ORIENTAL MINDORO — The entire Sabang Beach in this province lit up with fireworks after the Sangguniang Bayan formally declared Puerto Galera the diving capital of the Philippines.

Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan said there is no other place that should be recognized as the country's diving capital because Puerto Galera's beautiful dive sites that scuba diving enthusiasts from acros the world visit.

"For so long, ang Puerto Galera ang nagging sentro ng diving ng Pilipinas, Why? Because yung proximity namin sa Verde Island Passage," said Ilagan.

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"Alam naman natin na ang Verde Island Passage ay ang dineclare na center of the center of marine biodiversity, also part siya ng Coral Triangle," he added.

Puerto Galera boasts of 32 world-class dive sites that can be reached within just 5 to 10 minutes from the dive shops on Sabang Beach.

These dive sites showcase the stunning beauty of corals, World War 2 shipwrecks, and various natural marine resources.

There are 62 registered dive shops in Puerto Galera, recognized by major international diving organizations such as Professional Association of Diving Instructors, Professional Diving Association, Scuba Schools International, Scuba Diving International, National Association of Underwater Instructors, and British Sub-Aqua Club.

Kirby Trimble, an Australian, testified on the beauty of Puerto Galera's dive sites.

Trimble said he visited many dive sites in the Philippines but still found Puerto Galera exceptional.

"It is fantastic. We've been diving in Australia, we are diving here around the Philippines, but this is the place to be for diving. Not only the diving, but the people and the community here are fantastic," Trimble said.

"It is brilliant, the diversity in the middle of the coral triangle. You can't get better than this, really," said Trimble, who has been diving in Puerto Galera for ten years.

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Puerto Galera's accessibility has also been its advantage. It only takes 3 to 4 hours from Metro Manila to reach the town.

“Marami tayo ka-kompetensya pagdating sa diving pero I know Puerto Galera ay talagang diving experience, you can ask tourist na pumupunta at yung mga dive sites naming ay 5-10 mins lang from the dive centers so very convenient," Ilagan said.

WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION

Puerto Galera has also been recognized as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve since 1977.

In 2005, Puerto Galera received recognition from the Paris-based Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde or The Most Beautiful Bays in the World club as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Now that it has been declared the diving capital of the Philippines, Puerto Galera aims to be furthe recognized worldwide.

Representatives from Puerto Galera's local government will attend the 17th World gathering of the most beautiful bays in South Korea, where they will have 30 minutes to showcase Puerto Galera.

"We are also trying to get the endorsement from The Most Beautiful Bay na ma-endorse ang Puerto Galera from the international community na diving capital of the Philippines,” Ilagan said.

“Ang reach po ay pandaigdigan. Lahat ng dive enthusiast ng buong mundo malalaman na ang Puerto Galera, with being the center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity, ay itinatalaga na diving capital ng bansang Pilipinas,” said Joan Margarette Atienza, head of Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office.

To ensure the cleanliness of the dive sites, the local government, along with divers, regularly conduct coastal and underwater clean-ups.

Based on the local government's records, the amount of garbage they collect has decreased since 2016.

For those who want to dive in Puerto Galera, the price starts at P1,200 per dive.

The local government, meanwhile, said their tourist arrivals already reached 5,000 to 7,000 per week, which they said was a sign of gradual recovery from the pandemic and the effects of the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro that affected other towns.