Skip to content
The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

Title

Name

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Mindanao
  • Visayas
  • National
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • International
  • SciTech
  • Health & Wellness
  • Sports
  • About Us
    • Regional Advertising Rates
    • Contact Us
    • Profile
  • Home
  • Featured
  • Philippines pushed as major diving hub in Asia
  • Featured
  • Mindanao Post
  • Tourism

Philippines pushed as major diving hub in Asia

Chief Editor September 13, 2018

THE DEPARTMENT OF Tourism (DOT) said it is currently marketing the Philippines as an ideal diving hub in Asia by highlighting its numerous dive spots for beginners and professional divers who are inclined to underwater photography.

“Part of our commitment is to make sure that we promote the Philippines as a whole to the international diving community and more specifically to look at two segments that we feel we have a distinct advantage in: underwater photography and beginner divers,” DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said.

Bengzon said he is optimistic the market for dive tourism will further grow with the year-round free diving opportunities in the country. “We feel that we can be very competitive in this segment because all year round, there are free diving opportunities. And as in the case of mainstream diving, (we have) very rich marine life,” he said.

United Kingdom-based DIVE Magazine has cited the best dive spots in the Philippines – the Malapascua in Cebu; Dimakya Island in Palawan; Donsol, Sorsogon; Dauin in Negros Oriental; Apo Reef in Occidental Mindoro; Puerto Galera in Mindoro; Anilao in Batangas; Coron Bay in Palawan; and the Tubbataha Reef, often called the diving Mecca in the Philippines.

Aside from these popular sites, the DOT shared emerging dive spots in Samal and Talikud Island in Davao del Norte province, as well as Camiguin Island in Mindanao.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat said the agency plans to strengthen the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving in a bid to market the country as an ideal dive hub in Asia while making sure policies are in place to protect all destinations being promoted in the country.

“We will make policies to make sure that everything is actually protected. Of course, you know that our overarching theme is sustainable tourism and of course, that goes with all marine resources,” Puyat said. “We have a lot of our tourists; we have now 26 countries (nationalities) who came here just for the dive spots. I just came from Zamboanga del Norte and I’m actually surprised to see that they have really good diving destinations and there were a lot of Japanese there just to go for diving.”

She said while Boracay Island’s soft opening draws near, the inter-agency group has yet to discuss if diving activities would be part of the launch on October 26. “Our last meeting with Task Force Boracay is on September 28 and we will be discussing the following guidelines, one of those is diving. We will first see if diving can already be included when we open up on October 26.” (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

 

Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindanaoexaminer
Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindanaoExamine
Read And Share Our News: https://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/
http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/
Digital Archives: https://issuu.com/mindanaoexaminernewspaper
See Media Rates: https://mindanaoexaminer.com/ad-rates/
fb-share-icon
Tweet 20

Continue Reading

Previous: Cops identify ‘persons of interest’ in Ronda mayor’s slay
Next: Cebuana sisters among AirAsia’s lady pilots

Related News

Christina-Frasco-Dot
  • National
  • Tourism

PH gov’t hits country’s ‘false ranking’ as least safe for travelers

Editor June 19, 2025
Basilan-Peace-Agreement
  • Mindanao Post

Peace agreement ends longstanding ‘rido’ in Basilan

Editor June 17, 2025
PhilHealth-logo
  • Mindanao Post

PhilHealth’s KonSulTa Program Reaches Zamboanga City Jail: Advancing Inclusive and Preventive Health Care

Editor June 17, 2025

Trending News

Russian official claims nations ready to supply Iran with nuclear weapons Dmitry-Medvedev 1
  • International

Russian official claims nations ready to supply Iran with nuclear weapons

June 23, 2025
Nuclear watchdog condemns US attack on Iranian nuclear sites as ‘illegal’ Iran-Nuclear-Sites-target 2
  • International

Nuclear watchdog condemns US attack on Iranian nuclear sites as ‘illegal’

June 23, 2025
PH gov’t hits country’s ‘false ranking’ as least safe for travelers Christina-Frasco-Dot 3
  • National
  • Tourism

PH gov’t hits country’s ‘false ranking’ as least safe for travelers

June 19, 2025
PhilHealth’s New Benefits for Post-Kidney Transplantation Services PhilHealth-Artcard 4
  • Health
  • National

PhilHealth’s New Benefits for Post-Kidney Transplantation Services

June 19, 2025
How a Teacher is Cultivating the Future of Agriculture, One Batch of Scholars at a Time JeromeMabaso_ JGF-1 5
  • Business

How a Teacher is Cultivating the Future of Agriculture, One Batch of Scholars at a Time

June 19, 2025
  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
  • Blog
Copyright © 2025. The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. All Rights Reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.