SHOULD I BE GLAD THAT I AM ACCREDITED BY THE PHILIPPINES DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM???

Finally... After waiting for the last 2 months, my renewal with Department of Tourism is approved. I am accredited by The Philippines Department of Tourism as a Tour Guide for 2013/2014 but is it something to be happy about? 

I first came to the Philippines in 1992 when I joined a group of church members in Singapore and volunteer myself as a worker to raise funds to the victims of Mount. Pinatubo when it was erupted. I stayed in the Philippines for a month before heading back to Singapore. I did mention that I will be back in this country and amazingly in 2002, I came back to the Philippines and went to Bible College.

In 2004, I joined Club Panoly Resort Boracay as one of the Directors and remembering those times when I was given the opportunity to join Department of Tourism to market the Philippines. I was also inspired by many Tour Guides when they brought their guests to the resort and I decided to take up TOUR GUIDE COURSE organised by Department of Tourism in 2007. It was one month course, learning about the Philippines and how to be an effective Tour Guide. When I received my Certification as a Licensed Tour Guide, I was so proud that I went through the training and licensed to guide tourists in the country. Promoting Philippines as a fun destination!

However; when I decided to be a guide in Boracay Island. I was so surprised that my license with the Department of Tourism Philippines is not recognised by the Malay City Government. I have to pay Php20,000.00 to work as a Tour Guide in the island and I was even more surprised that anybody can be a Tour Guide as long as they pay Php20,000.00 even they are not accredited by Department of Tourism. 

As a foreigner, you are only allow to work in the Philippines if you have a Work Permit or you are already a Permanent Resident. To apply for a Work Permit, you must be working under a company registered by the City Government but in Boracay; foreigners can just pay Php20,000.00 and apply for a Special Work Permit. They don't have to apply for a Work Permit to work as a guide. This is only allowed in Boracay and I do wonder why the Government are not doing anything about it.

Since it is so easy to be a guide in the island, apparently there are so many guides guiding and they are not accredited by Department of Tourism. To make matter worse, there are also many commissioners guiding in the island. Since Boracay is the busiest island in the Philippines, I should be so busy with tourists but my jobs are taken away by all these illegal tour guides and commissioners. Should I still be happy about my accreditation with Department of Tourism? Should I still be proud about being an accredited Tour Guide of Department of Tourism? 

Time files... I am already living in the Philippines for more than 10years. It has always been my commitment to promote Philippines as a fun destination, it is indeed more fun in the Philippines but it is even more fun in Boracay Island. I am a law abiding citizen, I will apply for whatever necessary permits to operate and work. Most importantly, I pay my dues annually to BIR to support the country.

I sincerely hope the City Government will look into this situation and make sure that all tour guides and commissioners are trained by the Department of Tourism. They need to be accredited before they are allowed to apply for a permit to work as a Tour Guide in the island and foreigners, will work under a company and apply a Work Permit before they work as a guide in the island. May we continue to make Boracay a fun destination without the compromise of safety, fun and regulations. :-)

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TIDES & CURRENTS

Tides

Have played in the beach for more than 6hours? Did you realise the same spot that you were playing become dry? Where is the water? When I was young, I thought it was magic but as I grow older than I understand that these changes are called tides due to the result of the gravitational pull of the moon and to a smaller extent, the sun.

Tides affect divers by exposing or concealing rocks that are or near the water's surface. For example, a low tide may expose rocks that make the entry and exit hazardous, but when the tide rises, these rocks may be completely submerged and safe to swim over. You may also avoid long surface walk if you are diving in high tides.

Currents

In the ocean, currents are formed by winds, waves, tides, and the rotation of the earth. In the northern hemisphere, currents move clockwise and in the southern hemisphere, current move counterclockwise.

As divers, we need to know the different kind of currents and to response correctly to avoid any accident. There are few currents that I would like to share with you; Longshore, Rip & Tidal Currents. 

Longshore Current

Longshore currents run parallel to shore. Like offshore currents, they are considered standing currents, which means they rarely change direction if ever at all. It can move you far from your entry or planned exit location. To avoid a long surface swim or losing your dive party, you must determine the direction and speed of the current and plan your dive accordingly.

There are several indicators that can help you determine the direction of a longshore current. One indicator is the direction from which waves approach shore. If the waves approach the shore from the south, the current is likely to come from the same direction. Another indicator is the direction anchored boats face. Most boats are anchored from their bow, so they face against the current.

Rip Current

Rip currents move perpendicular to the shore, and are common at most beaches. These are transitory currents, which means they can suddenly appear without warning. Rip currents are form when backwash from surf is forced to travel back into the water through a narrow passage such as a reef or sandbar. They are identified by a stream of foam traveling away from the surf zone.

While rip currents can be too strong to swim against, they are also quite narrow in size. If you become caught by one while trying to swim to shore, the best response is to swim parallel to shore until you exit the current. Some rip currents can be beneficial. If you are surface swimming to a dive site, a rip current can assist you during your swim and carry you closer to your destination.

Tidal Current

Tidal currents form when incoming or outgoing tides force water through a narrow passage. Since tides move in and out several times a day, the direction and force of tidal currents changes throughout the day. Currents of this type are often too strong to swim against, so careful planning is required before diving in areas with tidal currents. The safest diving is during slack tide, which is the period when tides are about to change direction.

Diving In Currents

The direction and speed of currents are major factors to consider when planning your dive. Most dive plans require that you exit at or near your entry point. If you allow a current to carry you away from the boat, you may have to surface before you reach your exit location. This will require you to make a long surface swim against the current to make it back to your exit location.

The best approach to diving in a current is to begin your dive against the current. This allows you to turn around half-way through your dive, ride the current back to your exit location, and remain there until it's time to surface.

When strong currents are present, a rope should be extended behind the boat. This is called a current line, and is used to pull yourself against the current and back to the boat. If you are diving into the current, it is important that you always dive with a safety sausage so that even you are far away from the boat, the boat is still able to locate when you surface from the dive. It is also advisable to have an audible devise while diving so that you are able to get attention when you surface.

Current In Boracay Island

The usual question I usually received when divers asked about diving in Boracay; what are the currents situation in Boracay? Can I dive in Yapak now? Can I do a Channel Drift now? Diving in Boracay is relatively easy but there are few dive sites that we need to consider the current of the day. If we plan to dive in Yapak or Crocodile Island, it is important that we dive when tides are going up. 

Yapak that is situated at the Northern part of the island, the current will move in clockwise direction and as you descend, you will be swimming towards Yapak. In Crocodile Island that is situated at the Southern part of the island, the current will move in counter clockwise direction and you will be swimming towards Crocodile Island.

However; if you are planning to dive in Channel Drift or Santos, do make sure that the tides are going down when you dived in these sites. When tides are going down, the northern part of the island is going counter-clockwise and the southern part of the island will be going clockwise direction. Diving in Santos during low tide will bring you towards Balinghai, the southern west of the island. 

When you want to dive in Channel Drift, you will get into the water perpendicular to Crocodile Island and as you descent you will be swimming towards the southern west of the island. Remember diving in these sites, for the sake of safety, you are required to dive with a visible & audible devise. If you are drifted too far away, these devises will assist you to get attention from the boat. 

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BUOYANCY CONTROL

You moved like a fish underwater! Why do you still have so much air after your dives and why are you swimming so close to the reef yet not touching them? These were usually the comments of my divers when we surfaced after diving.  Well, good buoyancy control is usually my answer to them then the next question will always be… HOW?!?

Proper buoyancy control is the most important or sometime the most difficult skill for a diver to master but maintaining neutral buoyancy is the key to easy diving, save more air, avoiding damage to coral reefs and most important; enjoy the underwater environment.

When I started diving 25years ago as a teenager, was not doing it for pleasure but was working as a part time cleaner in a yacht club in Singapore over the weekends to make some extra bucks for school allowance. I don’t even use a BCD when I was cleaning, it was just a back mounted with the tank and regulator. I would usually go for a short dive at the pier after cleaning the yacht, don’t know much about controlling buoyancy. I was just using my lungs to fine-tune my buoyancy underwater without the use of a Buoyancy Control Devise (BCD).

I became more involved in diving when I entered the Army; I was introduced to different types of BCD. I still remember using it in a swimming pool and trying to perfect in using it. I was amazed by the Instructors how they were able to control their buoyancy underwater, moving like a fish; slow and steady. I remembered asking myself how could I be like them. Years have pass… I have dived for so many years and certified more than 1500 students of all levels. Taught many students how to control their buoyancy, how to conserve their air underwater and how to enjoy the underwater world.

There are many information written about Buoyancy Control but I am just going to share with you 3 tips on how to control your buoyancy underwater. Hope these tips can help you to become a better diver and enjoy the beauty of the underwater world.

1. Are You Properly Weighted?

Divers usually have the idea of having more weights so that they will not have problems with their buoyancy underwater, they are afraid of having difficulty to get into the water but having more weights on will cause drag underwater. When you feel heavy, you need more effort to move underwater. It is important for us to be streamline as much as possible when we are underwater.

When you fully deflated your BCD, do you sink like a stone? If you are then you are wearing too much weight but if you have difficulty going down even you have fully deflated the BCD then you are under weight and strongly recommend you to do a buoyancy check. When you are properly weighted, you should be able to float at eye level when you hold a normal breath. However; do take note that it differ when you wear a different thickness or length of wetsuit. You also need to check again if you use a different BCD.

As you get more experience underwater you need lesser weights. When I started diving, I needed 6kg of weights to bring me down but today; I am only using 2kg of weights using the same length & thickness of wetsuit. As you get more comfortable underwater, try using lesser weights and you will feel less drag underwater.

2. Using Your Lungs To Fine Tune Your Buoyancy.

How do you do that? You are so big in size and you only use 2kg of weights, how? This is the usual comment of divers when they saw me putting on 2kg of weights before putting on my BCD. I used my lungs to fine tune buoyancy. Do understand that your lungs inflate as you inhale and deflate as you exhale.

When you are going into the water, don’t just deflate your BCD but also exhale as you go down and you will feel that you will get into the water much easier. As you are diving underwater, use your lungs to fine-tune your buoyancy. Do practice on a sandy bottom or swimming pool, trying fining around and breathing deep and slow. You will see yourself moving gently underwater and use it in practice, when you are swimming towards a reef, using your lungs to control your buoyancy underwater.

3. Streamline Yourself.

Are you having a Christmas tree decoration on your BCD? Do take note by having too much things on your BCD will cause drag and this may also affect your buoyancy underwater. Try to streamline yourself, having all hoses in place and do not have too much things hanging on your BCD.

As you are diving, do not use your hands as you are swimming. Keep your hands close to you and move horizontally underwater. Be close to the reefs to enjoy the beauty without touching or crushing the reefs. You don’t have to position your body vertically to deflate your BCD underwater. As you are swimming underwater and if you find that you need to adjust your buoyancy, remember there is a dump valve situated at the bottom right side of your BCD. Just have to pull the valve and air will also be released.

If you would like to know more of controlling your buoyancy underwater to improve your skills underwater, I recommend you to take up the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course with Sea World Dive Center. Email peter@seaworldboracay.com or +63 920 970 2728 for more information. 

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TECHNICAL DIVING

Technical Diving Is Scuba Diving's "Extreme" Sport, Taking Experienced And Qualified Divers Far Deeper Than In Mainstream Recreational Diving. Technical Diving Is Marked By Significantly More Equipment And Training Requirements To Manage The Additional Hazard This Type Of Diving Entails. Tec Diving Isn't For Everyone, But For Those Who Hear Its Challenge Call, The PADI Tec Rec Courses Are The Answer

What Is Technical Diving?

Technical Scuba Diving Is Defined As Diving Other Than Conventional Commercial Or Research Diving That Takes Divers Beyond Recreational Scuba Diving Limits. It Is Further Defined As And Includes One Or More Of The Following: - Diving Beyond 40mMetres Deep. - Required Stage Decompression. - Diving In An Overhead Environment Beyond 40m Of The Surface. - Accelerated Decompression And Or The Use Of Variable Gas Mixtures During The Dive.

Because In Technical Diving The Surface Is Effectively Inaccessible In An Emergency, Tec Divers Use Extensive Methodologies And Technologies And Training To Manage The Added Risks. Even With These, However, Tec Diving Admittedly Has More Risk, Potential Hazard And Shorter Critical Error Chains Than Does Recreational Scuba Diving.

How Long Has Technical Diving Been Around?

Most People Would Agree That Cave Diving Is A Form Of Technical Diving. Cave Diving Developed In The Late 1960s And 1970s, Developing Into A Discipline Largely Like It Is Today By The Mid 1980s. In The Early 1990s, Several Groups Of Divers Around The World Began Experimenting With Technologies For Deep Diving (Beyond Recreational Limits) To Explore Both Caves And Wrecks. These Communities United And Emerged As "Technical Diving" Or "Tec Diving" With The Publication Of Aquacorps (No Longer In Print), Which Dedicated Itself To This Type Of Diving

Tec Diving Not Only Has More Risk, But It Requires Significantly More Effort, Discipline And Equipment. It's Not For Everyone, And You Can Be An Accomplished, Avid Top-Notch Diver Your Entire Life Without Making A Tec Dive. That Said, There's A Cadre Of Individuals Who Want To Visit Places Underwater That Relatively Few People Can. Many Spectacular, Untouched Wrecks Lie At Depths Well Below 40m. Deep Reefs Have Organisms You Don't Find In The Shallows. Some People Enjoy The Challenge And Focus Tec Diving Requires. Still Others Love Being Involved With Cutting Edge Technologies. These Reasons Make Tec Diving Rewarding.

The PADI Tec Rec Difference

The Tec Rec Program Debuted In 2000. Although Tec Rec Is Not The First Tec Diving Program (Cave Diver Training Has Been Around For Decades), It Repeatedly Receives Accolades For Its Merits. - Tec Rec Courses Are Integrated Into An Instructionally Valid, Seamless Course Flow That Takes You From Beginning Tec Diver To One Qualified To The Outer Reaches Of Sport Diving Using Different Gas Mixes. - Each Level Introduces You To New Gear, Planning And Procedures Appropriate To Extend Your Diving Limits. - The Tec Diver Course Is An Integrated Sequence Of Three Sub courses: Tec 40, Tec 45 And Tec 50. You Can Complete Them Continuously Or You Can Complete Each Level Separately With A Time Span Between Them. This Gives You Learning Efficiency, Instructional Integrity And Schedule Flexibility.

The Scuba Gear You'll Use

Tec Diving Uses Much More Equipment Than Recreational Diving. The Technical Scuba Gear Typically Uses Two To Four Or Five Regulators, A Dive Computer, And Some Accessories.

Prerequisites

• 18 Years Or Older.
• A Mature, Responsible Person Who Will Follow The Required Procedures And Requirements Strictly And Faithfully.
• Medically Fit For Tec Diving (Physician's Signature Required).
• Willing To Accept The Added Risks That Tec Diving Presents.
• An Experienced Diver With At Least 100 Logged Dives.
• Certified As A PADI Enriched Air Diver And PADI Deep Diver Or Equivalent (For This Program Equivalency Is Proof Of Training In Recreational Deep Diving 18m To 40m Consisting Of At Least Four Dives And Training In Nitrogen Narcosis Considerations, Contingency/Emergency Decompression, Making Safety Stops And Air Supply Management OR, Have A Minimum Of 20 Logged Dives Deeper Than 30m)

The Fun Part

The Fun Part Of Tecrec Is Rising To The Challenges As You Dive Deeper And Longer Than Most Divers Ever Do.

PADI TECHNICAL DIVING FLOW CHART

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IS MORE FUN IN BORACAY ISLAND...

Boracay Island was awarded by Travel Advisor as the bes't beaches in Asia for 2012 and was also rated as one of the top 10 beaches in the world by Yahoo Travel in 2008 and in spite of the economic downturn in the world. There is a tremendous growth of 41% tourists in 2012 compare to 2011. The Government of the Philippines are doing as much to boast the travel industry in the Philippines especially; Boracay Island. Is indeed more fun in the Philippines but it is even more fun in Boracay Island!

Boracay Island is the no. 1 most visited island in the Philippines, not just the Filipinos taking a break in this island but a growth of travellers from Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Countries from Asia. There is also an increase of travellers from America & Europe especially the Russians.

There are 4 airlines that fly directly to Caticlan Airport and which airlines provide at least 8 schedules of flights a day. There are even more flights heading to Kalibo Airport, about 2hours away from Boracay Island. There are many connecting flight from different Domestic Airport in Philippines such as Manila, Clark, Cebu & Davao to Kalibo Airport. Since 2008, Kalibo Airport has turned into an International Airport with direct flights from Korea, Taiwan and different major cities in China.

The 4km White Beach known to be the "Finest beach in the world" with the surrounding water shallow and the sand is finer and brighter than most of the beaches in the archipelago. It feels like treading on miles of baby powders and enjoying the sunset of Boracay.

There are more than 100 resorts to be chosen in the Island of Boracay. The World most well known Hotels & Resorts Chain; Shangri-La is situated at the northern part of the island with over 300 rooms. There are also numerous Tripe AAA Resorts in the Island that are accredited by The Philippines Department of Tourism. There are also cheap accommodations to accommodate budget travellers.

Bargain shopping is a joy of a diversion while in Boracay Island. There are numerous souvenir shops in the island providing endless possibilities from trinkets and native accessories made of semi-precious stones to exotic or contemporary beach wear and fashion artworks. Dining is no problem in Boracay with most resorts having their own restaurants that serve both Filipino and International cuisines. There are also numerous restaurants at d'Mall and small snack bars line in the island. There are numerous Sea Sports Activities in the island, don't have time to feel bored. In the evening, there are many bars to be visited.

For more information of Boracay Island, please log on to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay.

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GOLDEN TREE SPA BORACAY

Golden Tree Spa is located at Lapus Lapus Boracay specializes in Stone Massage Therapy. It was designed in modern theme providing an ambience of well-being and total relaxation and offers a holistic range of touch therapy and restores to balance your mind and body.

Stone Massage Therapy creates a deeply relaxing and healing treatment that helps the body’s energy and blood circulation. Using both pressure and placement of warm stones on the body and combined with aroma therapy, this therapeutic massage restores energy flow.

Your guests will be greeted by our therapists upon arriving at the spa and you will be served with our authentic Marongay Herbal Tea, its call The Tree of Miracle that provides lots of vitamins to the body. There are 4 Aroma Oil to choose: Lavender, Peppermint, Green Spa and Eucalyptus. Guests will be guided to the room by our therapists, we have 18 private rooms and every room have a private toilet and shower amenities. There are over 30 therapists ready to serve you and your guests. While massaging, your guests can enjoy the view of Boracay Sea and peaceful music of the spa.

Time of Session:

1. 1000hrs – 1200hrs

2. 1330hrs – 1530hrs

3. 1600hrs – 1800hrs

4. 1900hrs – 2100hrs

5. 2130hrs – 2330hrs

We provide pick up and drop off services in any place in Boracay Island, guests are required to be in the spa 15mins before the start of session. Is advisable to be picked up 30mins before the start of session.

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