CEBU CITY, Philippines – A photo of Tumalog Falls in Oslob of southern Cebu that seemed to have lost its curtain-like appeal is now making the rounds on social media.
The photo was uploaded by a Facebook user identified as Michelle Moreno on March 4, 2019 and she said she uploaded the photo so that it could reach Oslob town officials and its residents and to do something to protect the falls or the environment in general.
Moreno told Cebu Daily News Digital in an interview that she was disappointed when she visited Tumalog Falls last February 20.
“It was my first time to visit Tumalog Falls in Oslob, Cebu … Nagtataka po kasi ako bakit ganoon na ang babaw lang ng tubig,” said Moreno, who is from Bulacan.
She added that some of the locals who accompanied her to the falls told her the reason as to why the falls seemed to have lost its curtain-like appeal.
“Due to a lot of resorts being built and higher number of people now living at Barangay Luka, Oslob, southern Cebu, the water consumption went up as well,” Moreno said.
“As a solution they took water from the same source of water going to Tumalog Waterfalls, and, now, there’s no more curtain of water going down, it only trickles,” she added.
She said she uploaded the photo of Tumalog Falls on her official Facebook account so that it could reach the attention of local government officials and residents in Oslob.
“Huwag po sana natin abusuhin ang ganda ng kalikasan dahil tayo naman talaga ay nakikiraan lamang. Trabaho pareho ng lokal na gobyerno at nang publiko na protektahan ang kalikasan,” Moreno said.
Oslob is a fourth-class municipality located 118.3 kilometers southeast of Cebu City, and has gained popularity among local and foreign tourists for its whale shark-watching activities.
Tumalog Falls is also a popular tourist spot in the town.
To go there, tourists must take a 20-minute habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) ride from the highway in Oslob./dbs