The
province which has two of the world-famous dive sites (Balicasag and Cabilao)
should have trained dive guides to further promote Bohol's tourism potential as
a dive destination.
"It's
a missed opportunity in promoting the province if we lack these trained guides
for divers," stressed Joel Uichico who is in the forefront of "MAD About
US," a website which promotes marine awareness through digital underwater
photo shootouts.
He
said that training dive guides is part of a holistic approach which a group of
underwater photographers have conceptualized.
Dive
resorts and dive guides must be trained on underwater photography, Uichico said
as he assured that the "best way to promote dive sights is to bring in national
and international underwater photographers."
| | | He
started meeting last Monday with local dive guides in Panglao as his kick-off
activity in his advocacy to promote Bohol worldwide as a dive destination.
His
group launched the event for underwater photographers in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
in 2006 where 18 competitors came. The following year, number of participants
reached 83 and about 250 guests attended the awards night.
Uichico,
who has found his second home in Baclayon town, envisions to bring underwater
photographers to a dive shootout in Balicasag and Cabilao. |
He is starting
his program by meeting dive guides in Panglao and to meet dive resort owners to
conduct series of seminars for them, including the updating of their library with
underwater photography books.
Uichico
was proud to inform the Chronicle last week that excellent underwater photos taken
in Cabilao saw print in the glossy pages of "AustralAsia Scuba Diver"
magazine which grabbed top awards in a photo contest, namely, the "shrimp
on coral" and "swimming pygmy seahorse," both photos taken by his
son, Adrien, a dive photography enthusiast. (See photos)
| 
