Fund diversion for Leyte’s tourist destinations gets nod

TACLOBAN CITY, Sept. 17 -- The remaining PHP80 million funds meant for the construction of road leading to Lake Janagdan in Ormoc City will be diverted to the rehabilitation of road networks leading to two tourism destinations.

Regional Development Council co-chairman Roy Bernard Fiel said on Monday the RDC approved the fund diversion to finance the road to Lake Danao in Ormoc City and Masaba Falls in Palompon, Leyte. Each site has an allocation of PHP40 million.

The road to Lake Danao was damaged by the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit the province in the middle of last year. Masaba Falls is still hardly accessible due to the bumpy access road.

Last year, the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of Tourism asked for some PHP159 million to fund to concrete the road leading to Lake Janagdan. The proposed road ends at the foothill going toward the lake.

The project was, however, stopped after mountain climbers, who have been using the trail as entry point to Alto Peak, expressed opposition to the project. Alto Peak is the highest point in Eastern Visayas.

“Mountain climbers said the concrete road will only invite irresponsible tourists. The area is susceptible to landslide, according to geo-hazard maps. Janagdan Lake is an established Key Biodiversity Area and also a source of fresh and clean drinking water for residents of Cabintan village,” Fiel said.

Lake Danao is a guitar-shaped body of water covering an area of 148 hectares. It is situated in the 2,193-hectare Lake Danao Natural Park, which also includes the Amandiwin mountain range. The lake is 18 kilometres away from Ormoc City’s commercial district.

Masaba consists of seven cascading falls ideal for swimming and trekking. It is offered as an alternative destination to tourists visiting Palompon, who will not be able to visit Kalanggaman Island due to limited carrying capacity. The waterfalls is also a site for training of the quick response unit in the western part of Leyte province.

“The road project will improve accessibility going to Masaba Falls by 50 percent and it will also enhance the security of Masaba Falls visitors,” said Raoul Bacalla, Palompon municipal environment and natural resources office chief.

Bacalla said the proposed road project will also provide more opportunities to 100 households in Tinabilan, 200 in Caduhaan, and more than 100 families in Masaba. (SQM/pNA)