The Philippine Speleological Society 15th Cave Congress is a yearly gathering whose main objective is to discuss issue and concern regarding the use of our caves and cave resources, and to formulate alternative solutions for the sustainable use of these resources. This gathering is participated by local government units, government line agencies, non-government organization, the academe, caving groups and enthusiast and other stake holders.
This year’s congress will focus on the environmental, social and economic effects of climate change in caves and karst areas. The event will be held on April 20 to 24, 2015 with theme; “Caving in a Changing Climate”. The objectives for this year’s congress are as follows:
a. To impart greater awareness on the effects of climate change on caves and karst landscape
b. To enhance the participants knowledge and greater understanding on the social, economic and environmental effects of climate change and its impact on the sustainable management of karst areas.
The 15th cave congress will feature numerous activities; from plenary discussion and paper presentations to technical trainings and tours. Registration fee is pegged at Php 1,500.00 for non PSS members and Php 1,200.00 PSS members. The registration fee is inclusive of: Congress Kit, event Jersey, dry bag, 3 hosted meals, transportation from school to training sites, Entrance fees & permits.
Host Organizations
The host for this year’s congress are as follows:
- Local Government of Surigao City
- Philippine Speleological Society, Inc. ( PSS )
Partner Organizations
Other partner organizations are as follows:
- Department of Tourism
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- Surigao City Tourism Council, Inc.
- Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte
- Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority
The 15th National Cave Congress will be held in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. Surigao City located at the North Eastern section of the Mindanao and is the provincial capital of Surigao del Norte. The city can be accessed by air, sea and land. Major airlines and shipping companies ply the route from Manila and Cebu and by land through the Maharlika National Highway. The main base camp for the congress will be at the Surigao City Pilot School. The school, located within the city proper, will be the main venue for the plenary session and workshops as well as free lodging for the participants. Practical exercises for all the technical trainings will be conducted in the caves of barangay Silop, barangay Mapawa and island barangay of Buenavista. All caving sites are within 30 minutes travel time.
For those who will opt to avail of the free lodging at the school, kindly bring your own sleeping bags and mattress. Hotel accommodations are also available at personal expense.
Activities
The following are the activities that will be held during the congress. Everyone is encouraged to attend the plenary and workshop sessions which will feature international speaker as well as local experts in different fields of study. The method of instruction for the technical trainings will combine both lecture and hands-on. Participants are advised to provide their own personal equipment and other gear essential to their chosen activity.
Activity
|
Subjects
|
Skill level requirement / participants
|
Plenary
&
workshop
|
TOPIC I : Mining and Sustainable Development
Speaker : ENGR. DANIEL S.
BELDEROL
Officer in
Charge Mines and Geo Sciences
Region XIII
|
●
Local
government representatives
●
Line
agencies
●
NGOs
●
Caving
clubs
●
Interested
individuals
|
TOPIC II: Tourism and Climate Change
Speaker: MR. ROBERTO P. CERENO
Director
Training Center for Tropical Resource
And Ecosystem
Sustainability
|
||
TOPIC III : The
Pros and cons of Tenurial Instruments
Speaker: MR. ANGELITO VILLANUEVA
Protected Areas
Superintendent
Department of Environment and
Natural
Resources, Samar Island
Nature Park
TOPIC IV
:Understanding past Climate change from caves
Speaker : PROF. KYUNG SIK WOO
Kangwon National University
South Korea
President, Union of
International Speleology and
Asian Federation of
Speleology
Professor in Carbonate
Sedimentary petrology
Marine Geology
Speleology and
Environmental Geology
Topic V: Cave
Conservation program DENR / GIZ PAME
Speaker : MR. TERENCE DACLES
Senior Advisor, Regional
Coordinator
GIZ / PAME
Topic VI :
Underwater Caves, Silop and New discoveries
Speaker : MR. JOHANN JAKE MIRANDA
|
||
Technical trainings
|
Basic Caving at Surigao City Pilot School
Instructors:
Mrs. Dorina Ararao
Mr. Rollie Del Carmen
|
Beginners
|
Cave survey and mapping at Barangay Buenavista
Mr. Mamerto Certifico
Mr. Aris Cristales
|
Intermediate to expert
Must have basic compass Skills
|
|
Single rope technique and Cave Rescue at Barangay Mapawa
Mr. Ronald Estrera
Mr. Dennis Ararao
Mr. Eric Bontuyan
Mr. Reynaldo Bagayas
|
Intermediate to expert
|
|
Experienced to expert
|
||
Tours
|
City tour
Silop cave tour
Buenavista cave tour
Mapawa cave tour
Island tours
|
Open to all
|
Congress
itinerary
Date
|
Particulars
|
Remarks
|
Day (-)1
Apr 19, 2015
Sunday
|
● Arrival & Registration City Pilot School
● Site Tours: City Tour, Buenavista, Mapawa
●Photo ko Like mo
Contest
|
● Venue for registration will be at the
Surigao City Pilot School
|
Day 1,
Apr 20, 2015
Monday
|
●
Registration continues @ City
Pilot School
●
9 am PSS Press con @ City
Cultural center
●
3 pm Opening Ceremonies @
Gateway Hotel
●
Welcome Dinner
|
●
Hosted dinner
|
Day 2
Apr 21, 2015
Tuesday
|
●
Plenary sessions at Provincial
Convention Center
|
●
venue to be announced
●
The sequence for the
presentation will be posted soon
|
Day 3
Apr 22, 2015
Wednesday
|
●
Workshop at Pilot School
|
●
Other plenary topics may be
presented on this day
|
Day 4
Apr 23, 2015
Thursday
|
●
Technical trainings:
- Basic
- Cave surveying
- Single rope
technique
- Cave rescue
|
● Lectures will be conducted at the school
|
Day 5
Apr 24,2015
Friday
|
●
Hands-on Trainings on Basic
Caving, Cave Survey at Silop & Mapawa
●
Post Evaluation for Basic
Caving, Cave Survey & Cave Rescue
●
Free Time in the afternoon, Prep
for closing ceremonies
●
6 pm Closing program and hosted
dinner
|
● Hands on training for basic caving, cave survey
and SRT will be at Silop, Mapawa caves
● Hands on training for cave rescue will be at
Buenavista cave
● Participants will be ferried to and from the
site
|
Day 6
Apr 25, 2015
Saturday
|
●
Countryside / Island Tours (Lake
Mainit, Sohoton, Siargao, Island Hopping, etc.)
|
●
Post congress tours for those
who want to extend their stay
|
Day 7
Apr 26, 2015
Sunday
|
●
Countryside / Island Tours
(Mainit Lake, Sohoton, Siargao, Island Hopping, etc.)
|
●
Post congress tours for those
who want to extend their stay
|
Contact
persons
For
more information please contact the Surigao tourism office at Luneta Park,
Surigao City. Telephone No: (086) 826-8064, fax no: (086) 826-4131. Email:
tourism.surigaocity@gmail.com or call any of the persons listed below.
Name
|
Designation
|
Contact information
|
●
Ms.
Roselyn Armida B. Merlin
|
●
City
tourism officer
●
Congress
event director
|
Mobile: 0929-828-0251
Land line: (086) 826-8064
Fax: (086) 826-4131
|
●
Mr.
Chisom Factura
|
●
PSS
congress director
|
Mobile: 00917-712-1990
Email: psscavecongress15@yahoo.com
|
●
Mr.
Jason Garrido
|
●
PSS
President
|
Mobile: 0918-905-0079
Email: psscavecongress15@yahoo.com
|
●
Ms.
Dorina Ararao
|
●
PSS Secretariat
coordinator
|
Mobile: 0922-863-8076
Email: psscavecongress15@yahoo.com
|
●
Ms.
Mae Lasala
|
●
Surigao
tourism coordinator
|
Mobile: 09128250796
Fax: (086) 826-4131
|
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