By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Biodiversity Conservation and Nature Tourism Center at Sitio Pulakpulakan in the province’s Talisay City yesterday morning.

The 62-hectare site is being eyed by Lacson as the next Mambukal Resort and a major watershed area in the province.

In a short interview with local media after the ceremony, Lacson hinted that they may allow tourists to enter the nature tourism center for camping and hiking excursions once completed.

However, he said they have to complete road construction in the area for ease of access.

The annual budget for the development of the site is pegged at P90 million.

Aside from reforestation efforts at the site, among the facilities to be constructed inside will be a multi-purpose building made of bamboo, a bamboo treatment facility, a three-story watchtower, and a 10-room tourist building.

The site will also include a laboratory for scientists who will be studying the flora and fauna in the tourism center./DGB, WDJ