Key learnings from 1st Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The country’s inaugural Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue, spearheaded by the Department of Tourism, convened participants from the private and public sections to discuss challenges, opportunities and insights on strengthening the country’s dive tourism industry.

At the Fili Hotel at Nustar Cebu, industry experts and stakeholders led panel discussions. Here are their insights:

Panel 1

Panel 1, which focused on marine environmental protection and conservation, gathered insights from Angelique Songco, the Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) of the Tubbataha Reef and Natural Park; CG Vice Admiral Robert Patrimonio; Tanya Rabat-Tan, Director of DOT Region XI; and Fra-And Timothy Quimpo, marine biologist and conservationist.

Quimpo started the panel discussion in citing habitat destruction as a diving-specific threat. He emphasized the need to strictly implement existing rules and policies to help nature heal itself.

“Whatever concerns you have in your region, now is the perfect time to sit down with the correct agencies and discuss these environmental issues and how to address [them],” he said.

Patrimonio agreed with Quimpo’s sentiments, further putting stress on how the existing regulations lie on local government units to be fully implemented.

Tan, on the otherhand, explained that if tourism activities are managed properly, it can be a powerful ally in not just marine, but any natural site conservation.

Meanwhile, Songco touched on the rules of wildlife interaction in the Tubbataha Reef.

“The rangers cannot watch every dive or every tourist that dives in Tubbataha, so we rely on the dive operators to implement these rules,” she said, emphasizing trust between rangers and dive operators in the