Tausuvan Falls in Cotabato temporarily closed for rehab after earthquakes

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Local authorities in Magpet, Cotabato announced the temporary closure of Tausuvan Falls to pave the way for its rehabilitation following a series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao last year.

The Municipal Tourism Office said a resolution was passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan calling for the rehabilitation of local tourist spots that were damaged by the quakes.

Tausuvan Falls located in Sitio Waterfall, Barangay Bongolanon is famous for its crystal-clear waters and the vast forest around it.

Magpet tourism officer Carl Jones Tanaid said a landslide triggered by the earthquakes damaged the entrance to the waterfalls.

The rehabilitation program will rebuild the damaged portion of the entrance as well as the steps going toward the falls.

"We cannot afford to sacrifice the safety of the tourists that is why we placed a notice of temporary closure of the Tausuvan Falls," Tanaid said.

He added that residents of the community near the falls will be relocated first since they were also affected by the landslide. The ground also had cracks after the earthquakes.

Close to 1,000 individuals were living in the said community, which is considered as ancestral land by indigenous peoples, need to be relocated.

For now, the affected families are staying in tents in Barangay Bongolanon since they have not yet been allowed to go back to their homes.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has declared the area landslide-prone.

Tanaid said Tausuvan Falls has provided livelihood to the residents, since some of them would serve as porters, guides and habal-habal drivers.

Tourists were charged P40 each to enter the Falls, generating income for the local government.

The earnings were split among the barangay, provincial government, local government of Magpet, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative and the tribal council.

Tourism is one of Magpet's source of earnings, with P1.24 million coming in last year. 

This was derived from tourist fees not only in Tausuvan Falls, but also in Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the country.

Mount Apo

Meanwhile, the trails in Magpet, Makilala and Kidapawan City in Cotabato leading to Mount Apo's peak were also closed to trekkers to give way to rehabilitation.

The said trails were also affected by landslides triggered by the earthquakes, Kidapawan City Tourism Officer Joey Recemilla said. 

He said Mahomanoy Resort in Barangay Ilomavis was also closed as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau declared the area unfit for tourists. 

Last year, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Tulunan, Cotabato on October 29. This was followed two days later by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake also with Tulunan as its epicenter. —KG, GMA News