Pujada Bay in Mati City, Davao Oriental (PNA file photo)
DAVAO CITY -- After six years of banning dive explorations in Mati City, Davao Oriental, various private individuals, in partnership with the local government, have revived search of possible dive sites in Pujada and Mayo bays.
In a statement sent on Sunday by the Mati City Information Office, it said the dive exploration started more than six years ago but was discontinued by the administration that replaced Mayor Michelle Rabat in 2013 until 2019.
Now that she is back on the seat, Rabat decided to revive the dive site exploration with the hope of boosting tourism in the city of Mati.
Over the weekend, businessman and diving enthusiast Miko Rabat, brother of the mayor, invited fellow divers Bong Chavez and Curtis Cooper to explore Manggihay Beach in Pujada Bay.
“This is the first diving exploration made in Pujada Bay in the past six years. The team said they are just in their initial phase in the identification of possible dive sites,” the statement read.
In August, the Department of Tourism in Region 11 (DOT-11) held a series of dive validation activities in Mati City and the municipality of Tarragona, Davao Oriental which revealed more potential sites for diving operations.
It was learned that there are many possible dive sites in Pujada Bay and that the city government wants them all identified.
Pujada Bay has been declared as one of the "Most Beautiful Bays in the World" during the 15th World Bays Congress in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, held on October 16-20.
In the Philippines, only two bays are included in the list. The other one is Puerto Galera Bay. (PNA)
