Philippines announces underwater shootout festival on December 4 to 8


Manila, Philippines  -- The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) in cooperation with members of  the Underwater Macro Photographers Group (UWMP) will launch its first ever international underwater (UW) shootout in Anilao, a quiet seaside community in Batangas two hours away South of Manila, from December 4 to 8 this year.

The PDOT is setting its sights on promoting the Philippines as a premier UW macro photography destination in Asia and enticing more foreign UW photographers to engage their hobby in the Philippines through the holding of this event in Anilao,  “one of the best places for underwater photography in the world”, according to Christian Vizl, a multi-award winning underwater photographer.  

This joint project, entitled “Anilao Underwater Photo Competition Festival”, is open to both foreign and local UW photographers and fun divers for an entry fee of Php1000 or US$20 per participant inclusive of a 4-day dive pass, an event shirt and invitation to hosted welcome and farewell dinners with cultural entertainment.   

Winners will receive a minimum total of US$10,000 worth of valuable prizes including dive trips to the country’s best dive sites in Cebu, Bohol and Anilao through the support of Tourism Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Prestige Sport Malaysia, Cebu Pacific Airlines and other partner dive resorts in the Philippines. Contest mechanics can be viewed at www.acaciadive.com or by request through email at phdiveteam@gmail.com.

Simultaneous with the underwater macro photography contest, fun dives will also be organized for dive fanatics, as well as the conduct of seminars on “Dive Photography” during the festival. World renowned UW photographers (i.e., Koji Nakamura, President of Japan Underwater Films;    Yorko Summer, dive travel journalist;   Christian Vizl, current world champion in underwater photography; Ken Thongpila, multi-award winning underwater photographer and founder of Underwater Macro Photographers Club; and Michael Aw, one of the world’s most influential nature photographers) will grace the festival as board of judges and seminar speakers.

Divers can sign up and book their local travel arrangements for this international UW shootout at phdiveteam@gmail.com. Interested divers can also register at https://www.regonline.com/anilaounderwateruwphotocompetitionfestival  or visit the event facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Anilaouwphotocompetitionbydot.  PDOT partner resorts in Anilao are also offering special dive promo packages of as low as US$499 for a 4 nights/5 days dive package inclusive of 6 boat dives, fullboard meals, accommodation (twin sharing arrangement), air tanks and dive master.  

All the participating divers will surely say “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” with the opportunity to win fantastic prizes from local sponsors during the awarding ceremony on December 8 at seven o’clock in the evening at Acacia Resort and Dive Center and to be entertained with cultural dances, live band and treated to delectable cuisine.        

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