No less than Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who sits as the chairman of the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD) and the newly-created DOT DIVE Committee, led the dive product audit in a show of support to Moalboal’s tourism recovery and energetic dive scene.
“By way of a Department Order, we in the Department of Tourism – Philippines formed a Dive Committee under the Marcos Administration in order to employ a coordinated, focused, and fully supported approach towards the further development of dive products across the country,” Frasco said.
“The Dive Committee is an inter-agency panel composed of the DOT, TIEZA, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), and the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD).”
“The Dive Committee is an inter-agency panel composed of the DOT, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), and the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD). This consolidates all programs, activities, and promotions of these agencies that will, in turn, fully support the local governments’ and private sector’s efforts towards the sustainability and growth of dive tourism in the Philippines,” the tourism chief explained.
Frasco and DOT officials successfully carried out a dive product audit activity for the Sardine Run, one of the famed dive sites in Moalboal, Cebu.
Sardine Run is a must-see phenomenon of a dense concentration of sardines swimming en masse, which happens along a reef wall just off Panagsama Beach.
“The Sardine Run, sea turtles, and pristine beaches teeming with marine life make Moalboal, Cebu truly one of the Philippines’ tourism gems,” the tourism head stressed.
Moalboal is one of the only places in the Philippines where one can have the incredible experience of being surrounded or swarmed by a giant school of fish with thousands of sardines any day of the year.
In addition to the unique Sardine Run phenomenon, a variety of marine life including sea turtles also thrive in the diving and snorkelling sites in Panagsama.
Aside from being a haven for divers and dive enthusiasts, Moalboal also boasts of pristine white sand beaches and a relaxing atmosphere, making it one of the tourism gems in the Southern part of Cebu.
“Unforgettable diving and snorkeling experiences await you in Moalboal!”
“Unforgettable diving and snorkeling experiences await you in Moalboal! Grateful to the Dive Community of Moalboal and the Local Government of the Municipality of Moalboal led by Mayor Inocentes Cabaron for the very warm welcome, and a successful dive,” she stressed.
The DOT is also continuous in its promotions of Philippine dive offerings to key markets through efforts such as participation in key dive events abroad, one of which is the Diving, Resort, and Travel (DRT) Show held last February 24-26 in Malaysia where the Philippines was awarded as the Best Dive Destination.
The Philippines also bagged the title as the World’s Leading Dive Destination at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) in 2022.
This year, it is also defending its standing as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination at the WTA, a title that it has held for four straight years from 2019 to 2022.
