San Carlos LGU explores caves for preservation

By Easter Anne Doza

BACOLOD City – The local government of San Carlos, through its City Environment Management Office (CEMO) and other departments, visited and checked at least three caves, all in Barangay Quezon, for preservation as part of the Earth Day celebration on April 22.

The Forestry Division of the CEMO (FD-CEMO) led the team from CEMO, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Bantay Bukid Brigade of Barangay Quezon including land owners Ben Fernandez and Raymundo Ymbang during the cave exploration.

Ramil Tanuco of FD – CEMO pointed out that to be consistent with the preservation of these caves, they will assess the caves quarterly since two of the caves need proper care while the other cave is a potential tourist spot.

The team found growing stalactites inside the caves where they need to examine more to protect its growth and educate the locals not to touch any mineral formation inside these caves.

Meanwhile, Oscar Molas, Coastal Ecosystem and Development Program In-Charge of the Coastal Resource Management Division (CRMD) of CEMO, who led the cave diving, said they will be needing the help of professional cave divers with a more thorough cave assessment for safety purposes.

Ymbang, the owner of the land where two of the caves are situated, said that these caves have been used by his family as a water source for their plantation and they also discovered that fresh water eels thrive in these underground water caves.

“These caves already existed long ago, since my father’s time and possibly during the Japanese era,” Ymbang noted.

Barangay Quezon Kagawad Maria Socorro-Dollosa Zapanta also helped assess the caves with hopes that said caves will be developed as potential tourist spots.

Zapanta underscored that the barangay has a great responsibility in helping preserve and conserve these landscapes. (PIA)