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Must-See Mantapuyan Falls in Barili—Cebu’s Highest Waterfall

Sugbo.ph

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July 5, 2021

Must-See Mantapuyan Falls in Barili—Cebu’s Highest Waterfall

Did you know that the world’s highest waterfall is found in Venezuela? Angel Falls has a height of 979 meters (3,212 feet)! And did you also know that Cebu’s highest waterfall is found in Barili? With a height of 98 meters (321.518 feet), Mantapuyan Falls, also known as Ambakan Falls, is one of the most beautiful waterfalls that are famous to many tourists.

Accessible Location

Unlike other waterfalls that are buried in the middle of thick jungles, Mantapuyan Falls is very accessible to tourists who wish to see the spectacular height of falling waters. From South Bus Terminal in Cebu City, you can take the public bus for the next 2-2.5 hours before reaching Barili. The famous falls are known to the locals so asking the habal-habal driver to take you to Mantapuyan Falls should not trigger any anxious bones for first-timers.

Protected Water Park

Cebu Provincial Tourism Office is very particular with its tourist spots within the province. To continuously encourage tourists to visit beautiful destinations, it became their mission to protect the natural resources in the area. The forest and wildlife are protected by the locals which give you the freedom to observe animals such as birds and monkeys.

The First Fall Below the Hanging Bridge

Before reaching the highest waterfall, you will be greeted with the first 14-meter high waterfall. Still impressive with its milky greenish water sitting in a pool surrounded by the lush of greens, this falls feature a hanging bridge. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos while crossing the bridge for safety purposes. The hanging bridge is sturdy amidst its length and age, though. Standing in the middle of the bridge, you can see the falls below while hearing the roar of the highest falls just a few meters away.

Spotlight: Mantapuyan Falls

During weekends, it’s a party in the area. Full of visitors from different places, the water park is a must-see with friends and colleagues. Canteens sell food so if you missed your lunch box, you don’t have to worry. There’s a grill for rent if you’re up for barbecue. For safety purposes, all visitors who wish to swim are required to wear life vests.

Tip: If you want to see Mantupayan Falls by yourself—no photo bomber, just you and nature—visit the place early during weekdays. Renting a raft for just 100 pesos won’t hurt your pocket if you want to come nearer to the falls—and for a better photo of course.

Power in Barili

Hydropower is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity. Mantupayan Falls is a form of sustainable energy production in Barili for over ten years. You will be impressed how a majestic beauty can provide to the locals in the area not just through tourism but as well as its natural way of giving back to people through an eco-friendly power source.

Preserving and not disturbing the natural habitats in the jungle as well as keeping the scenery safe and accessible to the people, is one way of truly appreciating without destroying the gift of nature. It is one’s job to continuously protect our environment, passing it to more generations to come.

RATES & OTHER INFORMATION

DAY USE:

Entrance fee: 40 pesos
Opening hours: 7:00AM-5:00PM daily

ROOM RATES:

Cottages/Rooms: Overnight is 500 pesos. Maximum of 4 persons.
Umbrella with Chairs: 150 pesos
Grilling Rental: 20 pesos
Raft Rental: 150 pesos / hour

Other Information:

Corkage: None
Contact number: Cebu Provincial Tourism Portal 032-888-2328 loc 1134
Email address: [email protected]
Facebook Page: No official Facebook page found
Website: https://discover.cebu.gov.ph/tour/mantayupan-falls/

HOW TO GET THERE?

Exact location: Barili, Southern Cebu — approx. 2 hours away from Cebu City.

BY BUS/TRICYCLE (COMMUTERS):

You can take a bus in South Bus Terminal from Cebu City and ask the driver to drop you off at Poblacion Barili. Estimated travel time is 2-2.5 hours. Riding a habal-habal, you will reach Mantupayan Falls which is only 3.7km only. Fare costs 50-100 pesos.

BY CAR: Navigate with Waze or Google Maps and set your destination to Mantupayan Falls in Barili, Cebu. Only 20 pesos for parking fee.

No more RT-PCR Test for Fully Vaccinated Travelers: IATF

News and Events

Sarah Ladeza

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July 5, 2021

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No more RT-PCR Test for Fully Vaccinated Travelers: IATF

On a tape briefing released last Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the guidelines for individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were released by the Inter-Agency Task Force of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

If you are one of the people who have received the second shot of a two-dose vaccine or the first of a single-dose, you are already considered as fully vaccinated.

National IATF Resolution 124-B Guidelines:

• Senior Citizens will continue to follow the intrazonal movement, given that your area is under general community quarantine or modified GCQ. The senior citizen, however, must be able to present their COVID-19 domestic vaccination card or a quarantine completion which shows the individual’s immunization status.

• If you’re also planning to do an interzonal travel, you may just present your vaccination card or certificate of quarantine completion.

• For travelers, however, you would still need to undergo health and exposure screening upon arrival at your Local Government Unit (LGU) of destination.

• If you are tagged as a close contact of a probable or confirmed COVID-19 positive person, you will still undergo a 7-day quarantine. This shortened day quarantine will only be applicable if you will remain asymptomatic after 7 days from your last exposure. If you remain to be asymptomatic, you will then be released from the quarantine facility after 7 days.

• If an RT-PCR be needed, it is deemed necessary to be done not earlier than the fifth day after your last exposure.

• However, prescribed testing and isolation protocols shall be followed once the swab test yields a positive result, or if the individual becomes symptomatic.

For the month of July 2021, the whole island of Cebu remains placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) while the Palace extended GCQ status in the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal until July 15.

The GCQ status will also be imposed in Baguio City, Apayao, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Quezon, Guimaras, Aklan, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga, Iligan City, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Cotabato City for the entire July.

Cagayan, Bataan, Lucena City, Puerto Princesa, Naga City, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, the entire Davao region, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur are under stricter modified enhanced community quarantine until July 15.

The rest of the country will remain under MGCQ for another month.

Regardless if you’ve been jabbed once or twice, following the safety protocols is still deemed necessary. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Cebu logs 182 new cases on July 4

News and Events

Ram Mancelita

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July 4, 2021

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On Sunday night, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of July 4, 2021.

Today, the whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and the Cebu Province — recorded 182 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 68 new recoveries, and 2 new deaths. This brings Cebu’s total confirmed cases to 56,815, while the active cases increased to 2,211 (from 2,099).

Breakdown of cases:

Cebu City
– Total confirmed: 25,942 (+77 new)
– Total recoveries: 24,143 (+51 new)
– Total deaths: 881 (+1 new)
– Active cases: 918

Lapu-Lapu City
– Total confirmed: 7,012 (+28 new)
– Total recoveries: 6,555 (+4 new)
– Total deaths: 171 (+1 new)
– Active cases: 286

Mandaue City
– Total confirmed: 7,052 (+23 new)
– Total recoveries: 6,503 (+7 new)
– Total deaths: 234 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 315

Cebu Province
– Total confirmed: 16,809 (+54 new)
– Total recoveries: 15,363 (+6 new)
– Total deaths: 754 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 692

Summary of COVID-19 cases in Cebu:

Total Active Cases in Cebu: 2,211 (from 2,099)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 56,815 (+182 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 52,564 (+68 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 2,040 (+2 new*)

A total of 2,440 laboratory results were released for today.

NOTES from DOH-7:

*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.

DOH-7 Full Report (Central Visayas):

4 Beach-y Things to Do at Alegarbes Beach Resort in Carmen

Sugbo.ph

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July 4, 2021

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4 Beach-y Things to Do at Alegarbes Beach Resort in Carmen

Have you tried exploring the beaches in the northern part of Cebu? Aside from the famous public beaches in Tuburan and the white sandy islands in Bantayan, Carmen, which is located along the seaside, also boasts a number of beaches you can try. Alegarbes Beach Resort is situated on a rocky coastline in Puente, Carmen, Cebu. Unlike other beaches that have a long stretch of shoreline, this humble resort’s pride comes in rock formations that the visitors will love.

Rock Jumping

A big rock is sitting a few meters away from the shore. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, or simply want to conquer your fear of heights and deep waters, you can climb up the rock through man-made stairs and plunge into the cold seawater. There’s a rope connecting from the huge rock to the shore so if you’re not a good swimmer, you can simply hold your life into it and still try rock jumping. They say you cannot get the full experience of the resort unless you do it.

Also, jumping involves a quick burst of energy which improves cardiovascular health, metabolism, bone density, strength, muscle tone, balance, and coordination.

Photo from Alegarbes Beach Resort Facebook Page

Sit Back and Relax

Experiencing the same thing over and over again can cause stress. Changing your setting by going to the beach, your senses are engaged in new sights, smells, tastes, and sounds. This can improve your mental state and increase feelings of relaxation.

And did you know that the color blue is a highly peaceful color? Blue can be especially helpful for stress management because it can encourage a powerful sense of calm. When life is too much to bear and you’re feeling blue, ironic as it may sound, dip into the blue waters of Alegarbes Beach Resort. Together with your colleagues or family, take a break and visit this resort to enjoy precious time by the sea. There are cottages for rent where you can sit back and breathe in the salty breeze.

See the Sunrise

Early birds get the early worms—or so they say. However, when you arrive at this resort earlier than the rest, you can get a glimpse of the beautiful rising sun. The sound of the waves will soothe your mind. Plus, it is mostly high tide in the morning which means rock jumping will be on your list.

Moreover, study shows that getting exposure to the sun and the ocean air is great for your mental health. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. (healthline.com)

Snap Memories

You’re lucky to be born in this era where taking photos is at the end of your thumb. Create memories by flexing your summer OOTD in the simple garden of the resort. The elevated setting of this resort will give you a better angle on the blue waters below. Make it a habit to snap photos as many as you can because if you think you only do it for a timeline update, then you should know by now that there’s more to it. Aside from preserving wonderful memories—both old and new—photography helps you find beauty in this world. Positivity is a good fuel to your mental health.

Photo by @itsmecharlymazinggg via instagram

We go to places for many reasons—to breathe, mostly. In Alegarbes Beach Resort, your thirst for shaking off the crumbs of stress is one of the main reasons why such a beautiful beach has been developed for you to enjoy. It is not every day you get to see panoramic sea views. So while you’re on it, have a blast!