crafting of the guidelines for the activity.

On the other hand, Alegria Mayor Verna Magallon is still mayor after she got elected.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. also said that the municipality of Badian still hasn’t complied with the requirement to come up with an emergency plan for the canyoneering activity.

The tour guides and operators in the town are also not yet properly organized, he said.

MCM Badian-Alegria Canyoneering Services, one of the canyoneering operators in the south supported Governor Davide’s decision to extend the suspension despite losing income from the activity for two months already.

“There are no clear regulations yet issued by the local government units. As a responsible operator, this is also important to us since we want to abide by the law and assure the safety of our guests and tour guides,” the operator posted in their Facebook page.

They also encouraged both LGUs and the provincial government to conduct consultations with operators and guides to discuss concerns during the suspension.