Religious pilgrimage site Sipaka Heights in Misamis Oriental province will be closed during Holy Week as it undergoes a tourism infrastructure upgrade.

In an interview Thursday, Christian Bonn Gonzales, the officer in charge of the Talisayan Municipal Project Management Office, said the site’s closure is due to the construction of a zipline facility.

“There was an alternative place, Kibuntod, the barangay that holds jurisdiction in the area and is already cleaning its surroundings,” he said.

Gonzales said Talisayan Mayor Rico Taray ordered local government personnel to support activities held by the Catholic Church in the town center.

Every year, during Holy Week, tourists and pilgrims visit Sipaka Heights to pray the Stations of the Cross.

This year’s Holy Week observance will begin on March 24 for Palm Sunday and end on March 31 for Easter Sunday.

The construction of a zipline facility forms part of Talisayan’s long-term tourism plan.

Last year, the town had an initial launch for an international paragliding competition, where Sipaka Heights served as the venue. (PNA)