In Samar sprawls the largest cave system in the Philippines

The Philippines has more than 3,100 known caves, and the largest of them all stands in Samar: the majestic Langun-Gobingob Cave.

Located in the town of Calbiga and covering some 2,968 hectars, it has 12 chambers across its impressive seven-kilometer span, including Langun, Gobingob, Lurodpon and Bitong Mahangin.

Some of these chambers are so large, they can double as hangers for mid-sized airplanes.

Visit Samar says  the Langun-Gobingob Cave "is reputed to be the second largest in Asia and the world’s third largest karst formation, measuring 7 km. long with an area of 900 square km."

According to the United Nations Development Programme Biofinance Initiative (UNDP BIOFIN), the Langun-Gobingob Cave System was only opened to the public in 1990, some three years after it was discovered by Italian Guido Rossi in 1987.

Ten years after its discovery, it was finally declared a protected area — a development welcomed and applauded by various groups, since the Langun-Gobingob Cave holds incredible rocks often sought-after by collectors.

"People used to enter the the Langun-Gobingob Cave to break apart and mine stalagmites plus white calcite rocks," SINP Assistant Superintendent Eires Mate said in a statement.

Dr. Allan Gil Fernando, a professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences says the rocks in the cave "are in a very real sense, 'alive.' The constant dripping of water leaves minute traces of minerals like calcite. Over time, these traces pile up to form hanging stalactites and their inverted kin, stalagmites."

For a stalactite or a stalagmite to even grow an inch, it takes about a century, he estimates.   

The Langun-Gobingob Cave is part of the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), one of the six highlighted parks of the interagency campaign, The Year of Protected Areas (YOPA).

Birds, bats, spiders, snakes, crickets, and blind cave fish thrive inside the cave. Mushrooms and other types of fungi cling to life as discreed denizens of the dark. Plants are confined to entrances, of which only two are most commonly used, Trexplore Adventures explains.

The Gobingob entrance is the oldest and largest part of the cave. At its widest points, its main chamber measures 340 x 140 meters.

The Langun Cave meanwhile is an adventurer's dream: You need to experience a 30m vertical descent to access it.

While it does sound crazy, Buddy Acenas of the GAIA Exploration Club said "cave tourism should be well-managed."  

"Like so many of our fragile wilderness areas, caves must be stewarded by those visiting them," he said.

The year-long YOPA, jointly declared by the Department of Tourism, Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Interior and Local Government,  hopes to generate funds from tourists to ensure the continued management of protected areas.  

Apart from the Samar Island Natural Park, the Bongsanglay Natural Park in Masbate, Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro, Negros Oriental's Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental, and Mts. Timpoong Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument in Camiguin complete the roster for YOPA's highlighted parks.

The Philippines currently has 246 protected areas. — LA, GMA News