Sagada cave still closed as body of tourist remains missing

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -  Sumaguing Cave, a popular spelunking destination in Sagada town, Mt. Province, remains closed to tourists while Dagupan, Pangasinan native Eufrocinia “Irene” Manaois who reportedly slipped inside the cave Saturday during the onslaught of monsoon rains is still missing.

Sumaguing Cave has been  closed since August 19 said Sagada Environmental Guides Association (SEGA) guide and Ambasing barangay councilor Fabian Batnag.

Until elders declare the cave is safe following the necessary rituals,  Batnag said, it is inappropriate to allow tourists back into the cave until the tourist's body is found.

Batnag, however, suggested  to tourists to visit other attractions in Sagada while Tourism department director Purificacion Molintas admitted a temporary slowdown of spelunking activities specifically in Sagada after the incident. 

Molintas remains confident that the incident will have a minimal impact on the tourism business in the province.

In July 2001 during typhoon Feria, a tourist guide and a tourist were  recovered from the pool waters inside the cave five days after drowning.

Manaois is one among 23 tourists,  which included 13 Japanese students and 10 Filipino tourists who entered the cave on August 18 along with eight local guides.

Besides recovery efforts led by frogmen from the Philippine Coast Guard, two foreign nationals, Army troopers, policemen and local villagers, rescuers are using  two water pumps to drain the cave of water.

Indigenous rituals by elders calling for the body of the trapped tourist to appear have been performed twice at the cave’s entrance.

Meanwhile, the body of Monching Bakidan,  Mountain Province State Polytechnic College criminology student, also remains missing .

Bakidan, a native of Natonin, Mountain Province, was reported missing at the Chico River in Bontoc, August 18, after he went fishing with two other friends.

Another villager in Amtuagan, Tubo town in Abra who went missing during the onslaught of Maring has also yet to be found.  - Artemio A. Dumlao