The 6th Anilao Underwater Shootout

Underwater photography has always been an awesome niche that I haven’t touched on because for starters, the equipment you need to take shots underwater come at a pretty hefty price and two, I can’t swim. I am a bit sad because our country has the most diverse underwater subjects, creatures, wrecks and just about any fish there is in the ocean and to be in the midst of all these things and not see them at the same time, is just a whole lot of frustration for me. Good thing some of the most amazing photographers from around the world are converging in Mabini Batangas for the 6th Edition of the Anilao Underwater Shootout. This is a competition organized by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Local Goverment of Mabini Batangas and the Resort Owners Association of Mabini (ROAM).

Mind you last year they have had 175 participants from 17 different countries like Singapore, China, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Turkey, Portugal, USA, Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, France, Australia, Canada and the Philippines. It was won by Lilian Koh a female photograper from Singapore (Open Class Champion) and PJ Aristorenas from the Philippines who got his Macro shot of a skeleton shrimp win first place.

The prize is not a joke. They’ve got 40,000 US dollars worth of dive packages, diving and photography equipment, gears and accessories. This is part of the reason why they have exceeded the number of participants this year. It’s like the Grand Prix of underwater photography, running from November 28 til December 1, 2018. They had to go through hundreds of photos to choose the champion this year, and boy they didn’t disappoint!

Asec Roberto Alabado III says “For this competition it will showcase our country, our dive spots, as a sustainable tourism destination. Last year, we had about 12% our GDP contributed to tourism. For this year we have 241 participants who come from 24 countries so this is like a mini UN scene you’re seeing.”

Check out the highlights of my trip and the event here!

The judges include John Thet, Ellen Cuylaerts, William Tan, Indra Swari and famed underwater genius Laurent Ballesta. They look at the manner people dive, the quality of the photos, to show the beauty of the animal, to showcase the beauty of Anilao. The judges even said they wanted to learn because the standard here is high. The silent rule is, a right photo is better than a good photo so there will be almost no photo manipulation as we have to be strict about it. True enough there were amazing, it has to be different, to wow, not just taking photographs. A lot of these photographers were inspired so they all came out with beautiful photos. They are all shot naturally, stunning even in their own environment. Every year the competition is getting tougher and the photographers are getting even more skilled, but they never forget nature. The support coming from the resorts are all making this successful because even with that increase of contestants, they still were able to accommodate it. The Department of Tourism is planning to duplicate this in other provinces because this one is successful, so I am really excited about the other emerging sites like Leyte, Dumaguete, and other provinces.

Ellen Cuylaerts says “I was blown away by the diversity, I go from one place to another and say wow again just in Anilao. Everybody works together in making sure this is sustainable, I am glad I am excited until now for you to see what they got from just one place.”

Willam Tan adds “I just arrived yesterday and I dived once and I have seen a lot of creatures that I have never seen before, even if this isn’t my first time, I would be happy to go back!”

Now that it has been a very successful installment this 2018, they have no where to go but up! I am also excited about what the DOT and Dive Philippines has planned for the other parts of the country that have not yet been developed as a diving destination. We really have so much promise, and their people are exemplary in hosting this event, the whole DOT and local government wants this same successful hosting to be replicated in other provinces so they too could be dive havens like Anilao. Make it happen, make it happen real soon!

Thank you so much Dive Philippines and Department of Tourism! This was so much fun for photography people like me, the prizes and the experience is just amazing! Hope to see you next year!

Diving Resort Trade Show 2016 Philippines

DRT on it's 2nd year, we promise and assure you that this program will be continued because the Philippines has a LOT to offer. - Kat De Castro, DOT Undersecretary

During the Diving Resort Trade Show 2016 they reiterated how much it's MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES and they talked about how suitable it is for the country to be a diving destination. It's a big industry.

Director Verba Buensoceso of DOT says "We brought this here to position the country as a hub for diving and business. Yes, there is a B2B component that will run in 3 days and this is something that we would want to catalyze. Two of the 15 best diving sites are here in the country and we had people come in and discover 100 new marine species. This year, Mike Bartic organized the Anilao critter fest and you'll see the world record biodiversity introduction tomorrow. We also have various destinations in other parts of the world featuring the Philippines as the best diving classroom, diving photography, and we'll service the needs as come. It's possible to dive in the Philippines all year round and we welcome over 60 exhibitors, diving trade agencies, marine conservation organizations and NGO's. We are the only dive b2b meet in Asia, and we'll have familiarization trips so you'll have a first hand knowledge of what we have to offer. We have buyers from around the world and aside from the DRT we organize other events in November, we'll have the 4th Anilao Underwater Competition and we have a lot to do in the next 3 days."

This is one of the largest meets and international show supported by different international organizations. In 2018 there will be 6 DRT shows around the Asian region. It's not just the Philippines that's excited about this and EZ dive Magazine Jason Chong puts it "This is our second year and you've got more diving equipment manufacturers in the show this year, we see the potential for the Philippines to be in the resort and diving business and DRT is here to let people see the Philippines could be a unique place for diving. We can't wait for you to see everything in SM Megatrade Hall today!"

A few days before the show they had some of their experts and photographers go out in the seas of the Philippines. 

Michelle Hall a US Cinematographer and Writer says "The people of the Philippines has great support from DOT and you're lucky. We were here in the 80's and made films around the world, now we're excited to see your seas and a lot has changed. We haven't really been back until this year. In Palawan, I remember my diving gear being moved by an Ox cart. I've been in Malapascua and even though I prefer not having other divers here, it's great to see around 200 divers come down and see marine life. It's a great experience. Sign the petition for Thresher Sharks too and we're going to talk twice this week in the show so come if you want to know what we've been doing the past few years."

Author and Underwater Photographer Scott Tuason adds "Anilao was something I'd out my head in living here and have access to diving and marine environment at our fingertips and it took the world a while to understand what we have here. Now more people are pointing out the special things, like Malapascua, the reefs, it's then that they discovered it's a cleaning station, a great place to start if you want to know biodiversity up close is the Philippines."

Author and Photographer from the US Tim Rock says "You don't have to go far if you want a world class destination. To be part of the DRT today is an honor, you should see the show."

Come to SM Megamall's Megatrade Hall today as the trade show only will be here until Sunday, September 11. There are also a hundred photos from world class underwater photographers displayed so if you want visual inspiration, you should come!

KUMAGCOW

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Amazing Kota Kinabalu! (Part 2) : The Pacific Sutera Hotel

Our day in Kota Kinabalu just started and this was what greeted me outside the airport. Most of the cars are Proton, which is all proudly Malaysian made. They are very proud of this in fact, almost all the cabs and city cars carry this brand. Notice too on this shot how the back part of this parking area is extremely covered by huge trees. While we were on the tourist bus it was so evident how almost every part of the city had trees or small forests around them; no joke. It just shows how much they care for nature. We headed off to our awesome hotel afterwards.

Our Accommodation: The Pacific Sutera

The morning was great and as we were flying along the right hand drive highways of Kota Kinabalu, we entered a huge place a few minutes away from the airport. The hotel where we were going to stay was called The Pacific Sutera. Take a look at this!

Nestled at the middle of Kota Kinabalu's Sutera Harbor Resort, this hotel is part of a 384 acre land facility that's got its own resort, golf course, spa, marina and a country club. It's got 956 rooms and suites if you include the Magellan Sutera. This place is perfect for family, executives and business travelers. Pretty cool that we are staying here because its in the middle of everything in Kota Kinabalu.

Outside, we could see a glimpse of their UNESCO World Heritage site Mount Kinabalu (Gunung Kinabalu). The interiors are reminiscent of Hawaiian - Pacific Island hotels but still had that tropical vibe. An iconic marble/granite statue of dolphins shown jumping off waters is placed center of the hotel's lobby. Several indoor plants and Orchids endemic to Sabah are also on display on this floor. Checking in was a cinch since there were no lines on the front desk. They keep that managed because they have several counters up front. The high ceilings made this all so grand too!

 Then we were sent to our respective rooms.

The Pacific Sutera Hotel: Guest Suites Interior

This particular room is situated on the 4th floor's far right side. It's non smoking, and its got 2 beds on quite a spacious suite. 

It's interiors look more modern. The pillows are soft and comfy and would probably cause you to stay in the room too much that you'll forget your trip LOL.