Hi, I'm from the Philippines and have just gotten certified last May. For the past four months, I have been on a spending spree for scuba gear.
Here's how I bought my equipment in their proper order:
1. adjustable Forcefin (~$200) -- bought this in Singapore through my brother-in-law who works there
2. mask, snorkel, booties, wetsuit (~$170) -- bought these here
3. regulator set -- Genesis GS2000, ocotopus, Oceanic console [spg, depth gauge, compass] (~$400) -- bought the equipment here; got the regulator 1st and 2nd stage at a discount ($200) since the shop was emptying their inventory
4. Seaquest ProQD+ BCD (~$350) -- Singapore, again through my brother-in-law
5. Suunto Stinger dive computer stainless steel (~$400) -- got this just las Saturday
Before I purchase any gear, I first check prices online just to make sure I am not getting ripped off. Here in Manila, it is usual for dealers to agree on a certain price (talk about price-fixing) and while you can buy direct from distributors, the latter sell the equipment at a higher price to protect their dealers.
I've gone to two dive shops here to buy equipment (one's a dealer and one's a distributor) and it is usual for them to sell in US$ (xP52 if you'll pay in pesos). After giving you the regular price, they then give you a discount (up to 40%). Actually, they could have just given you just the discounted price but I guess the present practice encourages a customer to buy the gear, thinking that he is getting it at a big discount.
If I bought the Forcefin here, I could have been charged as much as $300 for the pair. The same Seaquest BCD would have fetched $400. I know that I don't get warranty when I buy abroad but I guess I'm just taking my chances. The Forcefin would not be so much of a problem since they seldom break.
About the dive computer, I think I got it cheap. I was searching the Internet and most online shops were selling it for a higher price than the shop where I bought mine. So, I decided to go for it.
If I were you, I would buy from the US. I think that as a whole, scuba gear in the Philippines are more expensive since these are imported. Hope this helps.
P.S.
I recommend Tubbataha, Palawan for your diving adventure if you're a reef and creature person. You can also try Coron, Palawan for World War II shipwrecks (we have eight or nine in that area). Anilao and Puerto Galera are the most popular for us who live in Manila since these are the nearest.
Regards,
Swordfish