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Friday, April 21, 2006
Davao's diving sites to boost tourism
DIVING is a potential tourism industry, but there's a need for the government to assess the sites in the Davao Region and declare from over a dozen places in the Davao Gulf the ideal sites for the activity.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Director for Southern Mindanao Ricardo Calderon said a profiling of the sites must first be undertaken. But a sizeable amount is needed to do this, he said.
He admitted that his office does not have the money to complete the profiling and that they are collaborating with other sectors to finish the project.
He said they only started the first project this year at the "Big Ligid."
"We do not have enough resources and this kind of activity falls under their protected area program of which we get only P10 million to maintain, sustain, and protect the already declared protected areas of the region," he said.
Department of Tourism Regional Director for Southern Mindanao Sonia Garcia explained that not one diving site in Mindanao is included in the earlier published diving sites in the Philippines because the sites here still needs to be developed.
"What we claim to be dive sites are really real dive sites. We must be ready as we do not want to fool the tourists when they come," she said.
Garcia is also looking at getting more tourists to come to the city with their tie up with Asian Spirit that regularly fly to Palau from Davao City.
She said among those eager to come are the Overseas Filipino Workers numbering about 5,000 who are working or doing livelihood in Palau.
She is also looking for some potential diving enthusiasts from Palau who are interested in coming to Davao and getting more value for their money.
She said divers spends about $500 for a diving trip for a Manila-Palau package that only includes an overnight stay whereas the Davao-Palau package at the same amount includes hotel accommodation with breakfast for three days and two nights stay and transportation.
"It will be a value added plus to Davao as a diving destination if this will be fully developed," she said.
In fact, the Blue Corner Dive Sites in Palau, Garcia said, generated $1 million in 2005 and they already established the island as one dive destination.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 21, 2006 issue)
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