Why is Philippine diving snubbed?

[Diver Dennis]

I'm going back to the Philippines for the third time this year in September. While Manila can be as dangerous as any other city its size, once out into the dive resorts I feel safer than in Canada most of the time. Remember, extreme poverty has its own laws and it's only certain areas that can be a bit dodgy. Puerto Galera is a very safe area and you would have to go looking for trouble and be the one to start a fight there. My girlfriend and I have no worry walking anywhere at any time.

I have friends in Mexico city and they all have Kidnap Insurance yet in Puerto Vallarta you are safe at any time unless you run into a bunch of drunk tourists looking for a fight, which is rare. It is difficult to make a general statement about any country.

 

[Zeeman]

I think it doe sneed to be said, that to enjoy Manilla, a tourist needs to be a little crazy.

Maybe that is why I liked it... I enjoy places where it doesn't feel like a nanny state...


Z...

 

[NYC-Diver]

Parts of Manila have its charm and I never had a problem whatsoever. But it ain't for the Scuba Diving magazine crowd, for sure.

Manila has all the greatest features of American culture: Urban sprawl, guns, jeeps, basketball, and malt liquor. Where else can you get Colt .45 in a bar?

BTW-- Did the jai-alai arena ever re-open? I loved going to the matches.

 

[chip104]

I think it doe sneed to be said, that to enjoy Manilla, a tourist needs to be a little crazy.

Maybe that is why I liked it... I enjoy places where it doesn't feel like a nanny state...


Z...

and this is coming from a traveller who WANTS to experience the Quiapo of countries!

(eating Jollibee down there was dang funny!)

 

[jbb]

i couldn't agree with you more, i hate those machines

Awww, come on. I don't know what I would do if where weren't any videoke bars to lull me to sleep at night.

Also, no need for alarm clocks in the morning. All the fighting cocks crowing will be sure to get you up by 5am for the morning dive. I learned this the first time I went diving in Coron. I stayed at the L&M on the pier - it was cheap maype 350 pesos per night and only a stagger away from the dive shop on the same pier. I woke up at 3:30am to the squeeling of pigs...I thought to myself....what the heck could this be...then I thought oh, oh I must be near the town slaughterhouse. I think the guys were tormenting the pigs a little before killing them as well. I eventually got back to sleep only to have the roosters wake me up an 1-1/2 hours later. I did see the piggys in the market that day - hanging up on display as little sausages for sale and someone waving a stick with a little plastic on the end to keep the flies away.

 

[jonix]

Awww, come on. I don't know what I would do if where weren't any videoke bars to lull me to sleep at night.

i still hate them

@nyc: i think they did re-open, not sure if they still are though. i used to play jai alai with a childhood friend of mine (his father is a well known pelotari that time)...what a rush

still, i don't particularly like going to the city of manila, too much traffic. i'd rather go to the provinces instead

 

[ishbaby]

Nah i dont really care if Philippine Diving is snubbed, if Anilao was crowded by foreign tourists, they would surely convert diving costs to dollars, and surely would raise their prices up. A lot of local divers wouldn't be able to afford to go diving anymore, it would surely become like PG with the costs.

Majority of the diving shops around the country are owned by expats, which is on the itty bitty side, not really favorable because they cater more to the foreigners. Prices of lodging, food and the dives are not within the "third world" standards.

Exploitation: we've witnessed how so many marine life have been destroyed and vandalised by well, unfortunately, guests from other countries, and we dont like more of that to happen.

Lastly, more tourists here bring in a lot of dollars?!? Heck, we pay taxes every month and darn, BOY DO WE SEE A LOT OF PROGRESS here! It's CORRUPTION baby!!

Anyway, most important, many tourists want to spend a few nights in town and sight see before or after diving. Bangkok offers that. Even Jakarta offers more than Manila.

BOHOL . . . . Chocolate hills, old churches, the town and its people, good diving, nice beaches.

and. . . . have you been to Ilocos Sur? In Vigan. . . . . if you want that Old Spanish feel, then Ilocos is the place to be, you'll surely love it there. try Googling it


Enjoy the Philippines!

 

[pakman]

Exploitation: we've witnessed how so many marine life have been destroyed and vandalised by well, unfortunately, guests from other countries, and we dont like more of that to happen.

Ish Babe, that's a pretty damning generalization about foreign divers which I strongly disagree with. Before blaming the influx of foreigners for damaged done to local marine life, you might want to look in the mirror first... Sure there have been a couple of well publicized coral grafitti incident and the consensus that divers of a certain nationality w/ poor buoyancy have a nasty habit of kicking coral... But what do you think has done more damage... that or years of dynamite and cyanide fishing by local FILIPINO fishermen???

think about it.

 

[ishbaby]

i know this would be brought up, but this will end up on a looong talk about our econony etc. etc . . . so i will not connent. and i apologize, i forgot to put the word "sone" foreign guests. (btw, the letter after the letter "L"isn't working on this laptop).

ny opinion only pak. . . PEACE!

(sounds funny eh)

 

[Hammerhead]

Phils, can also be a little too rough and tumble for the average mag readers.

Absolutely true, I had a rather frank exchange of views with someone who used to be on this forum (also based in Manila) .

Next thing I know I get a PM from one of these violent pinoy types offer to go round and "kick his balls" for me, who was that now. Hmm can't remember...


































...I said yes, go ahead, of course.