Southern Leyte luring more investments for its dive sites

published September 01, 2009 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY — The provincial government of Southern Leyte hopes to lure more tourism investments to service dive sites in Sogod Bay.

"We are inviting more players in the diving industry and we are opening the Pacific area of the province for this activity," said Nedgar Garvez, Southern Leyte tourism provincial officer.

Sogod Bay has four existing dive shops, namely: Peter’s Dive Resort, Sogod Bay Scuba Resort, Southern Leyte Dive Resort, and Coral Cay Conservation Center.

These are located in Padre Burgos, San Francisco, and Macrohon towns.

"Each of the existing dive shops has 200 visitors every month, mostly Europeans. Some existing dive shops are acquiring more properties this year as part of their expansion," Mr. Garvez said.

The dive sites are situated within the 718-square-kilometer Sogod Bay, which is bounded by the towns of Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Sogod, Pintuyan, San Francisco, Liloan, Limasawa, Libagon, and Macrohon.

Mr. Garvez said Sogod Bay can accommodate six more resorts.

Sogod has 25 popular dive sites, such as the Padre Burgos jetty, Tangkaan Point, Limasawa Island, Malitbog, Liloan, and Panaon Island. Limasawa Island is particularly famous for "incredible diving," with its dark eerie steep walls with gorgonian fans and massive table corals.