Mambukal's Legacy

 

Here, the earth still bubbles, the forest still thrives, and the past flows into the present like water rising from the depths, bringing warmth to those who seek it. 

Once upon a time, the road to Murcia town in Negros Occidental carried a steady stream of private cars and public vehicles called jeepneys, their passengers armed with picnic baskets, towels, and children buzzing with anticipation. Their destination: Mambukal Mountain Resort. For generations of Negrenses, it was more than a mountain getaway, it was a ritual. Families came to soak in the steaming springs, climb the waterfalls, or simply breathe in the cool air at the foot of Mount Kanlaon. Mambukal was where countless childhood summers unfolded, where friendships deepened along the trail to the falls, and where the scent of sulfur and forest became tied to memory itself.

Today, in an era of modern and flashy destinations, Mambukal continues to hold its ground as an ecological park. More than just a resort, it is a heritage site, one molded both by the restless geology of Negros and by nearly a century of human hands determined to tame it.

The land on which Mambukal sits is alive. Situated 1,200 feet above sea level, the resort rests on the lower slopes of Mount Kanlaon, an active stratovolcano that has long shaped both the terrain and the people around it. From deep within the Earth, water seeps into cracks, heated by magma before rushing back to the surface. The result is the steaming sulfur springs that define Mambukal.

Generations have walked its trails, dipped into its springs, and carried home stories that last a lifetime. 

Many locals believe in their healing powers. For decades, the warm, mineral-rich pools have been sought out to soothe tired bodies and weary minds. Temperatures can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius, a natural spa whose medicine comes from volcanic fire. What began as a retreat for colonial officials in the 1920s has since become a shared inheritance, accessible to ordinary families seeking both wellness and wonder.

The origins of Mambukal as a resort begins in 1927. Japanese architect Kokichi Ishiwata was commissioned to design its first permanent structure: a bathhouse. Built in a neoclassical style softened with Japanese sensibilities, the Ishiwata Bathhouse was a sanctuary of stone and symmetry, a place where architecture met geothermal science. Here, heated spring water was channeled into bathing pools, offering visitors a controlled yet intimate encounter with the mountain’s volcanic energy.

Mambukal continues to welcome new ones while holding on to the old; a story still being written. 

Ishiwata’s vision was not simply to create a recreational space, but to design a retreat where people could be healed by nature itself. That vision remains at the heart of Mambukal today. The resort forms part of the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park, a protected area of forests, rivers, and caves that serve as a refuge for some of Negros’ rarest species. The endemic Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, the Visayan warty pig, and the golden-crowned flying fox, the world’s largest bat, are among the creatures that call these forests home. At dusk, the sky above Mambukal darkens not with clouds but with the wings of thousands of fruit bats taking flight, a daily spectacle of survival.

The resort’s 23.6 hectares are not fenced off from the wild but rather integrated with it. Trails weave into seven waterfalls, each one revealing another facet of the forest. Here, sanctuary means more than shelter for humans. It means the coexistence of families on picnic mats with species found nowhere else on Earth.

Through the decades, Mambukal has expanded beyond its springs and bathhouse. It now offers swimming pools, a boating lagoon, villas and cottages, a hotel and convention hall, and adventure trails where visitors can climb the seven waterfalls. And yet, despite these additions, the heart of Mambukal has not changed. The sulfur still steams. The forest still hums. The bathhouse still whispers its century-old story.

Its heritage remains the soul of the resort.

Recently, the provincial government of Negros Occidetnal took steps to preserve this delicate balance by upgrading facilities for tourists while ensuring conservation within the natural park. The challenge lies in keeping Mambukal relevant to younger generations without compromising nature conservation and losing the nostalgia that anchors it in the hearts of older ones.

On August 8, 2025, a newly inaugurated Food Court opened its doors, serving everything from chicken inasal and fresh seafood to native snacks—ensuring that the flavors of Negros are as much a part of the visit as the springs and waterfalls. For mobility and accessibility, golf carts are now available free of charge for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, allowing them to roam the park with ease. Entrance fees remain modest: ₱140 for adults, ₱80 for children, with discounts for students, government employees, seniors, and PWDs. And as part of its modernization efforts, Mambukal now accepts online booking, bringing the century-old resort into the digital age.

These changes are part of a careful balancing act: keeping Mambukal relevant to younger generations while protecting the natural and historical treasures that give it soul. The challenge is not simply to modernize, but to do so without compromising conservation—or the nostalgia that anchors Mambukal in the hearts of older Negrenses.

Mambukal grows with the times, with new flavors, fresh trails, and added comforts for today’s traveler. 

That legacy was affirmed on the national stage when the Ishiwata Bathhouse received the Pillar Award at the first Philippine Tourism Awards this September, held at Okada Manila. Negros Occidental Governor Bong Lacson and Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II accepted the honor on behalf of the province, a recognition of the bathhouse’s invaluable and enduring contributions to Philippine tourism. For Mambukal, the award was more than a trophy—it was validation that the quiet strength of heritage can stand alongside innovation and resilience in shaping the country’s tourism future.

To call Mambukal a resort is to understate its significance. It is a crossroads where geology, history, and memory converge. It is a heritage site not only because of the Ishiwata Bathhouse or its colonial-era roots, but because it has shaped the cultural fabric of Negros Occidental for nearly a century.

For the adventure-seeker dipping into the sulfur pool for the first time, for the family climbing the trail to the seventh waterfall, for the old-timers who return to relive their youth, Mambukal is more than a destination. It is a living legacy. A reminder that heritage is not just found in museums or monuments, but in the breathing landscapes that carry our memories forward.

Article and video script by: Liway Espina

Photos by: Paolo Correa

Video by: Unit A Creatives