Love Mindanao: SCUBA Diving at Punta Bilar Dive Center in ...

SCUBA diving must be one of the activities most people in the world would want to place in their bucket list before parting this world. SCUBA diving from someone who is not familiar with this sport would look on it as an outdoor activity for the well off people aside from being a dangerous sport to venture into, which happened to be half true and half myth.

SCUBA diving in the form of recreation is almost ?zero impact water activity which is one better way to?appreciate nature's beauty and discover how life works under the sea. This water sport teaches also a lot of values to its recipient. Group diving is much better if you have a license or at least certification received from an accredited dive instructor giving ease and comfort to your SCUBA diving mates.

Crossing Out the Bucket list

Since the day I was brought to the world of environmental science during my college days, I have been dreaming of experiencing to learn the field of ?SCUBA to extend my nature wandering to the rich and diverse ?marine ecosystem in the Philippines.

I was so fortunate to be invited to try this sport by one of the pioneers and active member of Surigao Dive Club, Mr. Johann Jake Miranda, a well experienced and a multiple licensed diving instructor?accredited by Scuba Diving International (SDI) and currently based in Surigao City who operates the Punta Bilar Dive Center.

Breaking My Fears, Building My Walls!

Coming from Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, I immediately hopped into a bus bound for Surigao City and immediately head for the dive shop. The dive site is located along the marine protected area in the still community of Punta Bilar, one of the few diving sites in Northern Mindanao that offers lesson and certification for first time divers. Punta Bilar offers a 3km stretch of protected marine area with good to very good coral reefs condition that is under the protection with the combined initiative of the community and the dive site operator.?

The long stretch of coral reefs is home to hundreds to thousands of coral species and other colorful marine organisms ranging from pelagic to sea crawler slugs to quirky sea lilies.

As many would think SCUBA diving is quite difficult for first timers, because you have to undergo a series of lectures about safety and other technical concepts to ponder and the most challenging part is to put the learning into action for you to get your open water diver certification.?

Even though I was purposely invited for this activity, I did not receive special consideration to skip one of the procedures. A written exam was also employed to determine the comprehension of the student about SCUBA diving during the entire lesson.??

?It took me a total of six (6) dives before I have fully digested all the tips given by my dive instructor Jake. At first, it took me a while to grasp on my buoyancy and to correct my breathing technique. As an environmental specialist, one of our required skill is to swim but having a set of SCUBA equipment strapped around my body makes me feel uncomfortable due to its added weight and I was ?getting a little confused on the hoses ?attached on the air tank.?

BLOOPER TIME!

And just like any other students , I make mistakes and instead ?frowning about it, I took it as a challenge to correct my errors. And sometimes looking back at those moments specially if caught on camera, will just put me to burst to laughter watching the video all over again. Here is my best blooper ever during the entire session of ?mySCUBA Diving lesson. I swear JR pushed me before the end of 1..2...splassshhhh!?

My ultimate epic failed giant stride water entry!?

Take it from the Expert

One great advice I received from my instructor was not to PANIC, and have the presence of mind to remember the techniques taught during the lecture ! Hmmmm, I was able to understand the ?meaning of word only on my second and third dive after I have swallowed a little salt water during a certain exercise. But in the process I was surprised to enjoy the beauty of the world underwater without being conscious that I was actually in a ?wet suit swimming with the other marine organisms and witnessing the colorful world of the ocean. As we go deeper, I got more relaxed and able to maneuver in perfect buoyancy where I barely move at all while gazing ?on vast ? precious giant sea fans and enormous hard corals, fishes and others scattered around.

It was a lucky day ?that I was accompanied by divers from Butuan City, where Jeff carried with him a specialized underwater camera. A total of 3 days and two nights in the dive center gave me a ?memorable fulfilling adventure, ticking out one item from my bucket list.

To fully understand and appreciate diving, I suggest for you to try it first. There is no harm in trying people. It is just a matter of courage and willingness to put one foot forward and make something different in your life. Get out and experience life. Put SCUBA diving in your bucket list and surely you will enjoy it once you got a taste of it. More post about diving coming soon. To learn more please contact: Operator, Punta Bilar Dive Center Mobile: +63 920 909 ?0999
Website: www.divesurigao.com

(My sincerest thanks to Jake Miranda and his family for this wonderful experience shared, and to my newly found friends Jeff, Tonton, Macky and Dive Master JR Pingkian. All underwater photos courtesy of Jeff Ong. See you soon guys)

Source: http://www.lovemindanao.com/2013/06/puntabilar.html

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Pope Francis sets up special review of Vatican bank

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday set up a special commission of inquiry into the Vatican bank, his boldest move yet to get to grips with an institution that has embarrassed the Church for decades.

The high-powered, five-member panel, which includes four prelates and a woman Harvard law professor, will report directly to him, bypassing the Vatican bureaucracy that itself has sometimes been tainted by allegations of scandal and corruption.

The Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), as the bank is formally known, has long been tarnished by accusations that it has failed to meet international transparency standards intended to combat money laundering and tax evasion.

The Vatican said the commission, which Francis set up with a personal decree known as a "chirografo," would enable him "to know better the juridical position and the activities of the Institute to allow an improved harmonization with the mission of the universal Church".

It said the commission would have full powers to obtain all documentation and data necessary and supersede usual rules that oblige officials to respect the secrecy of their office.

The bank will continue to be run by his current administrators and be overseen by existing regulators while the commission carries out its task.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the bank was not being put under "special administration" but that the commission would have ample powers to do its job.

The decree signed by the pope ordered the commission to give its conclusions and all supporting documents directly to him soon after it finishes it work.

Vatican sources have said in the past the pope could decide to radically restructure the bank or even close it. At meetings before the conclave that elected Francis, a number of cardinals questioned whether the Vatican needed a bank at all.

BANK ACCOUNTS UNDER REVIEW

Francis has laid great emphasis on removing an image of privilege from Church operations and IOR's new president Ernst von Freyberg, a German, has begun a review of all its accounts and activities.

The commission is made up of an Italian cardinal, a French cardinal, a Spanish bishop, an American monsignor and Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard professor who is president of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

The document setting up the commission says all bank officials and employees as well as staff in other Vatican departments had to cooperate with the commission.

The European anti-money laundering committee, Moneyval, said in a July report that the IOR still had to enact reforms in order to meet international standards against money laundering.

The bank is due to send Moneyval a progress report by the end of the year.

Von Freyberg, 54, a German lawyer, told Reuters in an interview this month he was committed to total transparency and has started a review of the IOR's some 19,000 accounts, mostly held by Vatican employees and departments, orders of priests and nuns, and charities.

The bank has assets of $7.1 billion under management and profits of 86.6 million euros ($114.3 million), used to support Catholic activities around the world. It does not lend money.

Last year, the Vatican detected six possible attempts to use the Holy See to launder money. At least seven have been detected so far this year.

The bank is trying to clean up its image after a history of scandals, most notably in 1982 when it was enmeshed in the bankruptcy of Italy's Banco Ambrosiano, whose chairman Roberto Calvi was found hanging from London's Blackfriars Bridge.

In 2010, Rome magistrates investigating money laundering in 2010 froze 23 million euros ($33 million) held by the IOR in an Italian bank. The IOR said it was transferring its own funds between accounts in Italy and Germany. The money was released in June 2011 but the investigation continues.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; editing by James Mackenzie and Mike Collett-White)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-francis-sets-special-review-vatican-bank-110039523.html

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