JAPANESE CAVE
Barangay WAWA, MONTALBAN,
RIZAL PROVINCE, LUZON

Surveyed Length: 675m
Surveyed To: BCRA Grade 3

INTRODUCTION

An Interesting Cave, well known locally, situated a short way up a mountainside on the upstream left of a large river which flows through Wawa, about 300m upstream from the barangay centre. From the river, a short scramble up through undergrowth reaches a walking-sized entrance about 2.5m wide and 2m high. The cave was presumably named as it was regularly and quite extensively searched for the alleged remains of Japanese war treasure and the Japanese may have lived in the cave for a time.

CAVE DESCRIPTION

The cave comprises a single, large, walking-sized passage with one major downstream passage leading off about 300m into the system.

From the entrance, a walking-sized muddy-floored passage, Ka Felix heads off almost directly into the hillside. After a short distance, a pit is encountered on the right, not descended but probably some 10m deep. Continuing up on the main passage, a major junction is met 300m from the entrance.

To the right (downstream), a pit profusely covered with calcite some 6m deep immediately blocks progress. The pit is free-climbable with care but a hand line is a useful and safe aid. There then follows some 50m of superb, cascading passage, Haggle for Boar, ending in a static sump pool. This sump was free-dived for 3m without dry passage being encountered. Dry passage is likely to exist beyond but the large clear sump could be close to river level and thus the more likely resurgence of the cave.

By turning left (upstream) back at the junction, a large and impressive stream passage, The Metro (Manila), can be followed for some 300m until it gradually degenerates into a confused area of boulder chokes and breakdowns, The Intestines. These chokes can be passed with care, to end in a large lofty chamber some 6m in diameter and 10m high, The Altar. There are two muddy tubes leading off this chamber created by treasure hunters.

CONCLUSION

The compass and clinometer mapping of the cave was carried out by more than one training party and the date is thus unlikely to be accurate. The vertical range has thus not been recorder here. The tape measured length however should be accurate. There is unlikely to be extensive further dry cave but some success may be achieved by digging in the terminal choke or diving the downstream sump. However, the sump may well be closed to the resurgence level of the cave. The cave exhibits very attractive manganese deposits in the passage leading to the sump and the vast number of cockroaches in the cave suggest that the cave micro climate is a little warmer than normal.