THE Community Environment and Natural Resources Office of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, has formalized a partnership with the municipal government of Godod and community stakeholders to protect and manage the Caguindangan Cave I, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Saturday, May 9, 2026.
The DENR-Zamboanga Peninsula said the partnership for the protection and management of Caguindangan Cave I in Raba village, Godod, Zamboanga del Norte, was formalized last week through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
The MOA brought together the DENR, the municipal and barangay local governments, and the land claimant to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the cave.
“It strengthens efforts to safeguard the site while positioning it as a potential ecotourism destination for the municipality,” the DENR-Zamboanga Peninsula said in a statement.
The DENR-Zamboanga Peninsula said that prior to the signing, Merlou Rebuyas, Chief of the Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Conservation Unit, presented the key provisions of the agreement.
The presentation clarified the roles of each party in ensuring effective protection, conservation, and management of the cave.
Cenro-Liloy Officer-in-Charge Maribel Acama emphasized the importance of shared responsibility in protecting natural resources in particular, the Caguindangan Cave I.
Cidur Julsadjiri, OIC assistant regional director for technical services, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to sustain conservation gains and unlock the ecotourism potential of the local community.
The DENR-Zamboanga Peninsula said all stakeholders expressed their commitment in brief messages, affirming their support for the long-term protection of Caguindangan Cave.
Representatives from the DENR, municipal government of Godod, Raba village, the land claimant, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment signed the MOA. (SunStar Zamboanga)