The Negros Occidental provincial government obtained a special patent title for the almost 24-hectare property covering the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia town from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the transfer represents a significant advancement in the initiatives of the province to preserve the environment, promote sustainable tourism, and enhance community involvement.
“For one thing, this assures that Mambukal is owned by the provincial government. With this turnover of the special patent title, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold Mambukal as a model and representation of responsible stewardship and a source of pride for the present and future generations of Negrenses,” Lacson said during the turnover ceremony held at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City.
It was in 1994 when then-governor Rafael Coscolluela requested the DENR for a survey of the property and the subsequent issuance of the special patent for the area covered.
Thirty years later, in February this year, Lacson formally applied for a special patent for the Mambukal town site, and after the evaluation and processing of documents, the turnover of the title issued on July 10, 2024, finally took place.
The governor said that in a few years, Negros Occidental will “celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mambukal, a milestone that traces back to the construction of the Ishiwata Bathhouse in 1927.”
Mambukal was declared a town site on June 22, 1957, under the Republic Act 1964, known as the “Act of Establishing the Mambukal Town Site for Health Center and Recreation Resort Purposes.”
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Negros Occidental officer-in-charge Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya turned over the special patent title to the governor in the presence of Murcia Mayor Victor Gerardo Rojas and DENR-Western Visayas Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Edgardo Rostata.
In his message, Gerangaya said the special patent title “symbolizes more than just legal ownership; it represents a pledge to uphold environmental stewardship, sustainable tourism practices, and responsible development.”
“This moment is a testament to our collective dedication to the conservation and the preservation of our natural heritage. With the issuance of this special patent title, we reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding Mambukal’s treasures for future generations,” he added.
After almost two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the resort reopened in December 2021, and Lacson issued Executive Order 21-45, declaring and rebranding the Mambukal Resort as a wildlife sanctuary.
It said the area is home to several wildlife species protected under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
Considering Mambukal Resort’s characteristic, which is home to, among others, “endemic and wildlife species that require specific human manipulations for their perpetuation, it falls under the category of wildlife sanctuary,” it added. (PNA)