Southern Leyte — An in-house publication of the Philippine Airlines (PAL), in its December, 2007 issue, has featured Sogod Bay, this province, calling the place a “frontier destination in the Philippines” and a “new, unpolished jewel for diving in the Pacific.”

“A new site in the Philippines has started to create a buzz in the diving community: Sogod Bay in the province of Southern Leyte has been continuously proving itself to be a new, unpolished jewel for diving in the Pacific,” the three-paragraph article under the heading “Diving in Sogod Bay” began, spreading the cheer to diving enthusiasts.

“Until a few years ago, tourism was virtually unheard of here, save for some dive camps established in the town of Padre Burgos whose clients were having a great time enjoying the rich waters to themselves,” the story, written by Carlos M. Libosada, Jr. said.

PIA got a copy of the glossy magazine through Cong. Roger Mercado, who was obviously elated the place has attracted the attention and appreciation it rightly deserves, coming as it did from a reputable magazine.

In his live radio program last Saturday, Cong. Mercado shared the good news on the publication of the article, saying that, indeed, foreigners can enjoy the natural beauties of the province all year round.

Tourism has been one of Cong. Mercado’s three main programs, the two others being Environment and Agriculture, or the acronym TEA.

Interestingly, the diving potentials in Sogod Bay, has been listed in the latest Mabuhay Magazine, page 154, along with other established beach resorts in the country, like Boracay, Bolinao, Pangasinan, Pamalican island, Calicoan, Eastern Samar, and Anawangin, Zambales, for a special segment on “Christmas at the Beach.”

The full-color, shiny-page piece on Sogod Bay carried three underwater photos, the biggest one of which pictured a contented diver, and the two others a sample of the rich, under-the-sea marine life.

“A few ‘leaked’ stories and photos to the outside world have finally revealed the real natural treasures of Sogod Bay. Now, more resorts and even live-aboard dive boats bring people wanting to explore this relatively frontier destination in the Philippines. And the rewards are astounding: migrating whale sharks (localoly known as iho-tiki), Manta rays, dolphins, wide expanses of hard and soft rocks, pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, and other highly interesting and colorful marine life protected by vigilant communities,” the article said.

It added: “Sogod is perfect not only for scuba divers but for anybody searching for new places to swim, snorkel and encounter whale sharks as well. One of the best ways to explore the area is to get on a rented vehicle, bring a set of snorkel and fins, and go to the fish sanctuaries and protected reefs established in most of the municipalities surrounding the bay.”

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