The Sad Fate of Tumalog Falls

Tumalog Falls is one of the top attractions in Cebu and one of the must-see falls. Located in Oslob, majority of visitors from the whale sharking watching proceed to this falls. Who can’t be bewitched with this charm?

But this was BEFORE. This is Tumalog Falls now.

If you have been to Tumalog before, you will surely find this heartbreaking. My parents who went to Tumalog Falls a few years back with my sister’s family were disappointed. I think their hearts sank that day.

 It was only drizzling. It seems like the water was just squeezed from its source.

We went there last December and it took me months to blog, hoping it will be back. I just checked latest photos of the falls and it is still the same.

Tumalog Falls turned false?

Back at the Whale Watching orientation pavilion, I saw the circular posted informing tourists that due to the low water supply at Tumalog Falls, they will no longer collect entrance fees. It was dated February 2016 and since it was almost 10 months prior, I thought the notice was void anyway. Besides, it was February, I thought t was due to the impending summer season.

I asked the habal-habal driver if there is still water and they said, ” naa pay gamay“. I read that some find that they are being cheated by the drivers but I can’t blame them. They shared to us how much income before and now that there are less tourists coming.

What happened to Tumalog Falls?

I think this is the question that any returning tourist will ask. The locals first told me it was due to El Niño but they knew I was not buying it. My father, who is a senior, full of wisdom, asked the locals if the kasili died.

Kasili is an fresh water eel that burrows the bottom of cave systems or springs, releasing more water. The elders will tell you that if you kill these kasili, you are killing the spring.  The drivers told my dad that indeed, a lot of dead kasilis dropped into the falls.

I also read online that a reservoir was built, cutting the water supply of Tumalog Falls.

Whatever the real reason is, I hope Tumalog falls can heal. If its man-made, I hope that it can be fixed.

I’m not writing this to discourage visitors

I shy away from writing negative posts. If you don’t like the place, I just don’t write at all, just like you close your mouth if you have nothing else good to say. So why am I writing this?

First, I want to set the expectations of the tourists. I read some bad reviews and I can’t really blame them. Tumalog Falls was such a beauty and in just a few years, it was all gone.

If you are curious and want to visit, go ahead. But this information will give travelers a choice to skip it if they feel that it’s not worth it.

Here I am capturing my parent’s disappointment. The presence of the bamboo indicates that this was a big source of water.

Also, I want tourist to appreciate Tumalog beyond the falls instead. I have seen some photos on social media about the falls. I don’t know if they really enjoyed it or they just pretend to be. We all know how curated and filtered experiences now with social media.

On our part, my kids enjoyed the place. I know they could have enjoyed it a million times.

My kids enjoyed the habal-habal ride too. If only I captured my youngest son’s expression while riding the motorcycle.

The lush vegetation around the falls is a relaxing place. I hope someone can have a brilliant idea on making the place worth visiting again even if Tumalog Falls can’t bounce back ( I hope it will!).

If you are visiting Tumalog Falls, set your expectations and enjoy it as what it is now. Make the best out of it. Let’s not discourage people from skipping it but let’s not sugarcoat it either.

If you came from Tumalog Falls with news that the water is back, please inform me!

Thank you so much for reading! XoXo