Don Salvador Benedicto warns public after cobra sighting

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The municipal government of Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental has urged the public and resort operators to stay alert after a reported sighting of a king cobra at a local resort.

The concern arose from a video circulating on social media showing a snake emerging from a toilet bowl, startling resort guests.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the local government acknowledged the alarm caused by the incident but reminded the public that the town is located within the Northern Negros Natural Park, a protected area known for its rich biodiversity.

Because of this, encounters with wildlife, including reptiles, can naturally occur, the local government said.

The municipal government emphasized that this ecological balance is part of what makes Don Salvador Benedicto an important and sustainable ecotourism destination.

It said it has coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local barangay officials, and resort management to verify the report and ensure safety measures are in place.

Authorities also highlighted the importance of shared responsibility in protecting both people and wildlife.

They advised residents and visitors to report wildlife sightings immediately, avoid disturbing animals, and seek guidance from the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office.

The public was encouraged to remain calm, stay informed, and respect the natural environment, as officials assured that safety remains a top priority.

Meanwhile, Green Alert Network founder Rusty Biñas said in a Facebook post that the town’s official statement suggested that development and the environment can “thrive hand in hand,” but that “the reality on the ground tells a different story.”

Biñas said the Don Salvador Benedicto public statement itself serves as a piece of evidence, as it focuses on managing the “sighting” as a public safety issue while remaining silent on what he called the root cause: “the unchecked human invasion of a protected area.”

By normalizing the presence of commercial resorts in the heart of the Northern Negros Natural Park, the local government is effectively abdicating its responsibility to prevent illegal occupation, he added.

Biñas said Don Salvador Benedicto’s greatest asset is not its resorts but the wild, untouched integrity of the Northern Negros Natural Park, which he said should be protected from development, not “for” it.

Biñas noted that with only 4% of forests remaining, every illegal resort, vacation home, and trendy cafe built within the protected bounds of the park is a direct threat to water security and climate resilience.

“When we build structures in these areas, we fragment the tiny sliver of forest that remains. For a King Cobra—a species that requires vast, undisturbed ranges—a resort is not a “shared space”; it is a barrier,” he added.

Biñas said the cobra’s appearance in a populated resort is a biological red flag, signaling that its home has been invaded to the point where it has nowhere left to go.

“Where is the accountability for our environment? If the law cannot protect the trees and the cobra, who is the law actually serving? Accountability matters, doesn’t it?,” he asked.

For more than three decades, Biñas said Green Alert Negros has continuously advocated for the expansion of forest corridors to allow for true ecological healing.