Kalinga town opens cave to tourists

Balbalan town is blessed with several caves which exhibit unique features, with many of the caves familiar to nearby local folk but have never been visited by tourists.

The Municipality of Balbalan, Kalinga will open one of its caves to tourists and adventure-seekers soon after ensuring that a Cave Management Plan will be designed for implementation.

Magangab Cave will soon be opened to the public after Balbalan Municipal Mayor Eric Gonayon, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera Regional Director Ralph Pablo and Orlando Camma, the land owner where the cave is located, signed a memorandum of agreement at the Davidson’s Hotel, Bulanao in the capital of Kalinga, Tabuk City yesterday.

The parties also agreed to fully protect, conserve and manage the Magangab Cave and its resources as source of national wealth as it remains pristine and undisturbed.

Magangab Cave is actually just one of the chambers of the bigger Tawang Cave in Sitio Bagwang and soon, other chambers of the cave will also be opened to the public.

Balbalan town is blessed with several caves which exhibit unique features, with many of the caves familiar to nearby local folk but have never been visited by tourists.

Prior to the signing, DENR-Cordillera initiated a two-day Cave Management Planning and Program Workshop which was participated by the Barangay Officials, Balbalan Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representation and the Municipal Local Government Unit officials as well as other surface landowners of the other chambers of Tawang Caves.

Balbalan Tourism Officer Regine Mundacruz said that it was a dream to have the Tawang Caves to finally be opened after seeing the success of the tourism-famous Manacota Cave and Underground River of Apayao.

Tawang Cave is classified as a Class 2 cave, which means that this cave has areas or portions that have hazardous conditions and contain sensitive geological, biological, archeological, cultural, historical and biological values or a high-quality ecosystem.

It is a three-hour drive from Tabuk City to Tawang, and an hour trek to the site. If properly managed, Tawang Cave may be open to experienced cavers or guided educational tours and visits.