By Digna D. Banzon
DAVAO DEL NORTE, Feb. 5 — Several provincial government units here have joined hands in organizing a Provincial Caving Committee that will streamline cave ecotourism and conservation policies in the area.
Governor Rodolfo del Rosario chairs the new committee, while the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) and the local government units (LGU) sit as the co-chair and vice-chair, respectively.
Felix Abangin, PENRO-Davao del Norte said the officials need to strengthen efforts for the protection and conservation of caves and their environment in the province.
He said the province has already formulated its own karst management plan, which is incorporated in the Provincial Environment Code of 2008.
Davao del Norte has more than a hundred caves concentrated in the municipalities of Kapalong, San Isidro, and New Corella and the Island Garden City of Samal. The caves boost the potential of the province as an eco-tourism destination.
Abangin said caves and karst systems are valued for their ecological, archeological, historical, cultural and socio-economic importance.
"Caves are fragile part of our ecosystem. But, mining, tourism, improper farming practices and other development activities are endangering the fragile ecosystem of these natural underground enclosures,” he said.
Meanwhile, the governor said the new committee was tasked to enhance initiatives for the conservation of caves, with due consideration to their biodiversity, archeological, historical and socio-economic values. It was also created to ensure the success of the 10th National Caving Congress in Kapalong town, which the province will co-host on April 6-10, 2010.
Other members of the committee include the Davao Speleological and Conservation Society, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, local government units concerned, Sangguniang Panlalawigan committees on Environment, Tourism and Youth, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine Bat Conservation, Inc., Monfort Bat Cave and Conservation Foundation, as well as representatives from the academe.
Del Rosario also acknowledged the ecotourism event as a great venue for inculcating the importance of caves to the environment.
He hopes participants and visitors will find new respect not only for caves but the environment as a whole.
He further expects the communities in the karst areas to put more importance on the preservation and upkeep of the surroundings as they benefit from the ecotourism activities.
The governor strengthened ecotourism in the province, allocating millions of pesos for the accessibility and site development of potential caves around the province. (PNA) RMA/Digna D. Banzon/lvp