A Mighty Encounter

This thrill-filled adventure happened last August 29, 2009. A group of MSciEd General Science students together with their Ecology and Earth Science professors conquered a wondrous geologic feature at Brgy. Kiazar, in the municipality of Tagaloan Lanao Del Norte: The Mighty Cave Park.
Tagoloan is a 5th class municipality with 8,233 people and 1,482 households in its 7 barangays. Viewed from the map on the left, it is closely situated the province of Lanao del Sur. In fact, the municipal Mayor is Hon. Maminta Aliah Dimakuta and most of its inhabitants are Maranaos. The cave in itself is named after the mayors nickname Mighty and is secretly situated at Brgy. Kiazar, few kilometers away from the town proper.

http://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talaksan:Ph_locator_lanao _del_ norte_tagoloan.png

The group of amateur spelunkers believed to be the first from MSU-IIT was headed by no less than the DILG Director of the town, Mrs. Cecile Zalsos. After the short briefing in one of the parks cottages at around 11:00 AM, the group together with some DepEd-Lanao Del Norte teachers started the quest.

Photo by Prof. Joy R. Magsayo

Photo by Prof. Joy R. Magsayo

A short briefing was conducted by The expedition team crosses the river on their way to the park. The DILG Director Zalsos with the cottages and the forested vicinity of the presence of the municipal Vice Mayor. cave are shown here.

Photo by Prof. Joy R. Magsayo

Photo by Prof. Joy R. Magsayo

The MSU-IIT Expedition Team

At the caves entrance

Photos by Prof. Joy R. Magsayo

Mighty Caves beauteous stalactites The Mighty Cave Park at present has still to be fully developed. According to the DILG Director, the local government has an on-going request for funds from the Regional Tourism Office and the Provincial Government of Lanao Del Norte. A recommendation sent to the Regional Tourism Office was also approved declaring the site as one of the regions tourist destinations. They also requested that professional spelunkers be sent to the cave to explore the remaining unexplored portion. The guano deposits were also sent for analysis in the Bureau of Soil yet the method of extracting it still remains in question. Truly, the cave can still be considered untouched. The moistened environment, magnificent cavern formations (stalactites and stalagmites), and continuous dropping of CaCO3 containing-water are manifestations of the caves on-going process of formation.