Manila Series 105 : Calinawan Cave in Tanay, Rizal

Continuing our Express Biyaheko Tour, the Calinawan Cave piqued my interest the most. I've seen grander caves in Europe, but in my stay in the Philippines, I've never been into one before. And this place got an awesome history, especially on how it got its' name.

From Treasure Mountain to Kawa Bath, we proceeded to the other local attractions of Tanay. Amazingly and unknown to many, there's loads to see in Tanay, Rizal. It's topographic features probably played a role in their creation.

Rizal, in its' proximity to Metro Manila, have a lot to offer to either the locals or tourists wanting to unwind outside the Metropolis. Amazingly, these places are under par anywhere in the world. Day trips such as this is well-recommended, depending on anyone's taste.

Bakasyunan

An adventure resort overlooking Laguna de Bay and the Sierra Madre mountains, it have a bar for anyone to cool off, whether to just drop-by for drinks or to stay a few nights. In between the bar is a pool that also overlooks the Bay. Located in a hilly terrain, awesome views welcome anyone the visits the place. Conferences is also being catered at the resort.

Almost an infinity but a local one as the resort's location is high up. It was full of kids when we got there and a few customers in its' restaurant. The tour allowed for us to try one of the list of adventures but the intense heat drove us all to an empty bar.

Chilled young coconuts anyone? Fresh from the trees inside the resort.

Regina Rica

Regina RICA has grown to be a place of prayer, an ecological sanctuary and a wellness environment.

At the foothills of Sierra Madre mountains, a huge figure of the Mother and Child can be seen from afar. Personally, i have not seen this size of Mother Mary on any Marian pilgrimage sites all over the world, ie. Lourdes, Fatima etc. For Filipinos where mostly are Catholics, this is the place to go.

Non-Catholics can stay at the foot of the hills and walk about, a near-by forest have benches for contemplations, concrete roads lead to different pathways or go up the hill and sit on the benches overlooking the mountainsides. the views here are amazing, with music coming from the top.

A concrete pathway goes up the top and for those less able, there is a shuttle going up , costing just 5 pesos. All the way up, the surrounding vista are all low lying hills and forests.

Calinawan Cave

Still in Rizal, I've never heard of the Calinawan cave before, so with not much expectations and under the heat of the sun, we purposely did not go to Daranak Falls but went to the cave.

History:

In 1892, the leader of ***Kataastaasang Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan *** (KKK) Andres Bonifacio founded KKK, convinced that the total independence of the Philippines from Spain won't be achieved through peaceful means. It's been suggested that many headquarters were located near the seas or mountains for an easy retreat.

According to our guide, revolutionaries utilised the cave as their underground (literally!) headquarters. There is zero visibility on the 2nd layer, as we noted when all the lights were switch-off. Accordingly, in the old times, Calinawan cave have a total of 7 layers. It was also reported that another exit can go as far as Montalban, the exact distance I've got no clue nor google is helping!

How Calinawan got its' name

Calinawan have the root word LINAW, a filipino word meaning CLARITY. During the revolution, disputes among the revolutionaries and even between the Filipino Army and the Spanish Army have resolved issues inside the cave. Hence the word Calinawan up to this day.

Clear as CRYSTAL.

The Japanese Army also used the cave as its' hospital while retreating from the American forces in World War II.

Moving on.

I didn't understand the need for 2 guides till when reaching the 2nd layer; there are 2 paths, the hard one and the easy one. Our charming guide refused to spill the beans on what the hard part entails.

Right now, all I can say is that, for those who got ARTHRITIS, don't dare choosing that one! And be prepared. Bring extra footwear incase the deeper layers gets muddy, depending on the season. Include extra clothing too.

DID I SAY THIS WAS A CHEAP ATTRACTION? Access to here is hard unless when using private cars or in tour groups.

Human contacts resulted to the death of many rocks inside the cave, which I can't help but be dismayed on hearing the stories. There might just be a couple of spots where minerals are present and I can only wish that the deeper layers have more.

Discoveries are good for mankind to enjoy, but it is our responsibility to keep and maintain them as they are, these present times and the future.