Blog #189: What Happened to the Marvelous and Famous Mainit (Hot) Springs in Malabuyoc, Cebu? The Clashed Between the Government and the Land Owner
Happy Tuesday Hivers!
The Mainit Springs was once became a famous tourist attraction in Malabuyoc. People flocked together at Mainit Springs especially during weekends because of its relaxing ambience; some people who have suffered illnesses also visited the place and bathed because they believe that the hot spring has the ability to cure to stroke patience and to people who have suffered from skin and other illnesses. But what happened to Mainit Springs? Why it was suddenly closed a year before pandemic? Today, let me share with you what I've discovered the day I visited the place.
The Mainit Springs is located in Baranggay Montaneza under the jurisdiction of Municipality of Malabuyoc. The Municipality of Malabuyoc is located in the southwestern of the island of Cebu. It takes approximately 4 hours of travel from Cebu City. It is a town next to Alegria if you're coming from Cebu City.
From Cebu South Bus Terminal, you may take a Bus bound to Malabuyoc, Cebu. Inform the collector to drop you off in Malabuyoc proper. Hire a tricycle or motorcycle to convey you to Mainit Springs. It takes approximately 10~15 minutes of travel from Malabuyoc main town to Mainit Springs.
From the drop off point, the tricycle driver helped me to find someone who can guide me to Mainit Springs. Later on, there was a teenager who voluntered himself to be my tour guide.
The convenient access going to Mainit Springs was closed due to the clash happened between the LGU of Malabuyoc and the land owner. My tour guide led me to the unpaved pathway and we passed through the greenery and the river going to the springs. We hiked for about 10 minutes before we arrive.
Since no one maintains the area, I found the place messy as we entered the compound of Mainit Springs. I have sighted abandon cottages. It scared me a little bit since I have seen no one except ourselves in the secluded place. As we continued hiking my anxious feeling was slowly replaced with excitement as I heard voices of people laughing and talking loud. I was so much grateful because there were also other people in Mainit Springs. As we descended the stairs....
this astonishing scenery welcomed us. The clean and fresh water that was freely flow in the river was a wondrous scenery that I had that day.
I stayed at the river for a while and let the cold flowing water passed through my feet. It truly gave me relaxing feeling.
I walked further until I could not anymore see the sky because the place was already covered with big trees.
After I captured photos of that side, I went back to the place where the springs are situated and I decided to submerge my feet to the pool with a temperature of 42.6 degree celcius.
But before I went to the hottest pool I was tempted to capture photos of a woman who enjoyed the pool alone.
I asked her if I could take photos of her, she replied yes and smiled at me.
I tried to dip my feet in the pool where the woman bathe, the water temperature is not that hot. The temperature was just manageable, the reason why the woman was able to stay in the pool for a longer time.
The water was so clean and clear. I was able to see the floor of the pool. After I'd tried to dip my feet in this pool I went to the hottest pool.
As I arrived in the hottest pool, I was able to see the signage. It is obvious that no one maintains the area, look at the signage, it was almost fell on the ground because it was already damage.
As I came closer to the pool, I smelled like there was a rotten egg. I also saw smoke coming from the pool. I don't know if you're able to notice the smoke in the GIF.
The water is flowing meaning we can assure that it is clean and safe to bath. But can you manage to plunge in the pool with 42.6 degree celcius temperature?
I tried to dip my feet, at first I took it off immediately because my feet got hurt. It was absolutely hot, I tried again and again until my skin was able to tolerate the temperature. Look at the man in the photo below. He told me that he can't really tolerate the hot temperature but he wanted to bath. Since he was a solution-oriented person, he brought a small pail with him and use it for his bathing. Look what he did.
In this area the water is clean, however, if you check thoroughly the ground was not that clean. Have you noticed it?
Because of its popularity, the Mainit Springs has became the talk of the town, in fact, this tourist attraction was already featured by one of the well-known TV Network Stations in the Philippines, the GMA7: Byahe ni Drew. In the video that I included here, you will be able to see the wonderful Mainit Springs. It was truly far different from the time the GMA7: Byahe ni Drew featured the place and the time I visited there with no one maintains the area for more than 3 years already. You can skip the other places featured in the video and focus only to 9:28~14:51 if you only wanted to see the Mainit Springs.
As we entered inside the compound of Mainit Springs, I've noticed that there were old tarpaulins posted with the rules and regulations and the list of the do's and dont's in the area.
There were also native cottages but old and ruined. I tried to ask my guide but his answer didn't satisfy me. He has no clear answer maybe because he is still young and don't have idea what happened to the place.
He guided me to this area. This is supposedly the easiest access going to Mainit Springs but it was closed.
My guide told me that if I wanted to have an exact answer to all my questions, her grandmother could help me. So he brought me to his grandmother after our visit to Mainit Springs. We returned back to the place outside the compound of Mainit Springs where his grandmother live.
According to his grand mother, the easy, convenient and cemented road going to Mainit Springs is a private owned property. There was a conflict arose when the LGU didn't give a portion of their earnings to the land owner. The land owner asked a portion of their profit but the LGU refused to give the share. The operation continues until 1 day the land owner filed a case against the LGU. Fortunately, the land owner won. Since then the land owner closed the area and didn't allow the LGU to continue their operation.
But there was a news from the locals that it will re-open soon. Hopefully the LGU and the land owner will be able to settle with their conflict so that the marvelous Mainit Spring will again be open to the public soon.
That was the story of Mainit Spring that I got from the locals the time I visited their place.
Thank you for reading and see you on my next blog. Cheers!
Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.
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Namaste! I am fond of reading books, watching korean, american and filipino series/movies and I am also fond of gardening. I love listening to different life stories and I am always captivated with the beauty of nature so travel is my escape when life turns into blue. But hey, how could I forget my photography hobby? It is one of the best, so follow me as I will be featuring my experiences of the stuff that I am passionate with.