By BenCyrus G. Ellorin/ July 18, 2024

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The discovery of a live cave in the mountains of Cagayan de Oro City underscored the need to protect this natural resource which could hold million years of tales of how the subterranean landscape evolved.

Initial exploration indicates that the cave runs over a kilometer under the mountains of Dansolihon village in the uplands of Cagayan de Oro. This portion of barangay Dansolihon is within the critical watershed of the Cagayan de Oro River.

Experts were awe-struck when they entered the cave for the first time last Tuesday. The cave is alive according to explorers upon observing mineral water dripping from stalactites.

Near its man-made mouth, explorers from the local government and Environment Department were met by stalactites and stalagmites. Inside, they found crystalline stalactites, stalagmites, and columns. They also found a pool with clear water inside. Columns are formed by stalactites and stalagmites that meet after millions of years of growth from accumulated minerals.

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy ordered the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO) to protect the newly discovered cave, and facilitate its assessment and scientific study. Teams from the CLENRO and the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) first explored the cave last July 17, 2024.

Road workers said they found the cave last month while working on a new road project in Sitio Sta. Cruz of barangay Dansolihon.

According to CLENRO manager Engr. Armen Cuenca, the man-made entrance of the cave is already contaminated with mud and dust. They also found traces that people had already entered the cave before them. “That is why we are making moves to protect the cave from the public while we continue exploring it,” Cuenca told CurrentPH.

A column inside the cave, said Cuenca, had cracks, perhaps from vibrations due to the roadworks.

The DENR is the lead agency tasked to implement the provisions of the National Caves and Caves Resources Management and Protection Act or RA 9072, with the Dept. of Tourism (DOT), the National Museum, the National Historical Institute (NHI), and the local government where the cave is located.

Caves are protected natural resources as part of the country’s natural wealth. As an ecosystem, caves, especially those not disturbed by human activities serve as habitats of rare biodiversity that survive the subterranean devoid of light.

Among the prohibited acts under RA 9072 are destroying, disturbing, defacing, and altering the free movement of animal and plant life in or out of the cave. Collection, possession, and selling of any material from caves is also prohibited. Those found violating the law could face imprisonment and fines.

The City Council is set to tackle the management, protection, and conservation of the cave. Section 6 of the Caves Act mandates the DENR, DOT, LGU, and NHI, in coordination with the scientific community to assess newly discovered caves. The law also prohibits the disclosure of the nature and specific location of a potentially significant cave for one year.

City Councilor Jay Roa Pascual, chairperson of the tourism committee appealed to the people not to go or make unauthorized explorations on the cave. “While it is a potential tourism site, we have to abide by the law and let the experts make studies first,” Pascual said.