DOT-7 to launch new diving site in southwest Cebu town

CEBU CITY – The Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7) is set to launch a new diving destination in the town of Aloguinsan in southwestern Cebu.

Set for promotion is the Hermit’s Cove, a popular tourist attraction in the municipality, with a beautiful cove tucked below a cliff overlooking the blue sea of Tañon Strait.

Its beach is adorned with white sand and lined with coconut trees and other plants.

Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, DOT-7 director, said after their successful launching of the third leg of the DIVE7 Summer Festivals in Malapascua Island last May 14, the provincial government here suggested the opening of another diving destination in the province and proposed the municipality of Aloguinsan.

DOT-7 and tourism officers from the provincial government earlier inspected the site.

“What they saw was really wonderful. Not really surprising because Aloguinsan has really the potential. In fact, even the rest of the towns in the province are potential dive sites,” Tamano said in a statement on Monday.

Last week, Tamano and his team presented to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia the proposed DIVE7 Festivals – Dive Aloguinsan, which the latter approved. It will be a three-day activity from July 29-31 to be held at Hermit’s Cove.

Tamano said Aloguinsan’s launch as a diving destination will be “historic” because of its immense potential despite not being recognized yet in the ever-growing diving community in Cebu.

Garcia had asked Tamano to establish circuit diving sites in the province.

“We will follow the vision of the province to make the whole island as a diving site,” Tamano said.

The municipalities of Moalboal, Cordova, and Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan town, among others, are the famous diving sites in Cebu province.

Tamano said diving not only helps the local economy, but is also good for the environment.

He also said launching Aloguinsan as Cebu’s new diving site is challenging and exciting because of the lack of resources in terms of equipment, hence, they will be cooperating with the provincial government to capacitate the town.

“So we will be moving things,” Tamano said, citing that Aloguinsan Mayor Cesar Ignatius Moreno is very cooperative and happy with the tourism development.