THE San Carlos City government thru the Tourism Office held its first dive caravan and underwater photography contest participated by eight divers on Friday, July 8.
A press statement from the city government Tuesday, July 7, 2022, said that the competition kicked-off with an opening ceremony at Park Marina Hall where participants were briefed on the competition's guidelines.
A video presentation showcasing the Camotes and St. John Reefs located within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of the city along TaƱon Strait which is rich in marine biodiversity followed.
Categories of the competition include macro shot, wide angle and environment where they need to submit the original shots and the edited copies of said photos for the awarding took place on Saturday, July 9.
City Administrator Atty. Estefanio Libutan Jr., who graced the opening event on behalf of City Mayor Renato Gustilo, lauded the local tourism office for coming up with the activity that would help promote the locality's dive sites as well as highlight marine protection, preservation and conservation.
Danny Ocampo, Senior Campaign Manager of the Philippine chapter of OCEANA, an international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation, was the competition's judge/
Ocampo stressed that it is a privilege for someone like them to see what others cannot, citing the underwater beauty captured by the lenses of the participants.
For her part, Tourism Officer Jennifer Paran said that they are grateful for all the support they got from the city government in the conduct of this contest.
Paran said they were able to showcase the beauty of the city's marine resources and diving spots.
She recognized the efforts of their partners, especially the CEMO- Coastal Resource Management Division (Bantay Dagat), the PNP- Maritime Group) for their active support to their team, and Whispering Palms Island Resort as major sponsor of said activity.
Also present during the event were the staff of the Tourism Office and City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) who helped facilitate said event.