Jenny Franco of Travelvision also urged the public and private sector to work together in ensuring a clean and protected environment in the province to sustain a regular influx of tourists.

Franco, also chairman of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies—Cebu chapter, said she will join the Philippine delegation in promoting the country’s diving shops and spots in the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (Dema) Show 2009.

The international trade-only event for diving, action water sports and adventure industries will be held in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 4 to 7.

”This will really be a good opportunity for the Philippines to increase its tourist arrivals and to promote the country as a diving destination,” Franco said.

She said she will be the only tour operator from Cebu in the event and that this is her first time to join the Philippine delegation to the upcoming dive show.

Kasai Village Beach Resort, a dive resort in Moalboal, Cebu, is another Cebu-based delegate.

Travelvision, where Franco sits as president and managing director, began offering dive packages around 1999. Established in 1991, the tour company promotes Cebu’s diving destinations, culture and heritage sites, and sports tourism activities.

”Many tourists come to Cebu from January to May when it is the cold season in their countries and stay in our beaches. The peak season for diving in Cebu is still during summer,” Franco said.

She identified the US and Europe as among the top tourist markets for Cebu’s diving destinations such as Moalboal and Malapascua.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has participated in international dive shows, including the Bay Area Dive Show and the Tacoma Dive and Travel Expo, both held last April in the US, and the Scuba Dive Show 2009, also in the US, last May.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano earlier identified North America as a huge potential market for diving.

Derived from two Samal words meaning “long reef” exposed at a low tide, Tubbataha is the largest coral reef and first natural World Heritage Site of the country.

Tubbataha Reef has been included in the search for the “7 Wonders of Nature in the World.” In fact, Tubbataha garnered one of the slots.

It covers some 33,200-hectare community of diverse corals, fishes and other forms of aquatic life. It is a dream destination for divers and marine scientists. It is home to more than 300 coral species, at least eight species of marine mammals, 380 species of fish, seven species of sea grass and 71 species of marine algae.

The Tubbataha Reef and surrounding waters have been declared a National Marine Park under Proclamation No. 306 in August 1998. Five years later, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the reef as a World Heritage Site.

Because of its rich and diverse underwater world, Tubbataha is a must-see destination for serious divers, even if getting there entails virtually living on a boat for a few days and for a steep fee. Tubbataha-Sulu live-aboard trips cost between P30,000 and P40,000 depending on the boat and length of stay.

The north and south reefs of Tubbataha have the biggest concentration of fish in the country. The landmark of the South Tubbataha is the solar-powered lighthouse that stands on a tree-covered islet.

To the east of the lighthouse is the steel remains of the Delsan wreck, sitting atop the reef. There are also sandy clays that extend five kilometers in length and three kilometers in width. It is separated from the north reef by an eight-kilometer channel.

Everything in Tubbataha is huge. Jack and trevallies, groupers, triggerfish, Napoleon Wrasse, turtles, even the lionfish and sharks are all bigger than those seen in other diving sites. The fish also often move in shoals, meaning hundreds and even thousands, making them appear like one large animal to protect them from bigger predators like sharks.

The WOW Philippines commercial on CNN and BBC (some years ago) features a school of small orange fish swimming diagonally atop a coral with the caption “more than the usual rush hour.” That’s a common routine in Tubbataha.

On a good day, one can see as far as 40 meters under water. The average water temperature is also warm enough for diving at 27.9 degrees Centigrade.

The north coral atoll is bigger than the south reef, extending 16 kilometers in length and three kilometers in width. It has a sandy slope, which drops after 15 meters to a wall with caves and crevices where sharks and lobsters like to sleep.

The coral garden in the north reef, at just 25 feet, is colorful and teeming with fish. The coral formation is like a sculpture; some corals tower as high as three feet, which is unusual since corals only grow between one and 10 centimeters every year.

North Tubbataha is an easy, worry-free dive –- no strong currents, good visibility, and no technical problems. Its twin atolls form the epicenter of marine life that also serves as a fish nursery for the greater Sulu Sea and the surrounding islands. Tubbataha thus contributes significantly to the country’s food security.

Tourism wise, the reef’s value increases yearly in terms of contributions to the national and local economy. As a World Heritage site, it is valued by people who know that they exist and are being maintained for the employment of present and future generations.

The preservation of this biodiversity, which compares favorably with the richest and most abundant marine areas in the tropical world, contributes immensely to the long-term maintenance of the marine species and their genetic diversity in this part of the world.

Despite the reef’s remoteness, its amazing underwater gardens and diverse wildlife have not been spared from destruction. Illegal fishing using dynamite, sodium cyanide and other environment-unfriendly methods became rampant in the 1980s, but were brought under control with the presence of the Philippine Navy.

In July 1995, the then Ramos administration created the task force for the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, which developed action plans to reverse environmental degradation in the area and started sustained patrol operations.

For the past years, the Philippine Navy and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines have been working hand in hand to patrol the area against illegal activities. Rangers are assigned to protect the area as well as to help tourists and divers who visit the reef.

Together with the province of Palawan, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, and other local non-government organizations, WWF-Philippines continues to campaign for the park’s protection.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the UN Development Program have signed an agreement for a four-year, medium-sized project grant amounting to US$ 750,000 to continue conservation activities in Tubbataha.

Park authorities are now charging fees amounting to US$ 25 for tourists and US$ 50 for foreigners. Proceeds are used for research and conservation activities.

Philipipine Dive Site

The Philippines has likewise landed consistently on prominent lists of top dive sites in the whole world because of century old wrecks, mating mandarin fish, threatening thresher sharks, meter-long giant clams.

These are just some of the reasons why professional divers from the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) are getting more and more drawn to the Philippines’ underwater paradise.

“With over 60 registered sites spread out in our islands, the country has one of the most diverse highlights for diving,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Two different lengthy features with full colored images on the island’s premier dive sites, Puerto Galera, Malapascua, Apo Island and Palawan, landed on UK and US editions of top dive magazine Sport Diver.

The Tourism Department hosted the underwater exploration by seasoned travel writer Ted Alan Stedman and award-winning photographer Carlos Villoch in Cebu, Bohol, Dumaguete, Boracay, Palawan, and Puerto Galera, which yielded in a 10-page, full-color article on the Sport Diver magazine US edition.

Stedman is well-known freelance travel writer while Carlos is an accomplished underwater photographer whose images have graced more than 65 front magazine covers, museums and aquariums throughout the world and were utilized by the World Wildlife Fund and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

A sighting of an ominous 12-foot thresher shark at Monad Shoal in Malapascua Cebu opened Stedman’s article, noting a renowned fable in the island that told of a Chinese fisherman decapitated by a thresher’s scythe-like tail.

After Cebu, Stedman and Villoch headed to Apo Island in Negros. The dive writer underlined Apo Island as a marine restoration success story, with even the Chicago’s Shedd Museum dedicating a permanent exhibit for it entitled Wild Reef.

Villoch’s breathtaking top shot of El Nido, Palawan, with an expanse of colorful coral beds visible above water, served as the feature’s main photo.

Sport Diver’s version in the UK featured two articles by writers, Virginia Fage and Michael Yee.

Both writers participated in the magazine’s Writers’ Workshop campaign spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans.

Sport Diver UK teamed up with Brendan O’Brien and Michael Aw who were running a photojournalism course in the Philippines.

Winner Virginia Fage raved about the wreck Alma Jane in Puerto Galera. In her article, Fage mentioned that the wreck was sunk intentionally in 2003, and is now a photographer’s haven with the lights playing around the different creatures found underneath such as the lionfish, sweetlips, rabbit fish, batfish, and blue-spotted stingray among others.

Her photo of a dive master hovering closely on top of a giant clam measuring around one and a half meter long occupied a page on the magazine.

Another highlight of the winning articles was the complex mating of the mandarin fish.

According to Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions, “The mating dance of the mandarin fish, while common to several sites in our country, is an experience that can be enjoyed in only a handful of destinations in the entire world.”

Runner up Michael Yee recounted his encounter of the rare sight. “The spawning ritual of the mandarin fish intrigued me. The tiny mandarin fish (20-50mm) with its neon dots and swirls of orange, blue, yellow and green spawned around sunset in shallow waters.

“The males darted back and forth, skimming the coral rubble for mates. Eventually, a female rubbed her body alongside the largest male. The couple slowly rose to a meter above the coral rubble and released sperm and eggs at the peak of the rise,” wrote Yee.

Ronaldo Puno, Interior Secretary of the country, asked the local government units to take measures that would standardize the collection of recreational diving fees and utilize such revenues to implement marine conservation and coastal livelihood programs.

He asked the executives of areas where dive sites are located to set up coastal resources management bodies to help preserve eco-tourism sites and conserve the country’s marine lives.

The statement was made after the Department of the Interior and Local Government signed a Joint Memorandum Circular earlier this week with the Departments of Tourism (DOT) and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The circular covered guidelines on the management of dive sites in an initial list of 49 cities and municipalities.

“All of us are stakeholders here and, given the new imperatives of a world under siege from environmental degradation and a deepening financial contagion, this joint undertaking promises to be an excellent vehicle for us to turn the country into a world-class dive haven despite the prevailing global threats,” said the official.

Scuba diving tourism is one bright spot in the services sector when it comes to generating revenues and livelihood opportunities at a time when the world is saddled with a long-winding business slump and job losses, he added.

The country boasts of its dive sites in Puerto Galera, Anilao, Busuanga and the Coron Bay, considered among the best in the world.

The Philippines has adopted eco-tourism as an important aspect of their economic development plan. Palawan, the second largest province in the Philippines (in land area), has become the prime eco-tourism destination of the county and the new “buzz” among the green travel community. Tourism not only helps to raise the standard of living for the remote island’s scarce population, but also reinforces programs that protect the environment. In response, tourists walk away with a memorable vacation, as well as the satisfaction that they are contributing to making the Earth a greener place to live.

Packaging tourism that is a spin-off from the traditional definitions, Bohol’s eco-tourism has made it a model for the country. It is home to the tarsier, the world’s smallest monkey, and to an enigmatic geological formation, the Chocolate Hills. Its coral reefs are home to enchanting varieties of marine life. Wetlands, caves and forests dot its terrain, while mangroves and palms grow abundantly in its coasts and swamps.

The ecotourism program has clear aims: to put in place mechanisms that are environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially equitable; accelerate development for the benefit of local communities; and spread tourism benefits to rural areas in terms of employment generation and improve the standard of living.

WHERE TO STAY
Following is a list of hotels and resorts throughout the Philippines which offer eco-conscious vacationers the opportunity to explore the marvels of the region while doing their part in respecting and restoring Mother Nature.

El Nido Resorts, Palawan
Lagen and Miniloc Island Resorts of El Nido Resorts believe in recognizing natural resources through responsible tourism. The resorts also work closely with the local community in the prevention of illegal fishing, promotion of coastal clean-ups, environmental education campaigns, monitoring of snorkeling sites and dive sites, and installation and maintenance of mooring buoys.

Club Noah Isabelle, Apulit Island, Palawan
Club Noah Isabelle is located on the island of Apulit on the northeastern coast of Palawan. Situated in a cove surrounded by a large marine reef, Club Noah Isabelle has been designed to be a model-case for eco-tourism. With administrative authority over a one mile radius of the island, Club Noah has slowly brought the reefs of Isabelle back to life. The presence of the white breasted eagle, grey reef egrets, and kingfisher attest to the abundance of fish in the water.

Bohol Bee Farm
The Bohol Bee Farm is a secret cherished and kept by visitors. Hidden, safe, and unexploited, it is a sanctuary where one can escape from the complexities and trappings of modern life. The farm has evolved into a popular tropical retreat, encouraging agricultural development through organic farming and introducing an alternative and sustainable lifestyle in harmony with nature. Almost everything at the resort – from the food to the furniture – is made on premises.

The Philippines is what those “I-can’t-wait-to-tell-you” vacation experiences are all about. Offering a great diversity of appeals, the 7,107 island archipelago boasts some of the most extensive eco-tourism offerings of any destination.

ECO-FRIENDLY PURSUITS
Following is a list of various activities for vacationers throughout the region:

WHALE SHARKS
One of the big reasons for heading to the peaceful village of Donsol in Southwest Luzon, is an opportunity to rendezvous with whale sharks measuring from 18 to 35 feet in length and weighing some 20 tons. Locally known as “butanding,” whale sharks are considered to be the largest fish in the world’s seas. Part of the beauty of this adventure is the opportunity to interact with the creatures in their natural environment instead of man-made captive areas. The best time for divers or snorkelers to swim alongside these gentle creatures (or to watch them from small boats) is from November to May.

BIRD WATCHING
If bird-watching is on the vacation agenda, the national bird of the Philippines, the Philippine Eagle, will surely impress (as will the rest of the country’s unique bird life). The rare Philippine Eagle is said to be the world’s largest, and those lucky enough to venture to the Philippines for a first-hand encounter will remember it as one of the most breathtaking experiences of their lives.

MOUSE DEER
When it comes to thinking “small,” the Philippines offers special interest as well. The smallest hoofed mammal on the face of the earth – the mouse deer (locally known as Pilandok) – can be seen on Balabac Island, south of Palawan, standing a mere 15.7 inches at shoulder level.

TARSIER
The scenic and lush oval island of Bohol is the comfortable residence of the Philippine tarsier – the smallest primate in the world. Aside from fitting in the palm of one’s hand, the Philippines tarsier is also the oldest surviving member of the primate group at an awesome 45 million years old. An endangered species, the tarsier can be found in several areas within the Philippines, but the most common encounters are on the island of Bohol.

PISIDUM
Beneath the surface of the warm and inviting waters of the Philippines one can find Pisidum, the world’s tiniest shell, less than a millimeter in length (the country is a seashell lover’s delight with some 12,000 species), and the world’s shortest freshwater fish – the colorless and nearly transparent dwarf pygmy goby (males have an average length of only .3 inches).

ARCIHIPELAGO
Vacationers who come to the Philippines will also discover that the archipelago is home to 488 of the 500 known coral species in the world including seahorses, five distinct species of marine turtles (the Green Turtle, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead), and seven of the world’s eight known species of giant clams.

CHOCOLATE HILLS
Aside from the tarsier, Bohol boasts a wide range of enticing tourist attractions including the dome-shaped Chocolate Hills – 1,268 hills rising 98-394 feet above the surrounding plateau, reaching as far as the eyes can see. The uniformly-shaped hills dry to a crispy brown in March resembling miles of oversized Hershey Kisses.

TAAL VOLCANO
Vacationers will not want to miss the chance to see the picture-postcard island of Taal, known to have the world’s smallest active volcano. Taal Volcano is an island on a lake about 30 miles south of Manila. Most notably, the volcano contains a lake of its own within its center known as Crater Lake. What makes this volcano even more novel is the tiny island inside Crater Lake – Vulcan Point – which is an island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island.

CAMIGUIN ISLAND
Camiguin Island, a volcanic island in the Bohol Sea, where waterfalls create both hot and cold springs, is often referred to as the Philippines’ Garden of Eden.

SUBIC BAY
Subic Bay, located two hours northwest of Manila, offers rich wildlife with distinctive species of birds, bats, monkeys and butterflies. Journey through the Subic Forest Watershed Reserves where the local monkeys are known to be extremely friendly in their interactions with visitors. At Jungle Environment Survival Training Camp, natives offer instruction on how to drink from a water vine, make fire out of bamboo shavings and twigs, cook in a bamboo steamer, and eat on a bamboo plate under a century-old tree.

MOUNT PINATUBO
Mount Pinatubo, also in Luzon, is notable in history as the second largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century, back in 1991. Spa facilities make use of hot springs and volcanic ash for their treatments, which results in a very soothing, mineral-rich experience.

PUERTO PRINCESA SUBTERRANEAN RIVER NATIONAL PARK
Palawan’s Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is the longest in the world. Visitors can explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s cavernous interior and various rock formations via outrigger boats through the underground river. Although only one third of the river’s length of more than five miles is navigable, it emerges into a crystal-clear lagoon, where visitors can continue their exploration of the park by leisurely hiking the Monkey Trail lined with 40,000 tropical flora and fauna.

IFUGAO RICE TERRACES
The Ifugao Rice Terraces in Banaue, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an agro-architectural marvel. Travelers will be in awe of the extensive natural irrigation system the indigenous Ifugao rice farmers were able to accomplish by hand more than 2,000 years ago.