Langun Gobingob Cave in Brgy Panayuran Calbiga, Samar is the biggest cave discovered in the Philippines. Photo by Joni A. Bonifacio.
The Philippine archipelago is home to beautiful islands, amazing diving spots, stunning waterfalls, and friendliest people in the world. That is why millions of tourists from around the globe are flocking to the country every year. However, the Philippines doesn’t only offer spectacular tourist destinations that can be reached on the ground, on top of the mountain or underwater. Our country also hides more incredible wonders of nature in the hollow places underground, the caves.
Caves are formed by nature over hundreds or even millions of years. Hidden in the darkness of caves are stunning rock formations called speleothems, which can also be classified into stalactites, helictites, stalagmites, flowstones, cave crystals and other types.
There are thousands of caves across the Philippines. Samar, alone, has already hundreds of caves that were indexed and there are even thousand more to be explored yet. The island of Samar is the third largest island in the Philippines, next to Luzon and Mindanao. It is where the current largest cave system in the Philippines (the Langun-Gobingob Caves in Calbiga) is located.
The island is not only hiding the largest cave in the country but also the most beautiful ones. Here are 20 amazing photos that will show you why Samar is the caving capital of the Philippines.
1. Visiting spectacular places like this is truly a once-in-a-life-time experience.
Kaanibongan Cave located at Brgy. Lawaan Paranas, Samar discovered, explored and mapped by an Italian speleologist last April 15, 2015. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
2. Spending time with this cave is like travelling back in time a thousand or even a million years ago.
Guintoble Cave, a 7 km long cave located in Brgy San Rafael Taft Eastern Samar discovered by Joni Bonifacio in 2007 and explored and mapped by an Italian Speleologist in 2008. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
3. Who would not want to enter inside the biggest cave in the Philippines?
The Langun Gobingob cave is known to be the 2nd biggest cave in Southeast Asia and the biggest cave in the Philippines. It is located at Brgy Panayuran Calbiga, Samar. Photo by Joni A. Bonifacio.
4. Getting inside this cave is like getting into another world.
Langun Gobingob Cave was explored and mapped by Italian speleologist in April 1987. The cave has 12 cave systems. It has the country’s biggest karst formations (landscape formed from limestone) which are also considered as one of the largest in Asia. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
5. Are you wondering what animals are living inside a hollow place like a cave?
These blind crab and the so-called hypogean blind fish (caecogobius cryptophthalmus) are living inside Langun Gobingob cave in Calbiga, Samar. They can live in dark places where no sunlight comes in. Photo by Jobi A. Bonifacio.
6. Don’t worry, this is still Earth, not another planet.
Naponod Cave, located in Brgy. Tagbayaon Jiabong, Samar, is a 1 km long cave discovered (explored and mapped) by an Italian Speleologist in 2006. It is also called the “cave pearl”. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
7. Can you resist this entrance to Sulpan Cave?
The tandem of Sulpan Cave and Pinipisakan Falls makes this the most beautiful cave entrance in the Philippine. The cave is a 5 km long cave Located at Brgy. Bai-ang, San Jorge, Samar. It was discovered by French speleologists led by Paul Marcel in 1991. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
8. Have you seen angel wings inside a cave?
Lobo Cave is a 3.2 km long cave located at Brgy. Tagbayaon, Jiabong, Samar. It was discovered by Cave Master Joni A. Bonifacio on August 15, 2005 and mapped by an Italian speleologist in April 2006. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
9. Who says beautiful waterfalls are only found above the ground?
Lobo Cave is considered as one of the most beautiful caves in the Philippines because of its amazing rock formations and natural waterways. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
10. And who says there are no cool rivers underground?
Underground river inside Lobo Cave in Jiabong, Samar. Photo by Daryl Comagon.
11. I don’t mind walking and treking for hours just to get inside this beautiful cave.
Camparina-Ludi bito- burabot Cave, a 7 km long cave located in Brgy. Panayuran, Calbiga, Samar. The cave was discovered, explored and mapped by Italian speleologist in 2009 led by Matteo Rivadossi. Photo by Guido Rossi.
12. Here’s a crystal paradise inside a cave in Catbalogan City.
Central Cave also known as Crystal Paradise is located at Brgy. Kawayan, Catbalogan City, Samar. The cave was discovered by cave master and speleologist Joni A. Bonifacio, a native of Catbalogan. Photo by Joni A. Bonifacio
13. Is that a tooth from Megalodon, a prehistoric giant shark that lived millions of years ago?
On March 28, 2015, a team of Italian (Guido Rossi) and French (Marcel Paul) speleologists, guided by Samar cave master and speleologist Joni A. Bonifacio, discovered what seems to be a fossilized tooth of a Megalodon inside Taguloulo Cave in San Jorge, Samar. Now, they want to name the cave as Megalodon cave to make it more memorable to many people. Photo by Joni A. Bonifacio
Also read: Is this a Megalodon Tooth Inside a Cave in Samar?
14. Samar is truly a haven for cavers.
Sulpan Male-ho cave is a 9 km long cave located in Brgy. Camono-an Matuguinao, Samar. It was discovered, explored and mapped by French speleologist led by Paul Marcel in April 1991. Photo by Matteo Rivadossi.
15. Don’t you want to be part of this exhibition full of learning and adventure?
Sulpan Barruz Cave is an 8 km long cave located in Brgy. Barruz Matuguinao, Samar. It was discovered, explored and mapped by Italian speleologists led by Matteo Rivaossi in April 2009. Photo by Matteo Rivadossi.
16. I think I want to become a speleologist now.
Sulpan Maybug Cave is a 5 km long cave located that is also located in Matuguinao, Samar. It was explored and mapped by French speleologists led by Paul Marcel in April 2005. Photo by Paul Marcel.
17. Did our ancestors live here?
Matuguinao Cave located in Matuguinao, Samar. Photo by Sarah Connor.
18. Dare to dive deep in a 1.8 km long underwater cave.
At 1.8 km long, Binaloan Cave Spring is currently considered to be the longest underwater in the Philippines. It is located at Brgy. Binaloan, Taft. E. Samar and was discovered in 2009 by American Cave Diver Steve Cox. Photo by Joni A. Bonifacio.
19. This is a huge room for three people.
KM 3 Cave in Brgy San Isidro, Las Navas, Northern Samar is a 7 km long cave discovered, explored and mapped by French and Italian speleologists led by Matteo Rivadossi in 2004. Photo by Guido Rossi.
20. So are you ready for Samar caving adventures?
Sohoton Caves & Natural Bridge National Park in Basey, Samar. The site is managed by Basey tourism. Photo by Iloilo Wanderer at Wikimedia Commons.
The photos above are only few of the thousand caves that are yet to be explored in Samar. Being one of the largest islands in the Philippines, Samar can hide several marvels of nature that will truly surprise visitors from around the world.
Important reminders
Caving or spelunking is fun. However, we should not also forget that caving requires great responsibility to preserve and protect our caves, which contain important non-renewable resources such as paleontological and archaeological deposits, cultural artifacts, minerals, speleogens, speleothems, and biological (animal and plant) life.
Caving activities in the Philippines is governed by Republic Act No. 9072 or otherwise known as the “National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act.” Irresponsible acts inside the caves, such as harming the speleogem or speleothem inside any cave and disturbing the free movement of any animal or plant life inside or out of any cave is prohibited by this law.
Smoking, eating, vandalizing, camping, throwing garbage, and destroying trees outside the caves can also harm our caves. Moreover, it is also required that tourists must wear proper caving gears, bring proper equipment, and be guided by a well-trained caving guide to ensure their safety, as well as to protect the caves from harm. This is why a permit from the local government must be secured first before any caving tour or exploration is made.
Explore, learn, appreciate and protect our caves
Caving is to explore, learn, value, and to protect our natural treasures for the next generation. To have a wonderful, memorable and safe caving experience in Samar, you may contact cave master and speleologist Joni A. Bonifacio at 063-055-2512301/09192943865 or visit his website at Trexplore.
Other references:
http://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/component/content/article/288.html
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/surface-of-the-earth/caves-article/
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data/datasets/speleothem
About Rig Man
Rig Man is a Filipino nationalist. He loves to travel through space and time – through astronomy, history and geology.
I just hope that Samar remains undiscovered by most tourists…… otherwise,more tourists could mean the building of hotels and some of these unspoiled surroundings may no longer remain as they are….. I know of places where there is a limit to the number of visitors to preserve the unspoiled beauty of the surroundings……..thanks for sharing, Buddy
Hi Pete. Thank you for the comment. We also hope that these wonders of Mother Nature will be preserved and protected. We hope that the LGU and other concerned agencies will strictly implement Republic Act No. 9072 or otherwise known as the “National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act.
WONDERFUL NATURES THAT GOD GIVE US. . .
This is a great list. I agree with @pete_ampil:disqus hope it remains laid back.
Beeeautifuul!
I suggest you also try visiting Linao Cave in Guiuan, Eastern Samar
We recently visited Lobo, Crystal, Langun, and Gobingob caves a few weekends ago with Sir Joni of Trexplore. It was a trip to alien worlds! Caving in Samar is definitely one of the best adventures we ever had. We are excited to do more caving in Samar in the following months.
Hi, how much did you spend for the 4 caves?