The National Museum of the Philippines has completed an eight-day scientific assessment of the Tabon Cave Complex in Quezon, Palawan as part of efforts to strengthen cave management and support the site’s proposed inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In a press release, the National Museum-Tabon Cave Complex said the assessment was conducted from July 7 to 14 by the DENR MIMAROPA Regional Cave Assessment Team, composed of representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) MIMAROPA Regional Office, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Biodiversity Management Bureau, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Marinduque State University, and the National Museum’s Archaeology, Geology and Paleontology, Zoology, and Botany and National Herbarium divisions.
“The assessment focused on evaluating and documenting the current condition of the caves included in the Tabon Caves Tour,” the National Museum said.
It added that the team carried out “the identification, assessment, and recommended classification of the caves to provide a scientific basis for their appropriate management and use” as part of the cave management planning process.
The assessment also included detailed cave mapping, documentation of speleothems, significant geological features and potential geohazards, as well as opportunistic surveys of flora and fauna inside the caves and along access trails.
According to the National Museum, these “integrated evaluations will serve as the foundation for recommendations to further strengthen existing management guidelines and operational practices, ensuring that the protection and conservation of the cave complex remain responsive to both heritage preservation and responsible public access.”
The museum said the activity forms part of its continuing efforts toward the proposed inscription of the Tabon Cave and all of Lipuun Point on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
“As we continue to welcome more visitors to this exceptional heritage site, we remain committed not only to preserving its outstanding archaeological and cultural values but also to safeguarding its ecological significance, which supports diverse endemic flora and fauna and other important wildlife,” the National Museum said.
It added that through “strengthened interagency collaboration and science-based conservation,” it aims to protect the site’s natural and cultural heritage while advancing sustainable heritage management aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
