By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Negros Occidental provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said yesterday that the provincial government is already eyeing to reopen the Mambukal Resort in the town of Murcia to tourists.
According to Diaz, the initial plan is to reopen the capitol-owned resort by December once the last of the individuals who are quarantined in the resort are allowed to go home.
The Mambukal Resort has been used as a quarantine facility for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients since last year when the pandemic began.
Diaz said there were only supposed to be two individuals left who are undergoing quarantine, however, a female medical staff from the town of Isabela along with her husband and two children were brought to the facility after testing positive for COVID-19 last Monday.
“Hopefully mag-continue na nga magpanaog pa gid ang mga kaso,” Diaz said. “Gusto na namon tani isara ang [quarantine facility] kag abrihan na sya for tourism sang aton mga pumuluyo,” he added.
Diaz said they are still hoping for the target month of December for Mambukal’s reopening.
Once reopened, he said they will strictly accommodate only vaccinated local tourists into the resort./DGB, WDJ