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Celebrate the Sea is a much-awaited affair
that has been touring around Asian countries for
the last five years. Its sixth year was recently
held in Manila from Sept. 21 to 23 at the
Coconut Palace, a milestone that put the
Philippines on the international diving map.
The project is part of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) thrust to bring
recognition to scuba diving in the Philippines,
which has one of the, if not, the most
biodiverse underwater ecosystems. Assistant
Secretary for Sports and Wellness Tourism and
head of the Philippine Commission on Sports
Scuba Diving (PCSSD) Cynthia Carrion led the
team on behalf of the DOT to make the Philippine
name synonymous with Amazing Philippine Diving.
The thrust to put Philippine diving at the forefront of the country’s
tourism project is also supported by the
Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). Key people
in government such as President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo, DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, Carrion
and PTA’s
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One
Ocean’s Michael Aw, DOT Asec. Cynthia
Carrion, DOT Sec. Joseph Ace Durano, and
President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo
presenting an award to Shahram Saber |
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nently in the
Philippines, transforming Manila into the
Underwater Imagery Capital of Asia much like how
Antibes, France is for the World Underwater
Pictures Festival.
Celebrate the Sea has attracted attention from the international diving
community, world renowned scientists,
journalists, and videographers to the
Philippines. People like National Geographic’s
David Doubilet, Titanic’s Emory Kristof, World
Underwater Pictures Festival President Daniel
Mercer, Israel’s Marine National Park co-founder
Amos Nauchom and whale shark expert Brad Norman,
to just name a few who came to Manila to attend
the event.
As part of their efforts to promote Philippine diving overseas, the
DOT has been attending all the major diving
trade shows in Europe and the United States in a
continued effort to keep the Philippines in the
forefront of the international diving
community’s mind. |
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Dean Barbers
are all scuba divers and they all champion the
cause with their personal experiences
that diving in the Philippines is indeed
spectacular.
What started this project was the meeting of Carrion and Michael Aw
of One Ocean, the organizer of Celebrate the Sea
at the Birmingham (UK) Dive show in 2006.
Carrion had invited Michael Aw to come dive in
the Philippines but by Aw’s own admission, he
did not want to come to the Philippines, saying
he heard negative
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remarks that
the country has no more fish and that the corals
were all blasted. Finally convinced, Aw
then flew to the Philippines and dove in Anilao,
Puerto Galera, Negros Oriental and Apo Island.
Awed by his diving experience around the
country, Aw was instrumental in bringing
Celebrate the Sea to the Philippines.
The DOT is now committed to have the next three Celebrate the Sea
festivals until 2009 here in the Philippines. If
successful, there are talks
to have the festival and perma- |
