Hike and Seek: "MALAOG CAVE"
With an adventurous thoughts I decided to check on an area in brgy Apasan Sampaloc Quezon where a subterranean river apparently is being visited by some intrepids from nearby municipalities. Fortunate with good weather, our team proceeded and went straight to the area.
The place is called "Malaog". About an hour leisurely walk from the town's square with some rivercrossing and little bushwacking.
Most local residents of Sampaloc have no knowledge about the
cave. Situated in a discreet lime formations under a hilly privately-owned
agricultural land of brgy Apasan, where most farm folks just pass-by unnoticing
the hidden jewel of the place: A cave with 50-meter diameter cathedral and a spring
under its numerous cavities creating a 48 meter-deep serene lagoon and flowing water
stream every time the spring overflows into the land surface contributory to
Sampaloc river.
According to the landowner himself, it was only 2 years ago
when he bravely enter the cave using an inflated rubber tubing and investigated
the area. Aside from the notion that the
place is “sacred”, no previous information or even folklore was transferred by
their great-grandparent owners to them, heirs of the property.
The GORGE in Apasan.
Opposite Malaog Cave few hundred meters across the river (NE) is a huge gorge with a stretch of about 1.5 km from far northeastern vicinity of brgy Apasan.. Along the gorge are numerous caves and or limestone caverns amazingly formed by nature thousands of years ago. Walking its grounds and crossing it's waters one would obviously appreciate it's rich unexploited treasures where fresh water shrimps and fish abounds. Definitely wildlife at its best.
Presently, the local government has not done any appropriate action yet as far as scientific research to gain some information nor any impression to acquire necessary knowledge for tourism purposes. Ms. Tina, the town’s tourism officer however plans of taking some initiatives as mentioned to me before we leave the sleepy beautiful town of Sampaloc.
Good luck on your endeavors!
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