To promote and develop the dive tourism industry in the Davao Region, the Department of Tourism Region 11 held the first Sawom Dabaw, the Davao Oriental Dive Festival in Governor Generoso (GovGen) town.
“Sawom," which literally means to swim or dive, featured discovery dive tours among participating dive center operators, industry stakeholders, underwater photographers, and media.
According to DOT 11 regional director Tanya Rabat-Tan, they envision the province as the next diving getaway of the region its rich marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
She noted that it has the region’s longest coastline of more than 500 kilometers, exemplifying the richness of its coastal and marine resources that can be harnessed for sustainable tourism.
Rabat-Tan said that the event is a step towards DOT 11’s “Islands to Highlands” tourism thrust of discovering new “ridge to reef” sites it can offer to adventure-loving local and foreign visitors the region.
The divers explored the dive sites of GovGen, namely Sigaboy Island, Coral Garden, Cape San Agustin and Great Wall, a drop off near the coast of Tagabebe village which teems with barrel sponges, soft coral and gorgonian fans.
A dive forum was also conducted simultaneously for the locals to underscore sustainability of the town’s marine biodiversity, and were given introductory shore entry scuba diving in Pundaguitan.
The event is a partnership Visit Davao Summer Festival, the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, the Province of Davao Oriental, and Municipality of Governor Generoso, with Philippines Air Asia as official carrier partner.
A series of dive validation activities were subsequently held in Mati City and the municipality of Tarragona, which revealed more potential sites for diving operations.
DOT dive expedition was hatched last year in Talikud Island in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte.