SITE PROBLEMS: Most effort goes into management of visitors to the underground river with considerable time being spent building positive relationships with the surrounding communities. Some problems are management issues that prove to be relevant to current involvement of local communities. |

Basic issues include a requirement for effective protected area management training and uncontrolled development. The local community has difficulty to benefit from the tourism industry due to lack of skills. Tourist potential remains untapped due to lack of right infrastructure that caters to the need of a viable market.|
The forest area is virtually uninhabited and subjected to only minor encroachment. The southern boundary abuts farmed areas of the domain but is generally protected by natural features and informal agreement with the Ancestral Domain. Two thirds of the rivers underground catchment lie outside the park, largely in the ancestral domain of Cabayugan, much of which is farmed. Agricultural pollution poses a considerable threat to the geological structure of the underground cave system, though follow up studies have been conducted and revealed no real threat to the underground ecosystem. Habitat loss and forest denudation poses a danger to the sustenance of the parks ecosystem. Watersheds and riverbanks are also being damaged. The ecosystem tends to degenerate in a pace faster than its regeneration.|
In 1997, the number of visitors to the park rose to 40,000 from a mere 2,000 in the early 1980s. Until the end of 1998 a few visitors stayed at the cottages in the park, while most overnight visitors preferred to spend the night in Sabang. Though tourism is the only predictable source of financial sustenance, as well as opportunities for many local people to improve their standard of living, its uncontrolled development also serves as one of the major threats. In what appeared to be an ironic twist the unregulated flow of people who come to the park to commune with nature are leaving behind their lasting impression on its delicate system and altering it in the process. Animals have been observed to adapt into unnatural way of life. Feeding habits are altered. Breeding cycles are interrupted. And those who fail to accommodate curious sightseers are forced out by the unwanted commotion.|
The most seroius constraints to the management include an ill-defined institutional structure, lack of adequate resources and boundaries that have no control over the catchment of the underground river of cabayugan.|
Within the CADC area some specific problems are identified. Illegal activities e.g. gathering of almaciga resin of non indigenous people LGUs are not oriented with the provision of ADMP and IPRA Trend in permit acquisition People from the community have lesser chances of sourcing better market demand due to inadequate information system. Lack of network roads to market circles|

MANAGEMENT PLAN The general management strategy was designed by the PAMB, a multi-sectoral representative management body. The parks plans follow the customary format of description, an evaluation, and prescription. The last is divided into seven program goals, which were defined in the management strategy. Each of the seven programs defines specific objectives and actions.|
Program 1. Ecosystem Management This program aims to keep the parks varied ecosystem in their natural state, untarnished and unaffected by the outside world. The program also plans to restore and nurse damaged ecosystems back to their original setting. About 96% of the park is under the Strict Protection Zone and closed to all human activities. The remaining portions are classified as multiple use, recreational and restoration zones. The multiple use zone covers 127 has on the west side of the park, occupied by the farmers long before the parks creation. While the management plan acknowledges the farmers justifiable claim to their land, and intend to grant them land tenure security, the future landowners must agree to manage their land in a way that will do no harm to the park. The recreational zone is confined to the first kilometer of the underground river and a small number of trails and caves.|
The areas previously used and unfortunately marred by human activities, are classified as the restoration zones and will be re-classified as strict protection zones to give them time to heal. In the past the park has been accused of acting outside its authorities in the Cabayugan river catchment and other peripheral areas of critical environment concern, which has been counter-productive in the long-term. In response, this program seeks to make formal agreements with the concerned local communities to encourage activities that will protect the long-term well-being of the park and their interests as well.|
Program 2. Park protection and law enforcement The protection section inside the park will conduct regular patrols to ensure that the rules and regulations and management agreement made with the local communities and authorities are followed. A system of local community rangers will be established by the park. |
Program 3. Research and monitoring The goal of this program is to ensure the park gets the widest possible support and understanding from its neighboring communities. It also addresses touchy subjects such as the resolution of boundary issues. This has been wisely placed at the forefront of implementation of every other program of the management plan since the parks PR effort can spell the difference between harmony and World War III with its neighbors.|

Program 4. Public awareness and community relations This will provide the necessary information needed for the effective management of the park including species abundance and biodiversity, settlements, demographic trends, land-use, potential sources of pollution and everything else that make a naturalists pulse quicken. Water quality monitoring in the river will continue while new water quality testing, together with coliform monitoring, will be done in Sabang river and beach. It will also evaluate, coordinate, solicit research proposals and control research activities by outside agencies within the area.|
Program 5. Tourism and visitors management Maximizing the benefits of tourism and visitors inside and outside the park while minimizing their negative impact. The annual visitor capacity has been pegged at 50,000 guests. Tourist facilities within the park will be relocated away from sensitive habitats. Suitable nature-related tourism is to be encouraged in surrounding local community areas to expand the number of destinations people can go outside the park.|
Program 6. Regional integration The main objective is to ensure that, by being pro-active, the parks interest is considered from the very beginning. It requires identifying and establishing a dialogue with potentials developers. This program will see to it that proper environmental impact assessment procedures are followed for any private or government planners. A second objective is to establish international recognition of the park through listing as a World Heritage Site. This was achieved in December 1999 as it passed the criteria iii and iv of inscription to the Natural Heritage Sites. |
Program 7. Institutional development, organization and administration |