Instead of regulating the sport itself, why not regulate its safety gear?
This was suggested by聽 Gary聽 Cases, an official of the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD), during Friday鈥檚聽 public hearing聽 on a聽 proposed Provincial Ordinance regulating聽 scuba diving in Cebu.
Cases said聽 mishandled聽 diving gear would pose more danger to the person using it.
Cases, who is also a dive shop operator in Malapascua Island, cited an incident in Bohol where a dive shop worker聽聽 lost his hand when an oxygen tank exploded.
鈥淭anks are like bombs. Mishandling them聽 could endanger the lives of people,鈥� he told the Provincial Board (PB).
Also聽 present in the public hearing was PB member Sun Shimura, Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy, ,聽 dive shop operators and tourism students of the University of San Carlos (USC).
Cases also suggested that foreigners should聽 be covered in the regulation of individuals under the proposed ordinance.
He said an聽 ordinance would be a big help to to聽 his organization since the PCSSD has no police powers over individual divers.
PCSSD is an accrediting organization for dive shops and water sports activities, and is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Mayor Sitoy said that a foreigner, before going diving, must be certified by聽 the hotel or dive shop operator that he has complied with the requirements under Section 4 of the proposed ordinance.
Under this requirement,聽 a diver must have聽 completed at least 10 hours of combined classroom and pool water training conducted by a duly certified diving instructor.
Daanbantayan municipal administrator Mamerto RodrigoRodrigo聽 said that聽 the local government must be the one to collect the penalties under Section 6.聽 He said this should be an 鈥渁dministrative fine鈥� instead of a 鈥渏udicial fine.鈥�
PB member Arleigh Sitoy, sponsor of the聽 proposed ordinance, said he would welcome all suggestions. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus