Cotabato's Shrine of the Holy Cross closed due to influx of visitors –mayor

MLANG, Cotabato —The Local government of this town has closed the Shrine of the Holy Cross – which instantly became famous for the discovery of the breath-taking sight of the "sea of clouds" accidentally discovered last month by bikers –due to the influx of "uncontrollable" visitors.

Since its discovery, all sorts of visitors – joggers, backpackers, and pilgrims brave the uphill trek to the shrine in Barangay Nueva Vida to get the best view of the so-called "sea of clouds."

Sea of Clouds. W. MAGBANUA

Mayor Russel Abonado said uncontrolled climbers might breach protocols while North Cotabato’s province is still under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, Mayor Abonado said visitors tend to violate physical distancing protocols and engage in mass gathering, thus the municipal government decided to suspend the visits to the shrine.

“We decided to suspend effective June 24 all activities on top of the shrine, until proper protocol will be formulated,” said Abonado.

The suspension of climbs also has given way for an ongoing rehabilitation of the shrine and for the ongoing road concreting from the foot up to the top, the mayor added.

Hundreds of enthusiasts used to climb to the top to welcome the morning sun and to witness the sea of clouds that surround the hill especially in the morning.

The sea of clouds became famous following its discovery by the group of bikers that went up the hill early in one morning last month.

While biking downhill they noticed thick clouds which leveled to the mountain’s top, covering the forest around the hill.

“It was a very great view. For the first time I was able to witness the clouds surrounding the mountain with cool breeze while we were negotiating downhill,” Carlo, one of the bikers that first witnessed the said cloud formations.

The news spread all over North Cotabato and neighboring provinces following the posting of various photos in the social media.

This triggered some netizens and even local tourists to climb the hill as early as 3 a.m. to personally see the cloud formations and the sun rising sun.

Mayor Abonado said visitors as far as Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato flocked at Barangay Nueva Vida to visit the shrine of the Holy Cross, which was established by the Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) priests as part of their mission's base more than five decades ago.

The Barangay Council of Nueva Vida set up a checkpoint at the entrance leading to the foot of the shrine to ensure no one could enter the shrine at this time of the pandemic.

Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) have been task to secure all entry points leading to the peak until the suspension will be lifted, Mayor Abonado said.

“Please bear with us as we Are formulating the protocols in order not to breach it while we are still in MGCQ,” The town mayor stressed. —LBG, GMA News