Dumaguete, Apo Island

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Can I join the tshirt club? Mine has turtles but I bet I overpaid for my Tshirt too ;-).
Join the club, are you a member of the PPD?
Maybe they'll let you join their club too.
(I paid $5 ea. for Apo t's, the PPD ones were free :D)
 
Speaking of the great diving and t-shirts at Apo Island.
Anybody heard from my so called dive buddy Dennis?
back in canada for the time being last I heard. But his house is all built north of manila. Still waiting for the house warming. :)
 
Now that would be a real blast! Wish I was invited. :D
 
These types of experiences are common.....unfortunately. The new regulations concerning fees will fix some of the challenges facing the traveling diver. Most operators build in the costs you mentioned in their fees. I did discover that if you take your SB members on a dive, show them what it takes to make a dive happen they become more sympathetic to the operator's costs and the tourist's dilemma with fees. I find it helpful to SHOW them what happens so they better understand the challenges. It was worth it to me for them to have a FREE trip to see what happens in our business.....food for thought.
 
That's not true, david. I paid the same amount. I got 2, though.:lotsalove:

Maybe it was two for $5, getting old I guess... like this thread. :D
 
We'll be diving Apo Island on August 20 - 25 (including Siquijor and Balicasag). I got a lot of useful pointers on this thread. Thanks! I hope the weather will participate. Do you guys think this is a good time?

Gi
 
@skuba dude: As someone who travelled extensively in the Philippines, and worked as a Dive Guide on Apo in the late 1990's, I know that Apo Island is a genuine Marine reserve.

As with many Marine Reserves, it is split into two areas: A "Sanctuary" on the East side of the Island, approximately 450m x 500m in side, and the "Reserve", which surrounds the rest of the island for 500m out to sea.

Fishermen from Apo Island are allowed to fish in the Reserve, and only for consumption on the island itself, not to sell on the Mainland. They are also not allowed to use Destructive fishing methods such as Dynamite or Cyanide. The small population of the island means that this fishing is sustainable - the fishermen catch no more fish today than they did over 20 years ago.

The Marine Park fees pay for the Marine Guard, for maintaining Diving Buoys, for cleaning the beaches, and also for improved facilities for the islanders, such as maintaining the Power generator, Improvements in the Island's Water supply, and to pay for the Village Children to attend High School on the mainland.

The Coral Reef Alliance has an interesting article on Apo Island, which explains why the Island is a big success in Marine Conservation terms. If it were not for the Marine Park fees, much of this would not have been possible.

It really annoys me when Divers pay $1000s to big Multinational Corporations for Scuba Gear, Flights, etc, and then bitch about paying a few dollars a day to the local communities.
 
CROSS-THREAD POST
Joint denr-dilg-lgu memo circular
Now there is mention of fees in another thread....
I understood that the JOINT MEMO took care of that problem. Did I miss something? :wink:

Quote:
Originally Posted by bttmdwllr
I just want to inform everyone that a joint memorandum circular was signed and issued by Secretaries Durano, Puno and Atienza a few weeks ago at the Dive Congress held at the PTA clamshell in Intramuros.

The memo was basically for the LGU units, Mayors in particular regarding the standardization of dive fees.

Dive areas were separated (as MUNICIPALITIES) and CLASSIFIED into 4 categories and depending on the category, there was a maximum daily/annual dive fee that Mayors can impose.

So goodbye, 150 per dive, 400 per dive dive fees GOODBYE CAMERA FEES.

It also outlined what the fees were to be used for --mainly conservation and enforcement.

We thank USEC Cynthia Carrion for spearheading this initiative as well as the private sector members of the PCSSD and the Commissioners for addressing this pain in the diver's behinds (this is a public forum...) issue.

Anyone who wants a copy of the memorandum circular can email me at yvetteclee@gmail.com
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom