NegOcc’s tourism jewel pleads for help after ‘Odette’ onslaught

BACOLOD City – Urgent appeals for assistance resonate from Sipalay City, the top tourist destination in Negros Occidental, which is one of the areas hit hardest by Typhoon Odette in the province.

In the aftermath of tropical cyclone winds and rains that pummeled and inundated southern Negros overnight on Dec. 16, Sipalay was left with at least 16 persons dead, the highest in Negros Occidental, based on city government data as of Monday.

The city and its neighboring localities still have no power supply and mobile data connection in the area is limited.

City tourism officer Jerick Lacson told the Philippine News Agency that tourists staying in Sipalay during the onslaught of “Odette” are safe. “No missing, injured, or casualty among tourists,” he said.

On its Facebook page, the Sipalay City Tourism Office advised tourists with existing bookings to contact their resort or hotel before finalizing their upcoming trip. “Almost all of the establishments are damaged and signal is very limited,” it said.

It added that the approval of requests for S-PaSS or Safe, Swift and Smart Passage permit “will not be prompt or fast due to limited electricity and internet signal.”

“Electricity is not available, mobile signal is limited, water lines are destroyed, livestock and crops are severely affected, trees are uprooted and electrical poles are scattered all around and barangay roads are mostly blocked,” the tourism office said.

“With these, we appeal for your understanding about our situation and that we cannot promptly respond to all your messages and queries,” it added.

In a separate post, Lacson also appealed for assistance.

“Sipalay needs all your help. Please help Sipalay. We need augmentation for food and all other help for families with totally damaged houses and those who are in evacuation sites,” he said.

Lacson said donations from within Sipalay can be coursed through the City Social Welfare and Development Office at the Emergency Operations Center in Barangay 3 while in-kind items such as food and clothes can be dropped at the Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc. on the second floor of Negros First Cyber Centre in Bacolod City.

Monetary donations are also accepted.

City public information officer Keith Brandon Cari-an asked those sending out donations to prioritize first aid kits, face masks and medicines.

On Sunday afternoon, an initial 500 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development arrived in the city.

The Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Nueva Viscaya also delivered house repair materials, hygiene and family kits, and one rubber boat with engine.

Councilor Jonathan Eran, who has been posting updates on Facebook after mobile phone signal resumed on Saturday, said his “heart bleeds” for the people of Sipalay after seeing the devastation brought by Typhoon Odette.

“We are not used to being hit by a typhoon. We are rarely on the path of typhoons but this time, it has really brought devastation,” he said.

Eran, who has organized soup kitchens and set up a free charging station, asked Sipalay residents to use the #BangonSipalay hashtag on their social media posts as an encouragement for Sipalaynons to rise again.

Dubbed the “Jewel of the Sugar Island,” Sipalay is known for its beautiful beaches and breathtaking dive sites that draw both foreign and domestic tourists all-year-round.

In this year’s Negros Occidental Tourism Excellence Awards, Sipalay was the number one contributing local government unit (LGU) in tourism statistics for overnight tourist data and was also awarded as the Most Prepared LGU in Tourism on Covid-19 Responsiveness.

Sipalay’s Sugar Beach has also been included in the Department of Tourism’s seven beautiful secluded beaches in the Philippines.

Earlier this month, its Safe and Sustainable Sipalay Tourism Recovery Campaign was selected as one of the national awardees in the 2021 Pearl Awards Best Tourism Practices During the Pandemic. (PNA)