Caves and cave dwellers in the philippines by justine castro

Caves and Cave Dwellers in the

Philippines

Cave Dwellings as the Early Human ShelterPrehistoric cave shelters were the earliest form of human habitation. The use of natural caves predated the emergence of Homo sapiens. Constructing cave dwellings only required minimal site work and modification as the shelters conformed to the structural properties of the rock or earth in situ. The shelters were made via excavation rather than construction. Cave spaces were hollowed out either by extending caves or burrowing into the recesses of the cliffs, yielding for its occupants a living space protected from heat, rain and wind.

In the Philippines, the earliest dwellers of caves were the Pleistocene people, off springs of the ice age. They had come on foot by way of land bridges that emerged when the sea subsided because of the formation of glaciers and the polar ice caps some two to half a million years ago.

The most antiquated, and perhaps the largest, cave periodically dwelt in by prehistoric families for thirty thousand years is the Tabon Cave complex, situated on Lipuun Point, southwest of Palawan. It covers 138 hectares of rugged cliffs and deep slopes. A human bones fossil tentatively dated from 22,000 to 24,000 years ago was discovered in Tabon Cave in the 1960s by a team of National Museum archeologists headed by the late Dr. Robert B. Fox. The cave’s portal is about sixteen meters in width and eight meters in height and extends to an interior depth of forty-one meters.

Tabon Cave in Palawan

Verified through findings from archeological excavations and carbon- 14 dating’s, the cave was found to have been suitable for human habitation. In fact, the cliffs and slopes around the area are punctured with more than 200 caverns. Twenty-nine of these caves were fully explored and found to have been ideal for habitation or burial by ancient Filipinos. The cave was named “tabon” after the large-footed bird that lays eggs in huge holes it digs into cave floors, many of which have been found in the cave.

To this date, Tau’t Batu people occupying the southern part of Palawan continues the primeval practice of living in caves. During the monsoon season, members of this cultural group can spend months living in the caves of the Mantalingajan Mountain overlooking the valley of Singnapan. But, occasionally, they move to wooden houses and shelters near the fields they cultivate. A Tau’t Batu cave may shelter more than one family.

A basic sleeping platform, known as a datag, is made from tree branches and dried leaves and is built inside the cave, raised slightly above ground, with a fireplace in close proximity to provide warmth during the night. A more complex datag is made depending on the environmental conditions. If the place is windy, a wall is erected in the direction of the wind; or all three sides are walled in, leaving open only the side where the fire place is located. A roof is provided to protect the datag from rain. A cave may accommodate several family units that form a kin group, with the place of each family unit defined by the individual datag.

The Tau’t Batu also make covered huts using light materials within larger caves. Their fear of thunder is one of the main reasons why they retreat into caves, and why peals of thunder figure in Tau’t Batu folklore as a warning against mocking or laughing at animals. The Tau’t Batu believe that their world is inhabited by a vast population of forest, rock, and water spirits, with deities responsible for the different aspects of nature.

Tau’t Batu

There are other examples of caves and rock shelters in the Philippines that were once inhabited by early Filipinos. The petroglyphs (prehistoric drawings of human figures engraved on the cave walls) in a rock shelter in Angono, Rizal, provide evidence of the ancient Filipino’s attempt to embellish his space and domain with symbolic values.

The petroglyphs in Angono, Rizal

The petroglyphs in Angono, Rizal

The mountaintop citadels of Savindug, Batanes, known as idjang, is a testimony to the sophisticated defensive engineering of vertical walls. The presence of clay shards from cooking utensils attests to the existence of settlements on top of these structures. These settlements could have been used as lookout points to monitor marine life for food and to warn against invading forces.

Six Most Popular Caves in the Philippines

1. Palawan Underground River or St. Paul Subterranean River – Longest Navigable Underground River in the World

This is the most famous cave in the Philippines. The longest underground river was discovered a few years back in Mexico somewhere in the Yucatan. St. Paul Underground River in Palawan, Philippines may not be the longest underground river in the world anymore, but it is still the world’s longest navigable underground river. The navigable part of the river inside the cave of the 4000-acre St. Paul Subterranean River stretches 15 kilometers in length (5 miles). St. Paul Cave is the 3rd deepest cave in the country.

2. Odloman Cave in Mabinay, Negros Oriental

On the second slot is the Odloman Cave in Mabinay, Negros Oriental. This cave is 8.9 km. long. Five entrances have been connected and the system comprises a mix of large and small galleries with some active streamway. This cave is the 6th deepest in the country.

3. Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province

On the third place, we have Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province. In terms of vertical range it is the deepest reaching 163 meters from its mouth. In terms of length, it is the fifth longest cave in the Philippines. Six entrances lead to a complex mix of active and fossil cave remarkable for its large passages and impressive gours. The system is partially accessible to tourists and a sump connected to Lokohong Cave.

4. Odessa Tumbali Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan

On the fifth spot-Odessa Tumbali Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan. At 12.6 kilometers, it is the third longest cave in the Philippines. It is active and provides excellent wet sport caving. It has superb formations and passage shapes, canals and lakes for swimming, photography and cave diving opportunities, and varied fauna. Acknowledged to be a perfect cave system, it has five known entrances.

5. Callao Caves in Cagayan

Located within the Peñablanca Protected Landscape.The seven-chambered Callao Caves boast of massive limestone and other rock formations, skylights, and a chapel. The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper chambers. Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.

6. Jackpot Cave in Cagayan

On the fifth spot is the Jackpot Cave also in Peñablanca, Cagayan. It is the second deepest cave in the Philippines at 115 meters. The cave has a walking size passage, shafts and drops of varying depths that provide for a lot of rope works. Meandering streams and pools of varying size abound inside the cave.

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