Exploring Philippines 86 - Norzagaray, Bulacan (Post 1 - Pinagrealan Cave)

One Saturday morning, Ron and I went for an out-of-town adventure in the nearby province of Bulacan.  Ron got excited when I told him that I wanted to go for another spelunking and he wanted to tag along.  That would be his first ever spelunking experience.

We took a bus ride at EDSA-West Ave, where Del Carmen buses have daily trips to Sta. Maria, Bulacan.  The fare is 40 pesos.  Since it was 7am, the vehicles were light along EDSA and the North Expressway.  The moment we reached the Bocaue exit, the bus slowed down because of the heavy build up of cars, buses, and trucks.  As of summer this year, there are so many road work activities from Bocaue to Sta. Maria. 

We reached the terminal of Del Carmen bus at Sta. Maria in Bulacan before 9am.  From there, we took a jeepney ride to Norzagaray.  A jeepney fare from Del Carmen bus terminal to Norzagaray is 10 pesos.  Our drop off point is at the marker of Norzagaray that is erected at the center of the road.  Since Pinagrealan cave is 9 kilometers away and I don't have any clue to get there, the easiest way would be to hire a tricycle.  We hired a tricycle for 300 pesos on the condition that the driver will have to wait and accompany us for the whole duration of our trip.  We were lucky to find a kind, courteous, and patient driver in the person of John.

If you are on a tight budget, though I am not particular with the respective fares, from the Norzagaray marker you can hire a tricycle going towards the Norzagaray municipal building.  From the municipal building of the town, hire another tricycle going to Pinagrealan cave. For sure the fare would be much cheaper compare with what we had done.  You don't have to worry about the ride back home since tricycles are plenty the moment you trace back your route towards the town's marker.

Upon our arrival at the holding area to the cave, there were already some visitors who were ahead of us and they were waiting.  The moment we got out from the tricycle, we were told that we cannot go inside the cave and the notice had been hanged in the branches of duhat trees, just right above our heads. According to the recommendation of Norzagaray Culture, History, Arts, and Tourism (NCHAT) Council, Pinagrealan cave will be temporarily closed starting April 12 of this year as recommended by the cave experts from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of Region 3.  Likewise, the cave must first undergo a complete rehabilitation and maintenance due to some issues and will be open again to visitors starting on May 16, 2012.

A bomb of disappointed exploded before us, a total epic fail once we really can't go inside the cave.  The group who had been patiently waiting for some time, hails from a company in Makati and it was some sort of their company outing.  They tried to convince the owner of the place since the land is privately owned but the owner declined to allow them because there had been an incident some weeks ago.  He said that he and the caretaker of the cave allowed some visitors to go inside the cave on the condition that the visitors will keep mum of their visit until its reopening come May 16, 2012.  But due to some lapses on the part of those visitors, they carelessly posted their pictures on facebook and it so happened that someone from DENR got noticed of the posting.  The caretaker had been warned not to entertain some more visitors within the designated time frame of the rehabilitation or else she will be fired from her work.  Hence, no matter how we beg them, they stood by their position. So sad.