BACOLOD CITY (PNA) – Two tourism establishments in the mountain town of Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental were temporarily closed on Wednesday, October 13, after a landslide occurred in the area due to heavy rains on Monday afternoon.
These included Kurvada Café and Balay sa Busay Guest House, where some 20 guests were rescued by personnel of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) on that day.
Photos of the closure of the two establishments located in Barangay Kumaliskis were posted by the municipal government on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon.
“Due to the occurrence of a fortuitous event in your area, where this establishment was built and doing business, that may cause danger to our constituents and visitors, this local government unit orders (that it be) temporarily closed,” the notice posted outside the two establishments read.
Personnel of the MDRRMO and the Don Salvador Benedicto Municipal Police Station served the notice and placed the tarpaulin bearing the warning near the entrance.
According to the rescue team headed by Rodelio Famini, they were able to respond after guests reported the landslide incident through the municipality’s Facebook page.
“We appeal to owners of establishments and residents living near sloping areas to be on alert for possible landslides in this rainy weather,” the MDRRMO said.
In Executive Order 2021-0909 issued on the last week of September, Mayor Laurence Marxlen de la Cruz suspended until further notice such activities as rides, swimming, camping, hiking, excursions, and other superspreader activities in the municipality.
Considered the “summer capital of Negros Occidental” for its cool climate, Don Salvador Benedicto has become a favorite leisure destination among Negrenses and other domestic visitors.