The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, fringing the Pacific Ocean to the east and the South China Sea to the west. There are many diverse dive centres, all with their own unique characteristics that would make a multi-centre dive trip around the Philippines a memorable trip for most divers.

The Philippines has had its recent history shaped by the Spanish and latterly by the USA. This is particularly evident in and around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. Today, the Philippines is a welcoming place to visitors with obvious signs of western influence on the country and popular culture. The Filipinos are unpretentious warm welcoming people who will do their best to make your visit memorable.

The Philippines has previously suffered from reports of under developed and down at heel dive centres and locations. However more up to date reports show this not to be the case, returning the Philippines to a logical choice when selecting a world-class destination in terms of facilities and dive centre professionalism.

The Diving:
The diving is diverse. There is a good blend of reef diving with the usual myriad of reef fish and corals typically found in tropical waters. In addition, there are pelagic in the deeper waters where the currents run, wreck diving in some areas, liveaboards and in Puerto Galera, Deep technical diving.

The Climate
There is a distinct dry season from November to May. The water temperatures are slightly cooler, but on balance, offer the best diving in terms of visibility and for mainstream under water photography. The dry season would also provide the best land conditions to enjoy the country and relax, when not diving.

The rainy season is from June to October. There is a chance of typhoons affecting the north of the country, in areas away from the more popular dive locations. However, the knock-on effect further south is severely reduced visibility and rain affecting any surface based activities. Diving is possible during the rainy season, but may be limited and/or disappointing.

Overall, the climate is tropical, with an air temperature annual average of about 32 degrees C and water temperatures varying from 25 – 31 degrees C, depending on the time of year and location. The monsoon winds are also divided into two distinct seasons: The first, from November to March, brings strong north westerly winds. The second gentler winds blow from the south west between June and November.

Getting There.
Various European airlines fly to Manila. Typical flight time is 13-14 hours from the UK to Manila. The Philippines are also +8 hours ahead of GMT. Once in the Philippines, expect to travel some distance by internal flight, boat and by road to reach most destinations. It is possible to break up your journey by staying overnight in Manila before travelling on to your final destination. Do not expect much in Manila. In terms of stop overs, Manila is considered to be very much ‘down at heel’ when compared to other favourite stop over locations in the region such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
As many trips will also require internal air travel around the Philippines, it is worth noting that baggage allowance might be as low as 10 Kg per person. It pays to find out about any excess charges and what to pay in advance of travelling. In some situations, it may be more cost effective to buy a spare seat (cargo seat)to transport diving equipment.

Currency
The official currency is the Peso, US dollars and credit cards are also widely accepted. Any financial transactions are best done at a bank for safety and the best rate of exchange. Opening hours for banks are Monday to Friday only, from 0900-1600 hours.

Entry/Exit visas & taxes
No entry visa is required for UK passport holders provided the passport is valid for at least 12 months, the duration of your visit does not exceed 21 days and you have an outbound ticket. There is a international departure tax to pay, which at the time of writing, is PP 500 and payable in Piso’s . This tax is not levied on children under 2 years of age or transit passengers.

Vaccinations:
Polio, typhoid and hepatitis recommended. Malaria exists in certain areas throughout the year below 600 metres. Anyone thinking of visiting the Philippines should consult with their doctor, several weeks before departure.

For further information , go to Vaccination Admin. and WHO

Power:
Predominantly 220 vac but 60 hz rather than the more common 50 hz found in the rest of the world outside of the Americas. This should have little or no effect on most items of electrical equipment, but it may be wise to check this with the equipment manufacturer. Some of the larger hotels in the cities also have 100 vac/ 60 Hz power outlets to cater for visitors from North America. Some of the far-flung resorts rely on their own generators for power, which may mean power is not necessarily available 24 hours a day.

Tourism and other Activities
The Philippines have a vibrant culture with many diverse activities and sights for the visitor. For further information, contact:
Philippines Tourist Authority, 17 Abermarle Street, London W1X 7HA ph. 0207 499 5443

Diving Destinations

The diving is centred on several locations. Listed below, are some of the more popular locations

Luzon

This is the location of Subic Bay, a former US naval base and now a fee port. Subic Bay is about 3 hours drive north east of Manila. The naval base was in use during the second world war. There are a good selection of wrecks to dive, but the visability can be decidedly European rather than tropical at times.

The LST
This craft originally saw action off the coast of France during the D-day landings before being sold by the US Navy to the Philippines. An enemy torpedo sank the LST 1 week after the sale. Now lying in 30-38 metres with the bow doors closed, the craft is empty but cavernous with excellent swim-troughs.

USS New York
This wreck is in relatively shallow water and was originally sunk by the US Navy in WW2 as a block ship to keep the Japanese out of Subic.

Mindoro

The most popular location on Mindoro is Peurto Galera, which is a holiday resort providing a varied selection of accommodation, with ample places to eat and good night life . There are several dive operators in Puerto Galera, catering for the reef diver and the deep technical diver. Puerto Galera is also one of the most popular dive destinations in the Philippines for divers, so the more discerning diver contemplating PG for the first time should ensure that their diving aspirations and expectations will be fulfilled before finalising the arrangements.

There are about 20+ dive sites that are visited frequently and suit everyone from novices to the more experienced diver. Dive sites range from tropical reefs complete with good examples of reef fish and corals, multi-level diving, drift diving and at least two wrecks (the Japanese wreck and the M/V Alma). Depths of the dive sites range from about 10-42 metres.

Technical Diving
For those divers yearning for a more challenging dive, the Puerto Galera has several established technical diving outlets that cater for trimix divers.

There are at least 15 deep dive sites. Typical dive sites include:

Hibo Reef. 18-100m+. Pinnacles and a good variety of corals/ marine life

Sweetlips Corner & Markus Cave. A gentle slope starting at 40metres continuing down to 69 metres.

Secret Reef. Bottoms out at 57 metres. A variety of fish and pelagic frequent the depths.

Monkey Wreck/ Monkey Beach. This well broken wreck sits in 45 metres but go beyond the wreck to the sea bed at 69 metres.

Japanese Wreck. Sits at 42 metres. No one is really sure of the origin and history surrounding this wreck. General opinion is that it was probably a Filipino boat, commandeered and/or sunk by the Japanese in WW2. Fantastic backdrop to varied marine life.

M/V Mactan. This wreck is 50 miles south east of PG and can be done as a day tip in a fast boat or more sensibly from a liveaboard. The Mactan was a passenger ferry that sunk in the early 1970’s and now sits on a steep incline with the bow at 22 metres and the propeller at 51 metres. A good wreck for penetration and swim-throughs. Go beyond the wreck to the seabed, which is at 76 metres.

Panay (Boracay Island)

Borocay is the most popular resort in this area and is a tourist resort, not unlike Puerto Galera. The beaches at Borocay are said to be in the top 10 quality beaches to be found anywhere in the world. Yapak dive site is noted for shark spotting.

Palawan/ Sangat Island

Sangat Island’s dive sites tend to be clustered towards the northern most tip of this island.

This is a typical location away from the popular resorts where the non-diver may find that surface activity and nightlife become limited. For the diver, the additional travel time will produce dividends once you get under water.

The diving is from traditional boats known as bancas, which come with bamboo out riggers. Bancas are also commonly used for fishing and transport by the locals.

Sangat/ Coron Bay.

The main attraction at Coron Bay is the ten almost intact Japanese support vessels that were sunk in close proximity during the battle of the Sulu Sea in WW 2. This is a good introduction to wreck diving in the pacific theatre of WW2 as wreck penetration is possible and none of the wrecks are more than 40 metres deep.

For photographers expecting good visibility on the wrecks then consider visiting Coron Island early in the year during the dry season. Reports indicate that visibility during the rainy season rapidly deteriorates to 5 metres or less.

Black Island, Barracuda Lake and the Cathedral Dive.

There is not much in the way of big fish or pelagic sightings in this area but apart from the wrecks, there are some colourful reefs worth diving.

Cebu

Cebu is further south and is fast becoming a popular destination for divers. A combination of good hotels and spectacular reefs being the main attraction.

Malapascua & Gato Island

Are located at the northernmost part of Cebu. Good reef systems and noted for Thresher sharks at certain times of the year. Also good for corals, nudibranchs, frog fish and other macro subjects.

Bohol Island

There are several small islands located to the south of Bohol. This area is typical of the quality diving to be had for those prepared to travel that bit further south in the Philippines.

Dive destinations include:

Alona Beach. Probably the best-known destination in the region and located on Pangalao Island. There is a combination of good shore and boat diving at Alona Beach. Travel further out to sea to more challenging sites for a glimpse of Hammerhead and white tip sharks.

Balicasag Island. Similar diving to Alona Beach with some spectacular wall diving. Balicasag can be visited by day boat, as this island is only 3 miles from Alona Beach.

Other dive sites in the area worth a visit are:
Cabilao Island
Ap + Sumilon Islands

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Although The Philippines in general, is safe to visit, there are some areas to the south of the country that are not currently recommended destinations.

These areas include Central, Southern & Western Mindanao, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu Archipelago

Further information can be obtained from: FCO

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