A campsite dubbed as “Baguio de Cebu” eco-adventure park has been catering to those who want to commune with nature. | CDND File Photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Mt. Manunggal in Balamban town is known to many as the site of the plane crash that killed the late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay.
But Shalimar Tamano, director of the Central Visayas office of the Department of Tourism (DOT-7), says that aside from its historical significance, Mt. Manunggal is a “gem destination” that can still be enhanced.
“We have a gem of a destination in Mt. Manunggal and TCH (Transcentral highway). We hope to increase the value of these sites by creating connections, ensuring that the experience satisfying and meaningful,” Tamano says in a statement.
He says that “with the pandemic-induced growing preference for outdoor sites, Manunggal is among the most visited within the TCH corridor.”
The TCH corridor that is located on the uplands of Cebu City and Balamban town in midwestern Cebu offers a variety of activities and experiences, including open air dining and recreational activities.
Magsaysay’s death anniversary
On March 17, 1957, Magsaysay and 24 other passengers were killed after the Douglas C-47 plane called “Mt. Pinatubo” crashed on the slope of Mt. Manunggal in Barangay Sunog in Balamban town in western Cebu.
Local officials commemorate the death anniversary of the late President Ramon Magsaysay. | Contributed photo
Tamano; Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay; Magsaysay’s grandson Francisco “Paco” Magsaysay; relatives of General Benito Ebuen; and former Senator Tomas Cabili, who is a close friend of the late president, joined this year’s wreath-laying ceremony at the crash site in Barangay Sunog.
The activity was also attended by town officials and residents and members of the community organization managing tourist operations in the area.
Heartwarming stories and interesting anecdotes about the late president effectively convey Magsaysay’s legacy of being an exemplary public servant, Tamano said.
“Even if he served the country for only three years, the late President Magsaysay’s spirit lives on in everything that is good in the Filipino. The DOT-7 is proud to facilitate appreciation for the Magsaysay legacy through our support to tourism stakeholders of the locality,” he said.
The Ramon Magsaysay monument in Balamban town. | File Photo
The Ramon Magsaysay monument that was erected in Mt. Manunggal have been classified by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as a site of historical significance.
Historical Tourism Destination
The peak that is Cebu’s third-highest, next to Osmeña Peak and Lugsangan Peak, is now very popular among locals and tourists.
For its part, the DOT-7 has been extending support to local stakeholders in enhancing the potentials of Mt. Manunggal as a historical tourism destination.
Under a convergence program with the Department of Public Works and Highways, the DOT-7 facilitated the concreting of the road leading to the Mt. Manunggal camp to provide access to four-wheel vehicles.
Campers at the Baguio de Cebu eco adventure park in Mt. Manunggal. | File photo
DOT-7’s Tourism Industry Skills Program have also provided training to the Barangay Unity Key to Integrated Development Multipurpose Cooperative (BUKID MPC) community guides.
“The program has enriched the Manunggal experience as guides provide accurate historical information and encourage better appreciation of the surrounding natural environment,” the DOT-7 statement reads.
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