Diving in the Philippines

Scuba divers in Apo Island Sanctuary in Negros Island.
Whitetip reef shark at Tubbataha

Diving in the Philippines has been part of the tourism industry of the Philippines. Scuba diving in particular is regulated and managed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) through the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD).

The Philippines, as an archipelagic state in the Coral Triangle, is a popular destination for scuba diving tourism. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, located at Sulu Sea, is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site[1][2]

Diving is also a big part of the practice of underwater archeology in studying and protecting submerged cultural artifacts not limited to shipwrecks. The National Museum of the Philippines works with law enforcement to safeguard these materials.[3]

History

In 1978, the Philippine Commission on the Promotion and Development of Sports Scuba Diving was created through Letter of Instruction No. 745 dated September 29, 1978.[4]

On July 28, 2008, Republic Act No. 9593 or "The Tourism Act of 2009", which mandated the PCSSD to provide the standard basic dive rules to all levels or kinds of divers, and regulate scuba sports and technical diving in the country, was approved.

In 2019, the DOT held the 1st Philippine International Dive Expo (Phidex) in Pasay.[5]

On March 31, 2021, the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving issued the "Interim Guidelines for Application for Accreditation".[6]

On September 2023, the Department of Tourism conducted the 1st Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue.[7]

Tourism industry

In 2023, the Philippines' diving tourism industry generated ₱73 billion, an increase from ₱37 billion the year prior.[8]

In August 2024, the Philippines won the best diving destination award in the 2024 Diving Resort Travel (DRT) held at Beijing.[9]

Facilities

Hyperbaric chamber centers

To support the tourism industry, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has funded 10 hyperbaric chamber centers around the country.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park". Whc.unesco.org.
  2. ↑ "Tubbataha Reef: Exploring the Biodiversity of the Coral Triangle on the Frontier of the Philipp". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Diving Into History". National Museum of the Philippines. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 745 - - Supreme Court E-Library". Archived from the original on 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  5. ↑ "PH opens 1st int'l dive expo in Manila". Philippine News Agency.
  6. ↑ "Interim guidelines for applications for accreditation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-03-02.
  7. ↑ "Key learnings from the first Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue". Globalnation.inquirer.net. 22 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "PH diving tourism earns P73B, nearly twice '22 income". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 25 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "PH wins best diving destination title at Beijing expo | Philippine News Agency". Pna.gov.ph.
  10. ↑ "P60-M hyperbaric chamber seen boosting tourism, healthcare in NegOr | Philippine News Agency". Pna.gov.ph. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
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