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Caves of Ansagan, Tuba, Benguet

Promotion of the caves in northwestern Luzon have started blossoming. The latest BC pilot trip was at the invitation of LGU-Tuba, Benguet to do an ocular inspection of the Ansagan Caves.

Balincaguin Conservancy
Mabini, Pangasinan
www.BalincaguinConservancy.org
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0928-753-6045

18 May 2010

To: Hon. Florencio V. Bentrez
Municipal Mayor
Tuba, Benguet

Thru: Eng'r. Maria Cristina Carantes-Quebatay
Mayor's Office - Environment and Natural Resources Division
Tuba, Benguet

Subject: Ocular Inspection of Ansagan Caves

Warm greetings from Balincaguin Conservancy (BC)!

We are honored that your good office requested BC to participate in the ocular inspection of the Ansagan caves in your municipality and humbly submit our observations and recommendations.

The Road to the Pimingan Basecamp

It was a hard 3-hour ride from our meeting place at the Municipal Hall of Rosario to the basecamp at the Pimingan Multi-Purpose Building (Photo 2). From the National Highway, we traveled on the road to the National Cement Corp. plant in the Municipality of Sison and turned off onto the barangay road towards Brgy. Labayug, Sison. After leaving Labayug Centro, the road (green line in Photo 1) became a steep, mountainous, dirt and gravel road with patches of cement on the steeper areas. Travel on this road requires 4-wheel drive or low-geared vehicles and would be not be possible during the rainy season.

The Multi-Purpose Building, its cooking and dining areas are already setup to accommodate many visitors; there are also ample areas to setup tents. Unfortunately, there is only one CR, in the building, available.

This basecamp is ideal because the hike to all the caves visited is an average of two hours but through steep mountainous terrain.

The Caves

Tacadang Cave is 2.4 kilometer (GPS or straight-line distance, red line in Photo 1) south from the Pimingan basecamp. The 2-hour hike involved backtracking down the barangay road, then climbing a massive landslide (photo 3) that washed out the trail, finally going up and down steep mountain slopes through thick first growth forest. There are many tall bromeliad trees (photos 4 & 5), locally known as “Tacadang” hence the name of the cave, on the approach to the cave entrance. The entrance (photo 6) requires climbing down over breakdowns to a narrow passage with high ceiling that goes to the 1^st vertical drop (3 meters, photo 7). The passage continues to the 2^nd vertical drop (6 meters, photo 8) and immediately to the 3^rd drop of unknown height.

The BC members only went about 200 meters into the cave to the 2^nd drop. We were reluctant to climb down because we didn’t bring our vertical gear and didn’t trust the rope, anchor and rigging techniques being used. Some of the other participants decided to climb down but required assistance climbing up, which is inherently more difficult than climbing down.

The local guides claim there are waist-deep pools year round after the 3^rd drop and they haven’t explored further because they lack proper equipment.

A significant find in this cave is the cave-adapted crabs (photo 9) that are void of body pigmentation.

Baracbac Cave is within a small community of Baracbac, which is 1.7 kilometers (GPS distance, yellow line in Photo 1) west-northwest from the basecamp. The main entrance (photo 10) is about 50 meters (GPS distance, blue line in Photo 1) from the community church. About 15 meters into the cave the passage divides into a lower and higher passage. The lower passage terminates as a small sump that the community draws water through plastic pipes, whereas the upper passage terminates at another entrance that is about 200 meters from the community church.

Wagitwit Cave is 700 meters (GPS distance, orange line in Photo 1) north from the community of Baracbac. The hike from Baracbac is up and up an open mountain face. The two vertical entrances are in a natural catchment dam that funnels the waters from a steep seasonal stream directly into the entrances (photos 11 & 12). We went about 150 meters into the cave and found a highly decorated alcove with 2-feet high flowstone pools, unfortunately these pools were damaged and soiled by previous visitors. The vertical extent of this cave is about 20 meters.

Recommendations

Our initial recommendation is for the execution of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DENR-CAR and LGU-Tuba for the co-management of the caves within the Municipality of Tuba as mandated by Section 5(e) of R.A. 9072, known as the “National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act,” which states:

SECTION 5. Powers and Functions of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). – In the implementation of this Act, the DENR shall exercise the following powers and functions:

xxx

(e) Enter into a memorandum of agreement with any local government unit (LGU) for the preservation, development and management of cave or caves located in their respective territorial jurisdiction;

All Tuba caves can then be assessed and classified as to their utilization, such as documentary, educational, scientific or economic purposes, pursuant to DENR Memo Circular 2007-04. Municipal ordinances can then be passed regulating their utilization.

Generally for the caves visited during this ocular inspection our recommendations are to:

· Fully explore each cave to determine their full extent accompanied by a cave survey to map them, which is a requirement for classification,

· Establish a pool of vehicles to transport visitors to/from the caves.

· Provide livelihood to the locals by training them as knowledgeable cave guides,

· Establish safe climbing procedures (equipment and training) to ensure the safety of visitors negotiating the various vertical drops,

· Add CR/bathing facilities to Pimingan bascamp to accommodate large numbers of visitors,

· Establish homestay families to accommodate visitors not wanting to return to Pimingan basecamp,

and specifically for:

· Baracbac Cave - placing bat-friendly gates to protect the community water source and prevent graffiti.

· Wagitwit Cave - placing bat-friendly gates to prevent further damage of the flowstone formations and graffiti,

It would be difficult to promote the caves of Ansagan to ordinary tourist because of the hard mountainous access and physical fitness/endurance needed. Nevertheless, they can be marketed as extreme outdoor/underground eco-adventures similar to Mt. Pinatubo. Visitors to Mt. Pinatubo can choose to hire 4-wheel drive vehicles or hike to the campgrounds.

BC is willing to provide any assistance in your plans to promote these caves.

Acknowledgements

Foremost, thanks is extended to your good office for the logistic support needed for the successfully accomplish this project. Gratitude is also given to the other participating departments of LGU-Tuba (Sangguniang Bayan, Office of the Municipal Accountant, Office of the Municipal Treasurer, Tuba Fire Department) and Causa Nostra Environmental and Mankind Survival Group (an NGO from Baguio City). And finally, thanks to the local officials, folks and guides for their hospitality during our stay!

“Let’s protect out underground treasures for future generations”

Respectfully submitted,

(Sgd.) Rawen E. Balmaña
President, Balincaguin Conservancy
Municipal Tourism Officer, Mabini, Pangasinan

Copy furnished: Hon. Carlitos R. Reyes, Municipal Mayor, Mabini, Pangasinan

Eng'r. Maria Cristina Carantes-Quebatay, Mayor's Office - Environment and Natural Resources Division, Tuba, Benguet

Attachments: Annex A - 12 photos

Received by: ____________________

Date received: ___________________

REB/grr
Annex A - Photos