Undersecretary Manuel D. Gerochi for Staff Bureaus and Project Management of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will grace the opening ceremonies of the week-long congress with the theme, “Strengthening Cave Conservation for Sustainable Eco-Tourism.”
Philippine Speleological Society, Inc. (PSSI) president Reynaldo Bagayas Jr. along with DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Julian D. Amador, Roxas City Mayor Angel Allan Celino, and Capiz Gov. Victor A. Tanco will greet participants during the opening ceremonies.
The program will also include a presentation on the updates on Cave Management Program in the Philippines that will be delivered by Protected Area and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) director Theresa Mundita S. Lim.
This year’s host of the congress will be the Western Visayas Caving Association (WVCA) in partnership with the DENR 6 and the Capiz provincial government.
The activity that will be attended by participants from all over the country representing the different outdoor and caving clubs which are members and non-members of the Philippine Speleological Society Inc. (PSSI), environmentalists, academe, and local government units, among others.
The Caving Association is one of the few organizations that formed the Speleological Society which is a non-stock, non-profit non-government organization and a national network of caving groups which has been very instrumental in the enactment of Republic Act 9072 or The Cave Resources Management and Protection Act.
The congress which started in 2001 promotes responsible caving through cave-related trainings and seminars. It also provides a platform for reviewing and assessing the ecological and environmental status of caves all throughout the country.
Source: PIA