MYSTERIOUS CAVES IN THE PHILIPPINES

JACKPOT CAVE IN CAGAYAN

2017-04-07T09:59:00.004-07:00

Jackpot Cave is one of the limestone caves located in the Municipality of Penablanca, Cagayan province, in the Philippines. The seven-chamber show cave is one of 300 caves that dot the area and the best known natural tourist attractions of the province.

Jackpot Cave and the other caves are situated in the western foothills of the Northern Sierra Madre Mountains of the Philippines.

They are situated within the Penablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape, which stretches from the caves to the eastern shores of Penablanca town in the Pacific Ocean.

Jackpot Cave in Sitio Tumallo, Bgy. Quibal also Penablanca is allegedly the country's second deepest cave with a surveyed depth of about 115 m and a surveyed length of 355 m. It has a walking passage, winding streams and various-sized pools, multi-depth shafts and drops for lots of rope works. - http://greedypeg.org/cagayan/Jackpot-Cave.html

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The province of Cagayan is a paradise for spelunkers, or cave explorers, because of the sheer number of known caves in the province, one of which is Jackpot Cave, a particularly interesting challenge even to the most seasoned of explorers.

Jackpot Cave is one of the many caves that can be found in the province of Cagayan. The Cave is located at Sitio Tumallo, Barangay Quibal in Peñablanca. At 115 meters, it is the second deepest cave in the country. The cave has a walking size passage, shafts and drops of varying depths that provide for a lot of rope work. Meandering streams and four pools of varying sizes abound inside the cave. A sump of undetermined depth backs up during the wet season, flooding the lower section of the cave to the roof as evidenced by large logs jammed in the roof of the cave. - https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Jackpot-Cave

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The Jackpot Cave also in Peñablanca, Cagayan is the second deepest cave in the Philippines at 115 meters. The cave has a walking size passage, shafts and drops of varying depths that provide for a lot of rope works. Meandering streams and pools of varying size abound inside the cave. - http://jenz-online-page.blogspot.com/2012/04/jackpot-cave-in-cagayan-philippines.html

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Jackpot Cave in Sitio Tumallo, Bgy. Quibal also Peńablanca is allegedly the country’s second deepest cave with a surveyed depth of about 115 m (377 ft) and a surveyed length of 355 m (1,165 ft). It has a walking passage, winding streams and various-sized pools, multi-depth shafts and drops for lots of rope works. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callao_Cave

ODLOMAN CAVE IN NEGROS ORIENTAL

2017-03-10T01:51:00.000-08:00

ODLOMAN CAVE

http://triptheislands.com/destinations/5-of-the-most-popular-caves-in-the-philippines/

The 8,870 meters long Odloman Cave is located at Negros Oriental and is measured to have a vertical range of 82 meters. It has large galleries, many small corridors, active streams and interesting obstacles. As per the record, it is the second longest cave system in the Philippines. -

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Odloman_Cave

http://www.choosephilippines.com/go/water-forms/2923/mabinay-cave-negros-oriental

Odloman – at 8,870 meters, went on record as the second longest cave system in the Philippines. Accessed by rappelling through a hole in the ceiling or by swimming 20 meters across an underground river, Odloman has large galleries, many narrow corridors, active streams and more than enough difficult obstacles to lure extreme cavers.

http://negrostourism.com/?p=257

http://www.cityofdumaguete.com/outdoor-sports-recreation-odloman-cave-mabinay-spelunking-caving.html

Odloman cave is located at Negros Oriental, considered as the longest cave in the Philippines that measures 8,870 meters long and has a vertical range of 82 meters. The cave can be accessed by rappelling down through a big hole or swimming about 20 meters across its underground river.

http://greedypeg.org/negros-oriental/Odloman-Cave.html

MUMMY CAVES OF TIMBAC, KABAYAN, BENGUET

2014-05-19T22:41:00.001-07:00

Photo from: http://www.ivanlakwatsero.com/2013/05/mt-timbac-too-fast-not-furious.html

According to our guide here who's maintaining the mummy caves, the oldest mummy
remains were placed in these caves wayback 200 years ago. Most of these mummies
belong to the wealthy people during there times. They were wrapped and placed
in carved wood then placed in burial caves. They were then preserved undisturbed
and their remains last even to these present time. The coolness of the surroundings
helped greatly in preserving them wholly. - http://www.bubblews.com/news/737220-mummy-caves-of-timbac

Photo from: www.budgettravel.com

... A second, much smaller coffin was opened revealing the mummified corpse of a baby. Some minutes passed as we looked this one over as well as the first. None of the locals were moving and I was left thinking that was it.

Then someone said, "look in there", and pointed to a larger coffin. A boy removed the lid for me. I had never seen anything like it. Three withered mummies. One appeared to look right at me. Perhaps because these three were propped up in a deep coffin, the impact was far greater than had been from the others. I marveled. Ears, fingernails, skin covered with tattoos.

And there were to be more; in a second cave a few meters below the first. Three and four mummies to a coffin; wedged deep inside. Fabtastic!

Just ten cultures worldwide throughout history are known to have practiced mummification. Unlike the Egyptians, the Ibaloi people of Kabayan didn't eviscerate their mummies; the body was considered sacred so organs could not be removed.

The process was started before death. The dying person swallowed a salt water solution which helped to cleanse the internal organs. Following death, the eldest son blew tobacco smoke into the body through the mouth, disinfecting the tissues and thus preserving them. The body was washed and then dried over a low fire and in the sun. Any draining body fluids were considered sacred and caught in a jar. Once dry, the epidermis was peeled away. Before internment, herbs were rubbed on the body. The process took months to complete ...

Read More From: http://www.madnomad.com/0302_benguet/

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STA. VICTORIA CAVES IN ISABELA

2014-02-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

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The Santa Victoria Caves are more than 12 Philippine limestone caves – part of the Fuyot Springs National Park (FSNP) in Ilagan, Isabela.

They feature naturally formed lattices and sparkling rock formations. Visitors are given lectures and allowed to plant their own seedlings, and those enrolled at the Environmental School nearby are given certificates. Within the area is the Pinzal Falls conducive to swimming. Other recreational facilities like carabao-drawn carts and horseback riding are also available. The park is 15 kilometers from Ilagan town proper.

How to get there:

Isabela is about 405 kilometers north of Metro Manila and can be reached by air-conditioned bus. – wikimapia.org

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Photo from: ilovetuguegarao.com

The Santa Victoria Caves are more than 12 Philippine limestone caves that are found in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. The caves are known for their beautiful and unusual rock formations, their sparkling rocks, and their subterranean waterfalls. They are also of archaeological significance as they are believed to have been occupied by the nomadic Agta or Dumagat people in the past. The caves are located within the Isabela Sanctuary, which is part of the Fuyot Springs National Park (FSNP) in Ilagan, Isabela. This area is included in the Palanan Wilderness Area or Northern Sierra Madre National Park in the province of Isabela in Cagayan Valley.

The Sta. Victoria Caves may be found together with a wildlife sanctuary, botanical garden, and waterfalls in the 200-hectare Isabela Sanctuary, which forms about a quarter of the 819-hectare FSNP in Fuyot, Santa Victoria. This area is located in the eastern part of Ilagan in Isabela, Cagayan Valley. Part of the municipality of Ilagan, the caves are just 15 kilometers away from the town proper of Ilagan and 19 kilometers away from the town of Tumauini.

The 2 distinctive geological features that the Sta. Victoria Caves are known for are their sparkling rocks can be found in the Sta. Victoria Caves. In addition, the caves are their naturally-formed lattices. Underground waterfalls can also be found in the Sta. Victoria Caves. – wikipilipinas.org

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DAGOHOY CAVES IN BOHOL

2012-10-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Photo from: travelandsnaps.com

Francisco Dagohoy cave is one of the popular caves n Bohol. Obviously its name was derived from famous and legendary individual known as Francisco Dagohoy. He was a patriot and a notable resident of Bohol. He directed and initiated a rebellion against colonizers from Spain. The cave that was named after him was became their control center and hiding place during the revolution that lasted for eighty five long years. The

Philippine Historical Commission established the monument for Dagohoy to give honor to his name and for his men who wholeheartedly made sacrifices for the sake of freedom. The skeletons which are presently located inside the cave are the confirmations that other men of Francisco Dagohoy chose to stay inside the cave and die rather than surrendering under the cruel colonists.

Photo from: travelihub.com

The cave was renowned for its historical features. The doorway to the cave is a 17 meter fall into a maze of crystal-studded passageway because of the droplets that comes within the cave. There is also a notable submerged trail that can guide you to waterless ground. The stream ultimately pours out towards the Wahig River which is 100 meters away from the cave.

Magnificent formations of stalactites and stalagmites are present and very striking within the cave. Its crystal-like formation can definitely be visible when certain lights hit the stalactites and stalagmites and it provides a golden shade on its walls. You will greatly get magnetized with these unusual views.

This cave might not be the biggest in terms of land area but it was actually distinguished for its strange beauty. The cave will utterly welcome you to a new world which can enhance your perspective connected with Mother Nature.

Because of the submerged portion of the cave which is composing of water, some marine creatures were noted in the location. This is the evident that water that runs through the cave are perfectly safe and can adopt people who desire to explore its underwater scene. It might also refresh and revives the energy of the guests after a long way of traveling and exploring the cave.

How to get there:

The Francisco Dagohoy cave is located in the internal municipality of Danao. It is also a 5-kilometer walk from the Barangay of Magtanghoy. And it is just about a two-hour drive from Tagbilaran City. Bohol province is the heart of the Philippines which made it as accessible by air and land transportations. For the individual that is coming from other nation can book a flight from the airport of Manila or Cebu.

Photos below from: phil-islands.com

Text Source: tripsiders.com

Related Article:

http://philippine-evolution.com/check-out-the-sparklingdagohoy-cave/

CALLAO CAVES IN CAGAYAN

2012-04-21T09:42:00.003-07:00

Text From wikipedia.org -

Callao Cave is a cave with seven chambers located on the Province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. It is one of the best known tourist attractions of the province. It is located in Barangays Magdalo and Quibal, Peñablanca, near Tuguegarao City, the capital city of the Province of Cagayan.

It has a natural cathedral located at the first chamber, which was turned into a chapel by the local people. The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper chambers.

Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.

AMBONGDOLAN CAVE IN BENGUET

2012-03-18T10:48:00.004-07:00

A new bouldering area in the heart of the Benguet Mountain Range emerges. Ambongdolan, Tublay, Benguet, is more famous for the Bengaongao and Paterno Caves (the latter named after General Paterno who used the cave as a hiding place from the Japanese military during World War II). Recent trips to the area by Pinoyclimbers however have given it a more inspiring allure. It takes around an hour of driving from Baguio City to the vicinity of the caves and boulders. The distance from Baguio to the Ambongdolan Boulders is around 25 kilometers via the Tuel route. Another route is the Kapangan route which is around 30 kilometers from Baguio City. -
info.rockrun.com/

Photo From: climbphilippines.com

Experience an unforgettable geological journey in Paterno Cave and Bengaongao Cave in Barangay Ambongdolan, the Land of the Rainbow. - cesar07.multiply.com

Photo from: info.rockrun.com

Bengaongao and Paterno Caves are in Ambongdolan.

Bengaongao connotes noise. The cave was named after the noisy birds that thrive inside. It is also a sanctuary for the bats. This is located in barangay Ambongdolan. The cave offers beautiful sceneries inside. Over the years, stones were formed with different shapes like tables, plates, etc. with glitters. The stalagmitesare eye catching. The stalactites hang freely like silk cloths.

It is believed that the cave once served as a hiding place of the Japanese soldiers or Filipino guerillas during world war II.

This cave was named in memory of Pedro Paterno, the Cabinet Head under the presidency of Aguinaldo. This served as his hideout during the Filipino-American war in the late 1900's. This cave is rich in marble.

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Photo from: traveltothephilippines.info

Related links:
http://philippine-evolution.com/speclunking-at-ambongdolan-cave-in-benguet/ http://www.traveltothephilippines.info/2012/02/04/ambongdolan-cave-in-benguet/

LUMIANG CAVE WITHIN THE SAGADA CAVE CONNECTION

2011-12-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Sagada boasts more than a cool mountain climate, forests full of pines and tree ferns, and exotic burial rituals. Our principle reason for coming here was to bone up on our spelunking skills by doing the famous Cave Connection, a four-hour cave crawling tour linking the Lumiang and Sumaging cave systems. This tour requires its participants to repel down vertical shafts, crawl, squirm, dangle off of ledges, slip, slide, wade waist-deep through underground streams, and clamber over wedding cake cave formations – in other words, it’s serious food for your inner child.

But the trip is not for the faint of heart. No safety equipment was provided and the entire tour is conducted by the light of a gas lantern. Twenty minutes into our tour, our gas lantern started to malfunction and our guide was forced to return to town to get a replacement leaving us sitting deep within the cave in pitch-black isolation with bats fluttering around our heads for more than 45 minutes. I thought it was hilarious, but the wait was a bit of a challenge for Thomas who suffers from mild claustrophobia.

Further on as we were exploring the lower sections of Sumaging cave, I was slightly behind Thomas and the guide because I had stopped to examine a formation. Evidently, the guide had carefully directed Thomas through a pool, but nobody had thought to tell me. I stepped into what I thought was shallow water, but in reality, I was stepping into the mouth of a water-filled vertical tube. Thomas, who at that very instant was asking the guide to come back with the lantern, said that one moment I was walking through the cave and the next I had vanished. Not realizing I was stepping into a bottomless pit, I simple dropped straight down into the tube miraculously not touching any of the jagged rocks along the way. The effect was pretty much like being swallowed by a giant. Thomas said he was scanning the cave trying to figure out where I had gone when, all of a sudden, I reemerged from the flooded floor. First lesson of spelunking, don’t assume shallow water conceals a solid floor.

Technical difficulties aside, working our way through the cave system was a real adrenaline kick. The first half felt like we were hamsters crawling through the ultimate tube maze. Later it opened into larger karst caverns.

In the deepest portions of the cave, far from both the entrance and the exit, we discovered animist faith healers chanting at the base of a monolithic pink stalagmite, which looked like some prehistoric altar. Our guide had never seen such faith healers before and all three of us sat off in the distance curiously listening to the mysterious chanting.

The highlight was certainly exploring the underground stream that flows through the lower reaches of Sumaging. Elaborate waterfalls of stone, beautiful calcium terracing, glittery walls, water-logged stalagmites and glistening multi-hued stalactites greeted us at every turn.

Source: lonelyplanet.com

HINAGDANAN CAVE IN BOHOL

2011-11-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

HINAGDANAN CAVE

Hinagdanan Cave is a cave on Panglao Island, in Bohol Province, in the Philippines. It is a naturally lighted cavern with a deep lagoon and many large stalactites and stalagmites.

The cave is lit by sunlight which filters through holes in the ceiling. The underground lake is a popular swimming spot, but it has been known to test for high levels of various pollutants, since it is fed by ground runoff.

Hinagdanan Cave is made of limestone. The cave is within easy reach. You'll have to walk through dense vegetation of just about one kilometer. The entrance of the cave is a hole of about 1 meter wide in diameter, visible from a limestone hill. Cemented steps lead to the interior of the cave. The cave is slippery, but there's a railing made of rope to hold on to avoid accident due to slippery stones of the cave.

Hinagdanan Cave was accidentally discovered when the owner of the area was clearing the decaying branches of the land when he found the hole. The owner throw a stone into the hole, then he heard a splash. Then he build a ladder to get into the cave. They named it Hinagdanan, means "laddered" used to get into the cave's interior.

The cave is about 100 meters long of beautiful rock formations. The stalactites and stalagmites stick out from the ceiling and floor of the cave as though trying to meet each other. Inside the cave, there's also a lagoon with a greenish surface produced by the green limestone at the bottom of the pool, where people used to bath in the lagoon, however, it has been advised to not go dip into the lagoon because of the karst pollutants present in the water.

The owner claims the above and several other drawings were found on the walls of the cave.

Source: wikipedia.org

TABON CAVE IN PALAWAN

2011-11-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Tabon Caves are a set of caves north of Quezon municipality, in the south western part of the province of Palawan on Palawan Island, in the Philippines. The complex has 29 explored caves (only seven of which are open for public viewing), but 215 caves are known to exist on Lipuun Point. The Tabon Man was discovered in the caves, one of the oldest remnants of human inhabitants found in the Philippines.

The skull cap remains of the Tabon Man were discovered in the Tabon Caves. The remains are approximately 22,000-24,000 years old. They were discovered by Dr. Robert B. Fox and his team from the National Museum of the Philippines in 1962. The team also found burial jars, earthenware, jade ornaments and other jewelry, stone tools, animal bones, and human fossils dating back to 47,000 years ago; the earliest human remains found in the Philippines.

The archaeological finds indicate habitation from 50,000 to 700 years ago while the limestone formation in the reservation dates back from 25 million years ago, or the Lower Middle Miocene Period, based on geological studies.

The Lipuun Point Reservation, covering a 138-hectare island connected to the Palawan mainland by a mangrove forest, was declared a Site Museum Reservation in April 1972 and was made a priority site for tourism development in 1991 for its natural and cultural heritage.

Source: wikipedia.org

AGLIPAY CAVES, QUIRINO

2011-11-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

The Aglipay Caves and Campsite is an eco-tourism site found in Quirino province in the Cagayan Region in the Philippines. It consists of over 37 interlinked underground chambers, of which only 8 chambers have been explored, plus camping facilities and modern accommodations.

Located in the midst of rolling hills and verdant forests, the caves boast of an underground river and well preserved stalagmites and stalactites. They interlink with each other and run to a depth of 20 meters.

Being easily accessible, the caves are popular among tourists.

The cave complex is found among the hills and forests of Quirino, about 10 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Cabarroguis.

The Aglipay Caves are as much as 20 meters deep. It has both open chambers and crawl spaces, with a variety of stalactites, stalagmites, and other geological formations. The 6th cave is especially fascinating, as a subterranean river and waterfall with an unknown source can be found here. It has cool water and is suitable for swimming. Insect-eating bats make the caves their habitat.

The 8 explored chambers are all safe and easily accessible. A complete tour of all of these caves would take about 2 ½ hours.

With the entrance fee a guided tour of the caves is provided. The tour may be tailored to the visitor’s level of caving experience. Outside the caves are a butterfly sanctuary and a picnic area, where some picnic huts may be found. Accommodations consist of provisions for camping as well as modern cottages and dormitory buildings for overnight visitors. There is also a pavilion that may be used for seminars.