FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
10 
.J:JL -6 
I~ ') :Ml 
SENATE 
S. No. 255 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines is one of the countries known for its rich natural resources. The country's caves 
specifically set our resources apart from any other places because of its exceptional resources 
such as the so-called dripstones. A dripstone is a collective term for stalagmites and stalactites -
a kind of a precious mineral which takes hundred of years to form. 
Unfortunately, recent news showed that some of these stalagmites and stalactites, which should 
remain inside the confines of a cave, are now being sold in the country. This immediately called 
the attention of advocates of the environment and the general public who witnessed the alarming 
scenario. 
Republic Act No. 9072, otherwise known as the "National Cave Resources Management and 
Protection Act", has been put forward in 2001 to protect and conserve these resources. However, 
this law does not have a provision regarding the importation and exportation of the country's 
cave resources. 
This bill seeks to amend R.A. 9072 by adding a subsection prohibiting the exportation and/or the 
importation of stalagmites and stalactites. This bill recognizes the importance of the cmmtry's 
cave resources and deems it important to put the import/export of the same into a halt before it 
turns into large-scale basis. 
In view of the foregoing, passage ofthis measure is earnestly requested. 
1 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLic OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
. 
255 
s. No. 
1" 
u 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
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PROHIBITING THE IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION OF STALACTITES AND 
STALAGMITES, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED 
9072, 
OTHERWISE 
KNOWN 
AS 
"THE 
NATIONAL 
CAVE 
RESOURCES 
MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION ACT" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9072, otherwise known as the "National 
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Cave Resources Management and Protection Act," herein referred to as The Act, is amended to 
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read as follows: 
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. "SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall 
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be defined as follows: 
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a) 
"Cave" means any naturally occurring void, cavity, recess or system of 
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interconnected passages beneath the surface of the earth or within a cliff or 
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ledge and which is large enough to permit an individual to enter, whether 
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or not the entrance,. located either in private or public land, is naturally 
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formed or man made. It shall include any natural pit, sinkhole or other 
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feature which is an extension of the entrance. The term also includes cave 
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resources therein, but not any vug, mine tunnel, aqueduct or other 
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manmade excavation. 
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b) 
"Cave resources" includes any material or substance occurring naturally in 
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caves, such as animal life, plant life, including paleontological and 
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c) 
d) 
e) 
t) 
G) 
H) 
archaeological deposits, cultural artifacts or products of human activities, 
sediments, minerals, speleogems and speleothems. 
"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR). 
"Speleogem" means relief features on the walls, ceilings and floor of any 
cave or lava tube which are part of the surrounding bedrock, including but 
not limited to anastomoses, scallops, meander niches, petromorphs and 
rock pendants in solution caves and similar features unique to volcanic 
caves. 
"Speleothem" means any natural mineral formation or deposit occurring in 
a cave or lava tube, including but not limited to any stalactite, stalagmite, 
helictite, cave flower, flowstone, concretion, drapery, rimstone or 
formation of clay or mud. 
"Significant Cave" refers to a cave which contains materials or possesses 
features that have archaeological, cultural, ecological, historical or 
scientific value as determined by the DENR in coordination with the 
scientific community and the academe. 
"CALCITE" REFERS TO: 
a) 
THE MOST COMMON FORM OF NATURAL CALCIUM 
CARBONATE A WIDELY DISTRIBUTED MINERAL KNOWN 
FOR THE 
BEAUTIFUL 
DEVELOPMENT 
AND 
GREAT 
VARIETY OF ITS CRYSTALS; 
b) 
A MINERAL THAT DISSOLVES WITH MOST FORMS OF 
ACID. 
"STALACTITE" REFERS TO: 
a) 
AN ICICLE-SHAPED MASS OF CALCITE ATTACHED TO THE 
ROOF OF A LIMESTONE CAVERN; 
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I) 
J) 
b) 
MINERALS HANGING FROM THE CEILINGS OF CAVERNS 
THAT COMMONLY EXHIBIT A CENTRAL TUBE OR THE 
TRACE OF A FORMER TUBE WHOSE DIAMETER IS THAT 
OF A DROP OF WATER HANGING BY SURFACE TENSION; 
c) 
IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM, A THIN-WALLED STONE STRAW, 
AND THESE FRAGILE FORMS MAY REACH LENGTHS OF 0.5 
M (20 INCHES) OR MORE WHERE AIR CURRENTS HAVE 
NOT SERIOUSLY DISTURBED THE GROWTH. 
"STALAGMITE" REFERS TO: 
a) 
A CONE OF CALCITE RISING FROM THE FLOOR OF A 
CAVERN; 
b) 
MATERIALS THAT GROW UP ON THE BOTTOM OF A 
CAVERN FROM THE SAME DRIP-WATER SOURCE OF THAT 
OF THE STALACTITES, THE MINERAL FROM WHICH IS 
DEPOSITED AFTER THE WATER DROPLET FALLS ACROSS 
THE OPEN SPACE IN THE ROCK. 
"DRIPS TONE" REFERS TO: 
a) 
A 
COLLECTIVE 
TERM 
FOR 
STALAGMITES 
AND 
STALACTITES, SINCE THEY ARE OFTEN FOUND IN PAIRS, 
THE STALAGMITE BEING FORMED AS A RESULT OF 
FURTHER EVAPORATION AND PRECIPITATION FROM 
SOLUTION AFTER THE TRICKLE OF WATER FALLS FROM 
THE STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE; 
b) 
MINERAL FORMS OFTEN FOUND IN CAVES; 
c) 
A KIND OF MINERAL THAT TAKES HUNDRED OF YEARS 
TO BE FORMED". 
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SEC. 2. Section 7 of The Act is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"Sec. 7. Prohibited Acts. " The following shall be considered Prohibited Acts: 
a) Knowingly destroying, disturbing, defacing, marring, altering, removing, or 
harming the speleogem or speleothem of any cave or altering the free 
movement of any animal or plant life into or out of any cave; 
b) Gathering, collecting, possessing, consuming, selling, bartering or exchanging 
or offering for sale without authority any, cave resource; and 
, c) Counselling, procuring, soliciting or employing any other person to violate 
any provisions of this Section. 
D) 
IMPORTING 
AND/OR 
EXPORTING 
OF 
STALAGMITES 
AND 
STALACTITES AND OTHER MINERALS THAT FORM PART OF THE 
CAVE RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY". 
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SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall at any time be found to 
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be unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected by such declaration shall 
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remain in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules or regulations inconsistent with the 
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provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following 
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its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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