PGMA an asset to RP diving industry

PGMA an asset to RP diving industry



Dumaguete City (9 July) -- Having a president who is a known diving enthusiast is a big boost for the tourism industry in Negros Oriental which has long attracted divers from across the world.

Steve de Neef, a Belgian underwater photographer who first arrived in Negros Oriental five years ago as a tourist, said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's diving activities have cast a positive light on the dive industry in the country.

"It's a good thing that we have a president who dives and she does really care about the marine life," stressed de Neef who works for Atlantis Dive Resorts and is now based here.

Pres. Arroyo in April this year made a brief unannounced private stopover in the province to go scuba diving off Apo Island in Dauin before setting off for a two-day trip across the country to launch the Eastern Seaboard Route of the Strong Republic National Highway.

The President was reportedly accompanied by her daughter, Luli, who also went scuba diving in the waters of Apo Island.

Apo has been consistently ranked among the top 100 dive sites in the world.

Despite the global economic crisis, the dive industry in the province remains vibrant partly due to the more affordable package offered by local dive resorts compared to the more pricey dive tours abroad, said de Reef.

This and the beautiful marine life here are part of the irresistible pull that draws in dive enthusiasts to Negros Oriental.

He added that the local community participation in protecting the marine life as espoused in Apo Island has made the dive spots a favorite not only among dive professionals but also tourists who are curious about what made the marine sanctuary a success.

Apo Island and its unique vibrant coral reef have been protected as a fish sanctuary since 1982. It is also one of the world's best known community-organized marine sanctuaries and has been well-documented by the international science community.

Whitney Fleming, an American volunteer who is actively involved in humanitarian work in the province, said that anthropology also plays a part in why tourist traffic here remains abuzz. "American tourists come here and see a success like that (in Apo Island). These people travel all around the world to go diving and they have seen projects that do and don't work, and Apo Island is one of the most successful projects in Southeast Asia. It's so world-renowned that people from abroad come here just to study Apo Island and its marine ecology… and how they incorporated the local people to embrace the project and make it a success," she explained.

Aside from the dive industry, Fleming and de Neef noted an increase in the number of backpackers touring the province.

"Backpacking is an industry that's growing huge in Dumaguete. There are now more backpacking young people coming here and it's because of the dive industry, the local tourist spots, the mountains… there's just so much to do here," said Fleming.

Friendly people

Fleming is a humanitarian works volunteer who met de Neef in Dumaguete City five years ago and the now married couple have settled down here.

Both Fleming and de Neef describe the Filipinos as "some of the kindest, most open-hearted, generous, sincere people." "They always have fantastic smiles, they are so friendly. You sit down in a café and you're going to meet somebody and have a genuine conversation. You can talk to the pedicab drivers or sit at the back of the jeep and have a conversation and I love that," said Fleming.

In their more than five years stay in the country, Fleming and de Neef said that even the negative experiences have ended positively. "I once had something stolen from our house. The next day we already knew who had it, because the whole neighborhood came together and helped us. We went to the barangay captain and the guy who stole it was there and even he was friendly," mused de Neef.

Fleming said that she and de Neef invite their family and friends to visit the country all the time. "There's always interesting people here to have conversations with," said Fleming.

The warmth of the people and the beauty of the Philippines have become too irresistible for the couple who are now firm on starting their family here. "We moved around to different places in Asia… but we really want to begin our life here in Dumaguete, this is where we want to live. Even if our families are abroad, we feel that our life is really here," said Fleming.