Stakeholders in Southern Leyte’s tourism sector are encouraged to boost the promotion of the province’s diving industry to attract a broader audience.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said this could be achieved through close collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the responsible development and sustainability of the sector.
“We cannot promote or responsibly develop any form of tourism if there is no cooperation and if we are not united,” Tiopes said on Thursday as she led the four-day Sogod Bay Underwater Experience held from May 20 to 23.
Organized by the DOT regional office, the event brought together diving stakeholders from Southern Leyte, led by provincial officials and the local government unit of Padre Burgos, headed by Mayor Maria Fe Crispina Poblete.
Also participating were representatives from the local government units of Daram and Borongan City, as well as from the provincial government of Eastern Samar, all of which are exploring opportunities to develop diving tourism in their respective areas.
Members of the Association of Leyte Tour Operators and representatives from academe also joined the event.
Regional directors of the DOT from Regions 5, 6, 10 and 11 attended the gathering, along with dive shop operators and representatives of the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving.
“It is only when we come together to plan, discuss challenges and work collectively that we can address concerns effectively and ensure that our initiatives benefit not only stakeholders but also the communities themselves,” Tiopes said.
Activities for the four-day event include dive forums on the status of Southern Leyte’s diving industry and the role of various sectors, diving activities at the Napantao dive site in Padre Burgos and in Limasawa, and coral-planting initiatives.
Southern Leyte 2nd District Rep. Christopherson Yap, who attended the opening ceremony, said that while the province has been attracting tourists, much still needs to be done, particularly in infrastructure and accommodation.
“There are still many things that we have to do to advance sustainable tourism initiatives in Eastern Visayas, especially in Southern Leyte,” Yap said.
Vice Gov. Rosa Emilia Mercado highlighted that the event showcases the province’s diving tourism potential and demonstrates what can be achieved through sustainable tourism, community conservation and forward governance.
“We are unlocking opportunities for our local communities, supporting our operators, and creating sustainable livelihoods for our coastal communities,” Mercado said.
Southern Leyte is considered one of the country’s emerging diving destinations because of its relatively low tourist density compared with other dive sites nationwide.
Often described as one of the country’s best-kept scuba-diving secrets, the province offers pristine coral walls, world-class muck diving and ethical whale shark encounters.
The province’s dive sites are located along Sogod Bay and Panaon Island, areas recognized as key marine biodiversity zones in the Philippines and part of the Coral Triangle, considered the global center of marine biodiversity.
The area boasts more than 20 dive sites covering about 713 square kilometers and is home to around 400 coral species. (PNA)
