THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism has set guidelines for recreation diving as the country reopens sports tourism activities with the easing of Covid-19 quarantine restrictions.
Scuba diving as an individual non-contact sport is allowed in areas under general community quarantine.
“Our priority remains the same with the reopening of diving and sports tourism. By following these guidelines, we continue to uphold the safety and well-being of the tourists and the industry workforce,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat said.
The guidelines governing the operations of dive establishments were drawn up by the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD) following the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) resolution.
The PCSSD Memorandum Circular No. 2020-001 or the Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Operations of Dive Establishments in the New Normal was signed by Puyat. It provided instructions and regulations for the dive operations under the new normal.
The guidelines require guests to bring their own set of scuba gear and equipment box. Divers are also reminded of the liberal use of hand disinfectants and hand washing throughout the day, the practice of physical distancing and the wearing of protective face masks when not on an actual dive.
The dive establishments are also required to provide a defog solution consisting of soap or shampoo for guests to use on their dive masks. Spitting on the mask or the use of saliva as a defogger is prohibited. Even when on dive boats, boat crew and passengers must wear face masks and observe physical distancing. Dive boats must also be disinfected before and after use.
Puyat said violation of any of these guidelines will subject the dive establishments to appropriate fines and penalties, including the revocation of PCSSD accreditation.
Both the DOT and PCSSD encourage distance learning or e-learning in teaching the theory part of the dive course. Dive schools are also advised to use current technology and digital platforms and to refer to their certifying agencies for further instruction, available materials, and training techniques.
In case physical training is unavoidable, classrooms may be set up according to physical distancing requirements. Smaller classes with a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio are highly encouraged.
Puyat also signed PCSSD Administrative Order No. 2020–001 also known as Guidelines on the Operations on Dive Establishments under a Community Quarantine.
Based on the Administrative Order, only dive establishments with PCSSD accreditation or DOT Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO), if the dive facility is ancillary to an accommodation establishment, are allowed to operate at 50-percent operational capacity. Guests are also required to present a negative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test result not earlier than 48 hours before arrival in the dive establishment as part of the Test-Before-Travel requirement.
The release of the dive health and safety guidelines is a welcome development for the industry as the country continuously earns recognitions as a premier diving destination. The Philippines was awarded as the Best Overseas Diving Area (overseas category) at the Marine Diving Awards 2020 in Tokyo.
The travel guidebook publisher Lonely Planet also cited Tubbataha, Palawan, and Cebu as among the “6 national parks around the world with surprisingly spectacular diving.”
The Philippines also received nominations as Asia's Leading Dive Destination and World's Leading Dive Destination at the 27th World Travel Awards. (With a report from Cebu Examiner)
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