MANILA: The Department of Tourism (DOT) launched on Thursday the first Philippine Dive Experience program, gathering diplomats from more than a dozen countries to showcase the award-winning underwater landscape of Anilao in Batangas. The Philippine Dive Experience draws inspiration from the DOT's flagship program, the Philippine Experience, except this time it is to market and elevate Philippine diving as a unique and purposeful experience by incorporating heritage and conservation activities. According to Philippines News Agency, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco emphasized the sustainability aspect of the dive initiative, which includes conservation components like coastal cleanups and educational programs. Frasco highlighted the aim of the initiative as diversifying tourism in the Philippines by offering not only outstanding dive destinations but also enriching, meaningful, and purposeful experiences. She expressed the desire for foreign visitors to rediscover the Philippines not just for fun and adventu re, but also for the various reasons to appreciate the country. The event saw participation from 25 diplomats representing key and opportunity source markets for the Philippines, including South Korea, the United States, China, New Zealand, and several Southeast Asian countries. Among the attendees were ambassadors from Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Malaysian Ambassador Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino praised the program and suggested that it could be replicated as a regional initiative among Southeast Asian states. He shared his personal experiences under the Philippine Experience program, particularly in Mindanao, and expressed enthusiasm for promoting the Philippines as a desirable tourist destination. The DOT has been actively promoting dive tourism and improving facilities for visiting divers. This includes the installation of hyperbaric chambers in key dive sites, with five already placed in Mabini, Batangas; Mandaue, Cebu; Panglao, Bohol; and Puerto Princesa and Coron in Palawan. An additional five chambers are planned for installation in Catarman, Camiguin; Dauin, Negros Oriental; Daanbantayan, Cebu; and Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.