Back in April 2004, I had the opportunity to get involved in a youth summer camp that was held at Initao, Misamis Oriental. And one of the adventures that all the youth campers and staff enjoyed was the visit to an underground cave at the Initao National Park. It’s a well-preserved, densely forested area with really huge and tall trees all over a wide stretch of land in-between Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. If I’m not mistaken, this park has been intentionally preserved by the government—which is good. I’m not sure though if it is still being well-maintained after the passing of many years.

All of us—campers and staff—descended into a small, dark hole or opening on the ground and once inside, it was a big surprise to know that there was such a big cavern underneath! And then the challenge began for all of us. We had to crawl and pass through a small hole just enough for one person to pass through one at a time in the dark. But surprisingly, “at the end of the tunnel,” you get up looking gladly at the deep blue sea. What a wonderful experience it was!