TACLOBAN CITY- The Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park (MVNP) is attracting more tourists nowadays.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla in an interview said that an increase in the number of tourists has been noted for the last few years.
He cited that in 2015, more than 5,000 tourists visited the park and increased by 50 percent the following year.
Governor Petilla said that MVNP, located in the boundaries of Burauen and La Paz towns, is another promising tourism attraction which his administration is promoting.
Petilla said that they projects that more tourists will visit the park upon the completion of the concreting of the road leading to the MVNP in the middle of this year.
Meantime, Regional Director Leonardo Sibbaluca of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, regional office 8 (DENR-8) said in an interview that recognizing the tourism potentials of MVNP, his office has spearheaded the Second Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park (MVNP) Outdoor Festival, February 3, 2017 with the aim of promoting environmental protection and conservation and ecotourism.
More than 1,000 people attended the festival, he added.
Sibbaluca said that the volcano with its visible crater has its natural wonders and attractions to include multi-colored mud, hot springs, waterfalls and a diversity of flora and fauna. He also added that the park has twin volcanic crater lakes – Lake Mahagnao and Lake Malagsum.
Sibbaluca said that the park has the prevailing cool or temperate environmental conditions.
He added that Mahagnao Volcano with an elevation of 860 meters (or 2,820 feet) from the sea level and which is the focal point of the natural park, is classified as a dormant volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) with last eruption reported in 1865.
Proclamation no. 184 dated August 27, 1937 created Mahagnao Volcano National Park with an area of 635 hectares (1,570 acres) and was renamed under its present name under Proclamation no. 1157 dated February 3, 1998.
(RESTITUTO CAYUBIT)
