SLSU-Bontoc enters 2nd year of partnership with France-based NGO; brings in external trainees for PADI SCUBA Diving certification

In 2022, SLSU-Bontoc secured a partnership with the Plongeurs Du Monde (PDM), a France-based non-governmental organization, along with the Sogod Bay SCUBA Resort (SBSR) of Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte and the Provincial Investment & Promotions Office- Southern Leyte, in offering free PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Dive Training and subsequent certification of dive completers. This year, the partnership kicks off with another exciting batch of an Open Water to Advanced Open Water Training course organized at Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte.

Emerging successfully after rigorous screening procedures, including a pre-dive test, a total of 14 trainees consisting of 12 external trainees coming from various SUCs, agencies, and institutions in the Eastern Visayas; and two (2) SLSU-Bontoc Faculty are set to participate in the training course. This free training initiative, undoubtedly a product of the sustained partnership between SLSU-Bontoc and its partners, will not only equip trainees with the necessary skills in propagating the protection and conservation of the vast marine resources in the Eastern Visayas and the Philippines as a whole but also serve as a platform for research exchange and expansion of partnership with other potential collaborators.

The free training course will run from February 19, 2024, until February 29, 2024, and will conclude on March 1, 2024, with a joint clean-up drive in the morning and an awarding ceremony in the afternoon.

Since 2022, a mix of at least 30 SLSU-Bontoc undergraduates, Faculty, and Staff are now licensed PADI SCUBA divers, creating an opportunity for SLSU-Bontoc in strengthening marine-related In-House research and, most importantly, to provide assistance to municipalities on coastal-related assessments and initiatives. Talks are underway for an Instructor Development Course (IDC) to cater to the In-house PADI Divemaster.