Last November 28, 2014, the Filipino Cave Divers (FCD) and the University of San Carlos (USC) - Biology Department forged the country’s first-ever partnership between a team of underwater cave explorers and a team of university scientists. The relationship is officially sealed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will strongly encourage collaborative research projects … Continue reading FCD and USC: A Partnership for the Underwater Caves of the Philippines
The Paglugaban Cave of El Nido, Palawan
If you have not yet been, I can only describe Paglugaban Cave as truly amazing! This part of Palawan’s geography and geology is estimated to have formed about 300 million years ago. As such, all of Paglugaban speleothem are very old. In fact, even the cave floor and all of its sediment had taken millions … Continue reading The Paglugaban Cave of El Nido, Palawan
The 1st FCD Convention
Last Sept. 25-28, 2014 the FCD conducted its first convention. Members from Luzon and Mindanao joined the Visayas members on Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City for the activities scheduled during the 3-day meeting. The group engaged in discussions on mixed team protocols, held a UTD Advanced Buoyancy and Propulsion Workshop, and conducted an extensive survey (photo, video, directional and distances) of … Continue reading The 1st FCD Convention
The 2007 Bohol Underwater Cave Explorations
This article originally appeared in the “Chronicles of a Filipino Cave Diver” blog. ----------------------------- Written by: The project was under close cooperation with the Bohol Provincial Government – Hon. Erico B. Aumentado, Provincial Governor; Atty. Tomas B. Abapo, Jr., Provincial Administrator; and Mr. Guido Valleser, a senior officer at the Bureau of Fisheries, Provincial Agriculture … Continue reading The 2007 Bohol Underwater Cave Explorations
Docboy’s Cave aka the Pawod Underwater Cave System
Pawod Underwater Cave System (PUCS), 10.280254°N, 123.989112°E, is the only known freshwater underwater cave system in an urban setting (within 25 kilometers of more than 1 million population). Littered inside the cave system are fossils (cast) of marine animals ranging from small corals to giant clams. Inside the main chamber are boulder formations that may … Continue reading Docboy’s Cave aka the Pawod Underwater Cave System
Doc Amores- An Explorer
Dr. Alfonso "Docboy" Amores was a micro-surgeon and reconstructive surgery specialist when he came back to his home country to retire after more than 20 years of living and working in the U.S.A. But he was not the kind of man who would be happy to whittle away his years in a rocking chair while watching the seasons pass. He … Continue reading Doc Amores- An Explorer
NEW FCD MEMBERS
By Doc AmoresThe FCD Cave Diving Training Batch 2 is composed of Dean Apistar, Ferdinand "Bong" Edralin and Mark Berame. Dean is an avid diver and a marine biologist; Bong is a seasoned topside photographer for the Freeman Newspaper (Cebu) and an avid underwater photographer; and Mark is a divemaster by profession, freelancing in many … Continue reading NEW FCD MEMBERS
KANTOLOI TWIN CENOTES OF PILAR, SIARGAO ISLAND
Report by: FCD Doc Amores April 2, 2014, Day 2 of FCD's Del Carmen Expedition I, is a milestone. In the afternoon of this date, we discovered the first of many cenotes in the Del Carmen and surrounding areas. The Kantoloi Twin Cenotes, right off the concreted road that goes from Del Carmen to Pilar, … Continue reading KANTOLOI TWIN CENOTES OF PILAR, SIARGAO ISLAND
THE INNER SANCTUM OF DEL CARMEN
The crown jewel of the FCD Siargao Expedition of April 2014 is the discovery of The Inner Sanctum of Del Carmen. It is a forbidden cave in the foothills near the center of Barangay Tuboran, Del Carmen, Siargao Island. Reportedly nobody has gone inside the cave before this expedition because of the unworldly inhabitants inside … Continue reading THE INNER SANCTUM OF DEL CARMEN
THE DEL CARMEN CENOTE #1 – A CLASSIC UNDERGROUND RIVER SINKHOLE
The Del Carmen Cenote #1 By: Dr. Alfonso Y. Amores, FCD The Del Carmen Cenote #1 is among the epic finds of FCD underwater cave explorations. It is located in Barangay Quezon of Del Carmen, Siargao Island right on the border with Barangay Tuboran, the heart of Del Carmen's maze of underwater caves. Figure 1 below … Continue reading THE DEL CARMEN CENOTE #1 – A CLASSIC UNDERGROUND RIVER SINKHOLE
REPUBLIC ACT 9072
REPUBLIC ACT 9072 AN ACT TO MANAGE AND PROTECT CAVES AND CAVE RESOURCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act." SECTION 2. … Continue reading REPUBLIC ACT 9072
A D-I-Y METHOD TO DEBRIS-PROOF YOUR BCD’S DUMP VALVE
By FCD Andy Berame A near fatal incident occurred when we were diving sidemount inside HERUC (Hinatuan Enchanted River Underwater Cave), when a small fragment of debris jammed Docboy Amores' dump valve causing his BCD to free flow. Doc had to crawl his way out of the cave and do a wall climbing routine during … Continue reading A D-I-Y METHOD TO DEBRIS-PROOF YOUR BCD’S DUMP VALVE
Filipino Cave Divers 