DOT eyes two new dive sites off Samar Island
TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Tourism in Eastern Visayas (DOT-8) is eyeing northern Samar and eastern Samar as emerging diving destinations following a regional assessment that documented promising underwater attractions in both provinces.
The DOT, together with Applied Technical Diving and Marine Solutions, recently completed a 12-day expedition across Eastern Visayas to evaluate sites suitable for the development of dive tourism.
The activity formed part of the DOT’s campaign to expand the region’s tourism products beyond traditional attractions and to position Eastern Visayas within the national diving map.
The team conducted a detailed study on Nov. 18 of the dive sites surrounding Ando and Divinubo Islands in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, where assessors reported highly favorable initial findings.
According to the DOT-8, Borongan’s underwater terrain—characterized by coral formations, reef walls and diverse marine habitats—places the city among the most promising locations for both recreational and technical diving in the region.
Unique landmarks
“This is a city with the potential to be a major dive destination,” the assessment team noted, citing the need for sustainable development to support future tourism activities.
Two days later, the survey continued in northern Samar, where dive site assessments were carried out from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22 in the islands of Capul, San Antonio, and Sila in San Vicente. The evaluation documented reef health, biodiversity, dive access points and unique underwater landmarks, indicating strong market viability if conservation-based tourism practices are implemented.
The DOT said the sites in northern Samar are distinguished by largely untouched reefs and high biodiversity, conditions seen as advantageous for community-based ecotourism and for attracting both local and international divers.
In Borongan City, the dive assessment was conducted with the support of the City Tourism Office, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Divinubo Community Resource Management Association (DCRMA), and the barangay councils of Ando and Divinubo.
The DOT-8 is currently finalizing a Dive Tourism Development Agenda, which will outline next steps for promoting high-value dive sites while ensuring environmental protection and local community participation.
With global interest in marine tourism on the rise, tourism officials believe northern and eastern Samar could soon join the country’s roster of diving destinations if current findings translate into development plans and investments.
