Callao Cave reopens after three years
>> Saturday, November 4, 2023
By Leander C. Domingo
PEÑABLANCA, Cagayan -- For the first time in three years, the historical Callao Cave opened its doors to tourists on Monday.
Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) executive director Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the reopening of the cave was agreed upon through a resolution approved on Thursday, October 12.
The resolution was approved by the members of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape (PPLS).
Also the PAMB chairman, Bambalan said reviving the ecotourism industry in this town through its cave and river systems will also benefit the vendors or stall owners, tourist guides, boat operators, and even the local government unit (LGU).
"It is high time for us to reopen the Callao Cave for the appreciation of the public, especially during long vacations, as well as to bring back the livelihood of the locals here in Peñablanca," she said.
Bambalan encouraged members of the board to help in the preservation of the cave and other natural resources within the protected area and "to strictly enforce national policies in managing natural parks."
She also cited the directive of DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones "to be stern in allowing the construction of development projects within protected areas, especially in strict protection zones."
Carolyn Tumamao, DENR Region 2 information officer, said a resolution was also approved regarding the membership of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) to the PPLS management board.
Tumamao said the membership of the NMP is to
help preserve the historical and archeological value of the Callao Cave
including other natural landscapes.
She said the resolution was passed during the
meeting on Thursday, which was also attended by representatives of the
provincial local government of Cagayan, municipal and barangay LGUs of
Peñablanca, and the Philippine National Police.
While tourists visiting from October 16 to 27
are given free entrance to the cave, those who will arrive on October 28 and
onwards shall be charged an entrance fee of P100.
However, students, local residents, senior
citizens and persons with disabilities shall be charged P50 less. Foreign
visitors shall be charged P200 while children seven years old and below shall
be free of charge.
Tumamao said other fees for car parking,
birthday or wedding photo shoots, and other purposes shall also be collected
with rates currently being finalized by the PAMB.
Fossils of archaic humans, that lived during
the late Pleistocene were first discovered in the cave and documented in 2007
by a team led by Armand Salvador Mijares from the University of the Philippines
and eventually confirmed in 2019 as to belong to a previously unknown and now
extinct human subspecies, the Callao Man.
A legislated protected area under Republic Act
(RA) 11038, the PPLS has a total area of 118,781.58 hectares. It is known for
its limestone forest comprising more than 200 cave systems which include the
Callao Cave, known for its archaeological and aesthetic features.
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