The Tabon Caves: A little pocket of frozen time

In 2009, our school organized an "environmental tour" of one of the many beautiful and historical places of Palawan. I was not able to take photos of the memorable escapade—but in my heart, the memory of the trip and the passion for learning and exploring will remain.

Since it was a three-hour ride from school, I donned my earphones and black sunglasses, then slept all the way there. But when the tour guide said "We're here! Welcome to Quezon!", all of my drowsiness was blown away.

Our first stop was the National Museum of Quezon. Unlike major museums, this one was a simple affair, located in Bgy. Poblacion, Quezon, Palawan. There we learned about old Palaweño cultures and viewed ancient stone tools and clothing as well as fossilized animal and human bones.

One of the things they told us about that I won't forget was a cave which was once used as a home and a burial site. According to legend, the cave was an island before. But that cave was discovered in 1962 by an American anthropologist, Robert B. Fox. Together with his team of archaeologists, they found the "Cradle of Civilization" of the Philippines, the Tabon Cave Complex.

The Tabon Cave Complex is a 138-hectare area facing the South China Sea, located at the Lipuun Point in Quezon. There are an estimated 215 caves making up the complex, though only 29 of these have been fully explored. For us to reach these caves, we had to take a 30-minute bangka ride from the Quezon pier.

It was a sunny Friday afternoon. There were plenty of jellyfish swimming near us. It was my first time riding in a small boat; the experience was frightening. But excitement overrode any fears I had.

When we arrived at the Tabon Cave Complex, our tour guide told us we needed to prepare ourselves for a great hike and swim challenge.

Of the 29 explored caves, we were given an opportunity to visit three: Liyang Cave (the first cave, serving as the entrance to the complex), Diwata Cave (home of the Tabon birds, or balinsasayaw), and Tabon Cave (the largest cave). Inside these caves, there were holes of different sizes said to have been the resting places of ancient inhabitants—the jars containing their remains were placed there.

That day, I considered myself a researcher/adventurer/tourist. I could not believe I was walking around inside these ancient homes. I almost cried in gratitude, for as young as I was, I was exploring one of the most outstanding places in the Philippines.

Inside the cave complex, we couldn't help but be amazed by the different limestone formations that had built up over 25 million years. They were big and truly captivating; it took millennia for the water to form those perfect curves. Our excitement rose further when the tour guide explained to us that the jars inside the caves, known as the Manunggul burial jars, were the "pamanas" of our beloved ancestors to us. How cool was that? To personally see the Manunggul jar was like stepping inside a time machine.

However, the tour did not end there. After an hour of walking and climbing innumerable flights of stairs in the green forest outside those wonderful caves, my colleagues and I decided we had to find an easier and faster way to get back to our bangka.

We came up with a solution: we needed to dive into the clear waters facing the Tabon Caves. Swimming time!

...Except, I was not a good swimmer. I needed to look for another way to get to the boat. Luckily, my lack of swimming ability led me to a small, hidden beach, a little pocket of paradise complete with a mild breeze and crystal-clear waters.

I was a third year high school student at the time; it was really a great experience for me. Though I was born and raised in Palawan and so could easily go back any time I wanted, I still got this feeling of longing for its warm and welcoming embrace when we left.

The beauty of nature will really surprise you if you're willing to open your heart to it. Tabon Cave is just one of the splendors of Palawan, and years later I am still so grateful for the eye-opening experience. It taught me that we really have to care for the environment, or else those who come after us will not get to witness all this beauty. — VC/BM, GMA News