Nature lovers can now have a fast and smooth travel should they decide to visit a popular cave where two unique species were recently discovered North of the Philippines.

The P67-million widening project of the Labato Bridge in Barangay Namabbalan has been completed and is expected to address the traffic congestion along Cagayan Valley Road.
 
The bridge leads to the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape in Peñablanca town that is home to the majestic Callao Cave.
 
The municipality of Peñablanca is about 500 kilometers from the capital Manila.
 
The Callao Cave is one of the earliest national parks in the country where a giant cloud rat species weighing about a kilogram once roamed the Philippines. It also houses a church where weddings are sometimes held.
 
The fossilized remains of the three extinct giant cloud rat species, locally known as “buot” or “bugkun,” were discovered by in the same deep layer of the cave where the Homo Luzonensis, an endemic human species, was also discovered in 2019.
 
The discovery was made by scientists of the University of the Philippines (UP), National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), and the US Field Museum of Natural History.
 
Meantime, the Labato Bridge serves as an access to main parts of Tuguegarao City and in Daang Maharlika and lead as the main highway to provinces of Region 2.
 
In a report, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the bridge widening project with a length of 70.6 meters now provides wider network capacity for the travelling public.
 
The newly-improved bridge expected to spur the growth of socio-economic activities around the area and convenient access for easier delivery of goods and services.