Balincaguin Conservancy Grotto

On 29 May-1 June 2009, BC fulfilled its promise to explore the caves of Brgy. Asinga Via Hot Springs, which was originally scheduled during the Baggao Cave Guide Training but two days of rain made the roads impassable. Brgy. Captain Samson R. Ballesteros was very disappointed and had offered to shoulder all accommodations if we would return.

During Charley Nelson’s annual pilgrimages in-country, we would go caving in the country side looking for both horizontal and vertical voids. The latter would be more exciting, for it will improve our on-rope skills especially rigging, which requires intensive material analysis to where we would place padded webbing and even the rope itself on trees. Rigging usually takes more time than it is to do the pit since most of the drops we saw are no more than 70 feet, the deepest being the Bentanilya drop.

The cave is west of the Pintal River directly across from the barangay’s irrigation intake structure. You can either do the short swim across or go downstream and wade across the shallower portion of the river. Continuing another 30 meters west over the rubble along the river bank, you’ll reach the Front Lagoon * that is 20 meters wide by 50 meters long depending on the rains. The Front Lagoon is actually a sump with no visible connection with the river but we believe it does underground. You’ll have to swim about 36 meters to get to the entrance of the cave, which is at the eastern bank of the lagoon. This bank is actually large breakdowns across the entrance and you can see the turbulence generated as water flow under them.

On 14 April 2009, during the opening ceremony of the Baggao Cave Guides Training, Esteban M. Perez, President of Sierra Madre Outdoor Club (SMOC), and Rawen E. Balmaña, President of Balincaguin Conservancy (BC), executed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) establishing a sister-club relationship between the two clubs. This relationship is to reinforce the common goals of both clubs, which are to rehabilitate, protect and preserve the environment and natural resources in their respective areas and to promote eco-tourism. The signing witnesses were the Mayor of Baggao, Hon. Rolando T. Uanang, SMOC Advisor Francisco B. Battung, Jr. and BC Advisor Charles M. Nelson.

On Sunday, 29 March 2009 at 4 a.m. Rawen E. Balmaña (BC President), Jerry “Pub” Rendon (BC Advisor) and I (newly installed BC Advisor) departed for Tuguegarao City and Baggao Town in the Province of Cagayan.  Since it’s a 10-hour drive from Alaminos we hired a professional driver to ease our travel. The purpose of this pilot trip is to ensure the LGU-Baggao’s logistic support is in order for the upcoming Cave Guide Workshop, which is scheduled for 14-19 April 2009.