SAGAY CITY – Mayor Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said this city is developing another tourist attraction that will showcase a rich history and the abundance of nature’s beauty, through a  cruise down the Himoga-an River here.

As an opening activity for the tourism month celebration, this city yesterday organized a 12.3 kilometer  cruise down Himoga-an River from Barangay Fabrica to the mouth of the river, where inputs from participants on how to enhance the experience were taken.

Marañon said private cruises down the Himoga-an River organized by Baroness Eva Abesamis de Koenigswater for her guests, and the popular river rides down Loboc River in Bohol inspired him to develop this new tourist attraction.

The scenery along the Himoga-an River has been described to be similar to those in Amorsolo paintings.

Marañon aims to create a sustainable river cruise program that will preserve the river and provide an income generating activity for the community.

Lush mangroves of numerous species line the river bank where the cruise will pass, which have also become a refuge to migratory birds during the winter months.

Mangrove trees offer a significant and unique habitat to birds, mammals, crustacean and fish populations through a complex marine food chain, create a breeding habitat, improve water quality by filtering and assimilating pollutants, and protect shorelines from erosion, the Sagay Tourism Committee points out.

The environmental attraction of the cruise is an educational experience in itself without much capital outlay, Lilibeth Cordova, director-curator of the Museo sang Bata sa Negros, said.

Marañon said that while the river cruise could include meals served on board and singers to entertain guests, it will be different from the one in Loboc because it will showcase the rich history that has unfolded along the banks of the Himoga-an River.

The tour begins in Fabrica, once the home of the largest lumber company in the world, passes the Lopez Sugar Central, the site of a muscovado mill, a nipa weaving village and several other rural attractions.

Marañon said the cruise could make several stops at tourist attractions along the river bank and, since fish are abundant in the Himoga-an River, tourists could also go fishing.

The cruise is being developed and fined-tuned, he said, and will soon be open to those who want to experience a unique ride down a river.*CPG

back to top