Help! Ducomi Pier - Dumaguete

[chip104]

I'm curious to know what the two of you are actively doing to fight the power station and/or to protect/create reefs in Mindanao. Gen San Chris and John have invested significant time and money in artificial reefs... what has your contribution been, Andrew and Jane? Perhaps you can lead by example...

Bumpity bump bump! I hear the quote train coming!...


Come on Diva Andrew, answer this. (if you say COT collections I will laugh so hard.)

 

[Joe Cool]

Hello, I have not made posts on Scubaboard for quite sometime and I have been reading up on some recent posts including this thread which I started. While we are waiting for WWD's interesting statements, let's switch the channel back Ducomi Pier for a while. Due to my laziness, I have yet to finish my Philippined dive trip report which includes Anilao, Dumaguete, and PG. Anyway, knowing that Annasea was planning to swing by Dumaguete during her month long dive trip early this year, I aligned my own dive trip so we could meet up at El Dorado Dive Resort in Dauin. My dive trip happened between mid-Jan to end of March 2009. Our Dumaguete dive happened sometime between Feb. 7 to Feb. 11. Annasea stayed at El Dorado a little bit longer than I did. We had a chance to dive Ducomi Pier so I was able to experience that site for the first time and it was the second or third time for Annasea. I can say that Ducomi Pier was a gem of a dive site. Lots of lionfish, demon (or devil) stingers, nudis, oysters/clams, and other interesting marine life. I did feel slightly clautrophobic while underneath the pier but it was a very good buoyancy exercise swimming around the pilings and taking photos (Yes, I have a photo collection of Ducomi images. I can post some of them on this thread a bit later - I am at work right now). Too bad that the reno work needed to be done. Oh well, its private property anyway so I am grateful that the pier's owners allowed dive ops to take groups out there for dives. I enjoyed my dives with Annasea. Besides Ducomi, we also did several dives around Apo Island and a dive at the El Dorado house reef. Both Annasea and I were glad to be one of the few folks who got to dive Ducomi before the infamous reno work started.

Viz at that time was definitely not more than 30-feet. The water was still a bit murky due to the flash-flood that happened a couple of days before (due to a sudden real heavy down pour that lasted for several hours. It wiped out the bridge connecting Bacong and Dumaguete).

Last note: I was going through a late 2008 issue of Scuba Diving magazine last night and read an article on the Scuba Diving top dive sites for 2009. Ducomi Pier was rated one of the top dive sites in the Muck or Macro category (I think) in Asia. Too bad, this is (I believe) no longer true at this time. Oh well, moving on....

Now back to our regular programming...

 

[shugar]

I'm curious to know what the two of you are actively doing to fight the power station and/or to protect/create reefs in Mindanao. Gen San Chris and John have invested significant time and money in artificial reefs... what has your contribution been, Andrew and Jane? Perhaps you can lead by example...

GAUNTLET!!!

so WWD... what's it? what's wrong? COT got your tongue?

Jag

 

[josh]

Oh well, its private property anyway so I am grateful that the pier's owners allowed dive ops to take groups out there for dives.

Rather the crux I would have thought, and something that seems to be overlooked.

It seems (as an outsider who has dived the pier) the company was not "anti-diving". perhaps the shame was that an alternative "win-win" scenario was not be found.

 

[Hammerhead]

come now Larry, surely there is some humour to be had from it?

hmm..

Nope.

From what I've seen so far WWD is really not worth listening to.

Bring back Criscrash (or whatever his name was).

If I really MUST listen to a bonehead, at least let it be a 17 year old Walter Mitty with an insecurity complex, instead of some holier-than-thou pillock old enough to know better.

Ah, Criscrash. Now THAT was entertainment. This is simply annoying.

*sighs nostalgically and absent-mindedly drools*

 

[World Wide Diver]

GAUNTLET!!!

so WWD... what's it? what's wrong? COT got your tongue?

Just fingers and thumbs!

I already said that time is limited to dive this area before it is ruined by the location of a coal power station opposite one of the best coral reefs in Asia Pacific.

It is not just the power station, but all the workers, AFP (army) personnel, and small businesses that will spring up in this place that need food, toilet/sewage facilities, the coal landing station (concrete structure into the ocean), and because there are many indiginous peoples opposed to this.

IMO, this is a recipe for disaster.

While Ducomi Pier already had international recognition as a prime macro site (albeit at an early stage compared to sites in the PI's like Anilao or sites in Indonesia such as Lembeh), Tinoto, Maasim is up there amongst the best dive sites in the World.

Average mortals vs big business with 100's millions (billions) USD have a poor chance of doing very much in all honesty.

Ducomi is just small potatos compared to the Tinoto/Tampuan situation.

Therefore, I question if a small (but significant and exceptional dive tourism) site like Ducomi cannot be protected (I can give other similar examples of other sites) then what chance has a significant area like Tampuan/Tinoto??

John and Chris have undertaken exceptional efforts to protect, preserve and restore this and other areas just because they really care (they do not make money from this).

Regarding our efforts, I refuse to post these here as not to prejudice ourselves for some who might use this information adversely.

Needless to say, we care a great deal for the environment and the PI's.

 

[greatwolf]

Regarding our efforts, I refuse to post these here as not to prejudice ourselves for some who might use this information adversely.

Are you for real?

 

[chip104]

Are you for real?

translation:

I have done nothing towards helping philippine conservation efforts so I'd rather talk out of my ass and insult the culture!

IMO, this is a recipe for disaster.

haha - the thing is, you've shown over and over again that your opinion is idiotic. Tell me how Batangas can be an industrial hub and have world class diving at the same time. How about 100 islands and the Sual power plant. Or the copper mines in Palawan. Even Subic Bay and their power plant. All mentioned industrial complexes have shown environmental responsibility and their areas continue to thrive with tourism.

You know nothing about the Philippines. Therefore it can be concluded that you are "out of touch" with the region.


edit: ok World Wide Diva, here is some discourse for you. Rather than shoot down economic growth (feel free to be the one to tell the locals that their children won't have any future so they should just stick to over/illegal fishing), how about getting involved with the project to make sure it is environmentally responsible. The Mayor of Sarangani Bay is pushing for tourism and environmentalism, and I understand that they have opened dialogue with the power plant management to ensures this happens. And as I have read, locals such as Paul Patridge have gotten involved. Instead of spouting crap, how about joining?

You state that most people are against this project. I disagree, my conclusion is that it is a mixed bag. And knowing how infamous you are, I doubt you really have had an honest dialogue with the locals the way I have had and that they enjoy talking to you.

 

[Matthew]

regarding our efforts, i refuse to post these here as not to prejudice ourselves for some who might use this information adversely.

Needless to say, we care a great deal for the environment and the pi's.

put up or shut up.

 

[CODMAN]

If I had to choose between the two, I think everybody here knows which one I'd choose...:cool2:

put up or shut up.