Planning a trip? Those who love to travel know the essence of all travel is about you and your enjoyment. Travelers know that the destination is a major part of planning a trip, experiencing and delving deeper into unfamiliar places, people and culture are paramount. Expand your horizons and set your sight to the Philippines, an off the beaten path travel site! An undiscovered paradise made of thousands of islands and white sand beaches all around! A tiny dot in the map of the world, and yet a haven for travelers, backpackers, retirees and even passersby. It offers awesome tourist attractions, magnificent beaches, hot spring resorts, colorful festivals, hundreds of scenic spots and world-class hotels and facilities. Not to mention the tropical climate, the affordable prices as well as the friendly and hospitable, English-speaking people! You will be glad you came, and we’re sure, you WILL come back for more FUN in the Philippines!

 

 

PANHULUGAN CAVES

 

 

Samar is divided into three parts – Northern Samar, Western Samar and Eastern Samar. For purposes of clarity, Western Samar is simply referred to or called SAMAR.

 

 

Photo from: evsukraymarabut.wordpress.com

 

The Panhulugan Caves are located in Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park which is internationally known for its natural beauty expressed in its caves, subterranean rivers, waterfalls and unique limestone formations. It is an idyllic place for recreation.

Panhulugan Cave I is the largest and most spectacular endogenic cave.

Panhulugan II Cave is a long scar, that cuts into the face of Panhulugan Cliff, a high and deep rock formation.

The whole area has the typical appearance of karst formations with an intriguing variety of deep shafts and sinkholes caves, rock-shelters, underground rivers and bizarre weather-sculpted rock formations. All the caves are situated in towering and very rugged limestone cliffs which line the river, creating a magnificent scenery.

Traces of early habitation dating as far back as the Iron Age and Stone Age have been found in the different caves. These caves are also believed to have been used as burial sites for the natives and mecca for medicine men who hunt and prepare their potions. The caves were also used as hideouts of Filipino Insurrectos during the Spanish-American War.

Adding to its enchanting beauty and geological wonders, the park is endowed with a rich stock of forest vegetation which serves as home to varied forms of endemic, rare and endangered Philippine fauna. Mammals and reptiles abound in the park, freshwater fish, crabs and shrimps.

A magnificent stone bridge, from which the park got its name, connecting two mountain ridges, underneath flows the Sohoton River. An exciting adventure inside caves with unique, exquisite limestone formations. – http://greedypeg.org/news/samar/geo/Panhulugan-Caves.html

 

Photo from:  http://attyreycdar.blogspot.com/2014/12/sacredness-of-basey-national-park.html

 

We moored our boat at the entrance of Panhulugan Cave I, climbed a series of steps, crossed a bridge and stopped at a resting area with concrete tables and benches.  Here, Sidong showed us a map of the park and briefed us on what to expect inside the cave.  Upon entering and squeezing our way through narrow and sometimes low openings, we were ushered into a mystical and magical world of beautiful, glittering and exotically shaped and patterned stone unseen except with our Petromax lamps.  There were some walls of sparkling, pure white crystal and chambers replete with stalactites and stalagmites.  Geologically active, water constantly drips from stalactites and there are also large accumulations of materials beneath the chimney holes.

With their wild and vivid imagination, locals have christened many of the beautiful and breathtaking formations after religious icons, animals, plants, parts of the human anatomy and domestic as well as foreign tourist destinations.  Only nature can create and preserve such wonders.  One formation resembled a “three-legged elephant” complete with trunk (above).  Others were appropriately named the “Chair of Alexander the Great,” the “Ice Cream Cone,” the “Guardian Angel,” “Anaconda,” “Statue of Liberty” and beside it, the “Holy Family.” A fenced off portion has a flow area similar to the famed “Banaue Rice Terraces”.  A miniature horizontal ribbon-like formation is aptly named the “Great Wall of China” and beside it the “Chocolate Hills” of Bohol.  Read More:  http://www.benjielayug.com/category/provinces/western-samar

 

Photo From:  http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4065/3883/1600/2255/sohoton.jpg

 

Panhulugan Cave 1 frames itself in an angular limestone cliff forming a letter “H” where its three (3) main cracks serve to wit its form, its two (2) parallel legs lying 50 meters apart and connected at the entrance by a perpendicular crosspiece.  The cracks serve to be the hub opening for internal hallways.  All portions of this cave are geologically active as evidenced by the constant drips of water from stalactites.  The internal cave chambers measured some 49.2 feet high at the end of its leg.  Its cathedral immensity contains a mismaze interior that branch out into many multi-leveled chambers and tunnels with an infinite variety of flowstones and rock formations resembling some familiar images of the outside world ranging from miniature of famous tourist spots.  It is located within the Sohoton National Park in Basey.

The cave resembles a scar formed by a rock shelter around 164 feet (50 meters) in length and 16.4 feet (5 meters) in height.  It is also topographically divided into four parts: Areas, A, B, C and D.  Snow-white glittering stalactites of various symmetry hang from the cave’s ceiling, while the brownish to grayish stalagmites seem to grow endless on the cave’s floor.  Also located within the Sohoton National Park in Basey.  Read More:  https://evsukraymarabut.wordpress.com/the-majestic-sohoton-natural-park-in-baseysamar/

 

Photo from:  http://www.benjielayug.com/category/provinces/western-samar

 

You first venture into Panhulugan Cave, across Sohoton cave. The root word of Panhulugan is hulog which means “drop.” The cave is called such because during the Spanish time, the rebels would throw logs and debris into the Spaniards who were passing through the Golden River. This cave frames itself in an angular limestone cliff forming a letter “H”. Its three main cracks serve to wit its form. Its two parallel legs lying 50 meters apart and connected at the entrance by a perpendicular crosspiece provide the said formation. The cracks serve to be the hub opening for internal hallways and the internal cave chambers measure some 49.2 feet high at the end of its leg. Its cathedral immensity contains an interior that branch out into many multi-levelled chambers and tunnels. The cave is geologically active as evidenced by the constant drips of water from stalactites. These caves were used as burial sites during the 13th century.  Read More:  http://attyreycdar.blogspot.com/2014/12/sacredness-of-basey-national-park.html

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

The Tropical Island Paradise Called Samar

Where is Samar and How to Get There

Popular Tourist Destinations in Samar

Come and Join the Merry Festivals in Samar

Come and Have Fun in Samar

Samar Photo Gallery

Samar Video Collections

 

 

 

 

Comments are closed.