After months of temporary closure, Tumalog Falls is open once again to the public!
Photo by Marvin Galang on Unsplash
Mark your calendars! As of today, you can finally visit Tumalog Falls.
The Tumalog Waterfalls Facebook Page confirmed its reopening after its cascades had returned to their natural flow and its pools had been refilled with freshwater.
This waterfall system in southern Cebu was first discovered in 2012 in Barangay Luka. It is commonly used as a cool-off area after the popular whale shark watching activities of the town.
It has crystal-clear waters with a massive, spacious basin at the bottom. Visitors have mentioned that it is shallow and extremely cold.
It is arguably one of Cebu’s most picturesque locations and a fan-favorite tourist spot famous for its rain-like cascades.
Aside from being a tourist destination, Tumalog is also a backup water source that supplies 13 of Oslob’s 21 barangays.
THE CLOSURE
The temporary closure was issued on March 17th this year after the falls started slowing down, reportedly due to the lack of rain from the El Niño phenomenon.
Aside from the warm weather, sinkholes that emerged from Typhoon Odette also reportedly absorbed the water, preventing it from cascading downward.
Despite heavy rainfall in June, the waterfalls remained dry, leading the local government unit to consider finding an alternative water supply for the falls.
Unfortunately, the infrastructure they would have to build would be too expensive, so they decided to wait for the rainy season to be in full effect for the water to flow naturally again.
In August, several viral photos displayed what happened to this beloved ecotourism site, with its rain-like water barely flowing and many of its pools becoming barren.
According to an article from Sunstar Cebu, the municipality reportedly lost around Php 6.9 million in entrance fees to the falls from March to August. Before its closure, the entrance fee was slated at Php 50. (2024)
Tumalog Falls previously welcomed around 500 to 1,000 visitors a day, according to Oslob Mayor Ronald Guaren.
The money they lost does not account for businesses relying on the attraction, including operators, tour guides, accommodations, restaurants, transportation, and souvenir shops.
The Oslob Public Information Office confirmed that the motorcycle drivers stationed to send guests down to the waterfalls were the most affected by the closure.
As of writing, there are no updates regarding price changes.
GOING TO TUMALOG FALLS
It is recommended that you visit Tumalog Falls from January to June since this is when the falls is relatively safer. You should avoid visiting the falls during typhoon season as the weather conditions may be dangerous.
Tripadvisor reviewers have said that the area is not yet crowded at around 10:00 AM, so it’s best to visit early in the morning.
From Cebu City, you can ride a bus to Bato via Oslob at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. This will take around two to three hours depending on the traffic.
Once you’re in Oslob, the fastest way to get to the falls is via a motorcycle taxi (habal-habal). If you are staying at a resort, you can also ask the staff to hail one for you.
The habal-habal can only take you to the entrance, and you will have to ride another motorcycle at the entrance gate that is assigned to take guests down to the falls. A round trip will cost around 50 Php per person.
You will need to be careful when riding them as they don’t provide helmets.
You can decide to walk down to the falls instead, but the road is pretty steep. You might get tired as soon as you arrive, so it might be better to pay the Php 50, especially as a donation to the locals.
At the welcome tent, you will have to pay another Php 50 for the entrance fee to the falls. This fee will be used for the maintenance and preservation of the waterfalls.
Once you arrive, you can jump into the massive pool of freshwater and soak under the rain-like cascades.
To learn more about the essentials you need for the trip, visit:
https://cebuinsights.com/how-to/travel-essentials-to-cebu/
REFERENCES:
Flores, Claudine. 2024. “Tumalog Falls’ 138-day temporary closure results in P6.9M loss.” Sunstar Cebu.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/tumalog-falls-138-day-temporary-closure-results-in-p69m-loss
