water baby

I've always been a water baby. When I was about six years old, my dad paid Coach Bing to teach me and my sister how to swim. My cousins then were all swimmers, joining the General Santos Palarong Pambansa and moving on to get swimming scholarships in college. I joined in some swimming competitions myself, getting gold in freestyle and silver in breaststroke (syempre proud, bata pa ko ato).

When I was in my sixth grade high school, my dad bought a jetski and we would hitch that to the car and drive to Pasacao, Camarines Sur where we can rent a "floating cottage" and head for Daruanak Island. My dad would then scuba as my sister and I would snorkel and watch him from above. Once, we rode the jetski to the back of the island, where there were shark sightings. Imagine 12-year old me quaking in my kid fins. And yes, we had the whole kid equipment, from fins to goggles, snorkels to lifejackets.


I've been to Apo Island three times, and loved it so much I've been raving about the marine sanctuary to everyone I know. The only time I cried when I was an elementary kid was when my dad caught some of those pretty coral fishes and I wanted him to put them back in the ocean.
One of my earliest memories of my boyfriend was of a swimming trip to the Dauin Marine Sanctuary even. (He was veering clear of the deep water, while I was happily splashing along). I even once got the marvelous opportunity to free dive amongst giant clams in Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park and their Dolphin Island.


So where does all this end?

An intro scuba-diving lesson. At no less than the fantabulous Amorita Resort in Panglao, Bohol. The place was truly amazing, with individual plunge pools fronting the Ocean View bungalows (as in very private, very serene), a really cool chef (think Peanut Kiss Sans Rival, using Bohol's famous Peanut Kisses), an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, and authentic white sand.

According to one of the Cebu media we accompanied there, Jason, "I've never felt so kingly." In my case, it's, "I've never felt so overfed." hahaha.

Back to the diving though, their marketing consultant Annie Convocar quickly set us up on an intro-diving class when we got there. Viveca Singson, JG Summit's Corp Comm Manager, already had experience scuba diving, so that left four newbies, Jason, Ritche, me and Cebu Pacific's Corp Comm Manager RG Orense.

(Bohol Oceanic Divers owner August, me, Jason, Ritche, Viv and scuba instructor)

We started out getting used to the regulator in the pool. Then moved on to hand signals for danger. Then how to remove water from the goggles while underwater. Then on to the boat to bring us to the Amorita House Reef, a marine sanctuary since 1990.

(Jason, Ritche, Viv, me and RG)

I now realize why snorkeling doesn't quite capture the feeling of the underwater world. My mouth dry from breathing through the regulator, and with weights on my waist, I got my first taste of going deeper and deeper and deeper into the sea. It was exhilarating, most especially when you're on top of a really high coral wall and you look down and can easily imagine sharks, and yet you insist on going down and find out for yourself.

It was a really great Bohol trip, and I hope to dive again and visit Amorita someday soon.