CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Construction workers in a rural village in Cagayan de Oro accidentally discovered a cave, most likely untouched by human hands for millions of years until this week, revealing an astonishing underground world.

The cave, described as a time capsule, contains stalactites and stalagmites that have been evolving for millions of years. With its formations still actively developing, the cave offers a rare glimpse into the dynamic processes of the planet, captivating the imaginations of locals and providing future opportunities for scientific study, research, and tourism.

“There’s water dripping, suggesting an ongoing formation. This excites us,” said Christine Camba, officer-in-charge of the protected areas division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Northern Mindanao.

The DENR has counted about a dozen caves in Cagayan de Oro, and the one in Dansolihon is not among them, according to Camba.

Workers stumbled upon the cave on Monday, July 15, while widening a section of road in one of the interior districts of Barangay Dansolihon, according to village chairman Jose Maria Juan Roa. The road is part of a network being developed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to link the rural Cagayan de Oro village with Opol town in Misamis Oriental.

The road construction inadvertently expanded its entrance, making it accessible to humans for the first time.

‘It’s alive’

“It appears to be a live cave,” Camba told Rappler, referring to initial photographs that rapidly circulated on social media.

Live caves, also referred to as active caves, reveal fascinating formations shaped by ongoing geological processes such as the growth of stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones. These formations result from minerals deposited by water seeping through the cave’s surfaces.

At first glance, the Dansolihon cave embodies the essence of a live cave with its constant water flow and mineral deposition, setting it apart from dry or inactive caves where such processes have ceased long ago.

Engineer Armen Cuenca, Cagayan de Oro’s environmental and natural resources chief, said the cave was known to a few villagers to exist “a long time ago” but remained unexplored and free from human activity for a still unknown number of millennia due to its very small opening.

“What is certain is that it has been there for millions of years. It’s alive,” Cuenca said.

A team from the city government and the DENR has been assembled and is set to inspect the cave on Wednesday, July 17.

Roa said he ordered the cave to be cordoned off, and declared it off-limits to the public to prevent potential damage from curious onlookers who quickly trooped in the area upon news of the discovery.

Camba said the cave remains uncharted territory, and both the DENR and local government have yet to assess and map it out to determine how best to manage it.

She cautioned that unauthorized exploration of the cave could lead to disaster.

“We have not conducted a full assessment. We are unaware of the potential hazards,” Camba said.

Off-limits

The local government said it would require strict adherence to national laws prohibiting cave entry.

According to the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their Habitats Act mandates the protection of caves as habitats for wildlife and ecosystems.

CLENRO also said the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act designates caves as national treasures protected by law.

The law provides that cave locations should not be disclosed for one year following their discovery by the DENR and prevents their classification as tourist or study sites during this period. However, DENR, city government, and barangay officials confirmed that the cave was discovered in Dansolihon.

City hall also cautioned against extraction, possession, or sale of cave items, as well as engaging individuals to procure items from the newly discovered cave. It said such activities are considered offenses with corresponding penalties of imprisonment ranging from two to six years and fines from P20,000 to P500,000.