water

There are two sports I think all Filipinos should know: arnis and diving.

As an archipelagic state, "a body of water studded by islands," the Philippine territory is comprised mostly of the ocean. It's not enough then to see our islands, one must go underwater to have a deeper appreciation of how our history, food, and culture have been shaped by our relationship with the seas.

Scuba diving with my teachers Chen and Louie Mencias (their blog is here) was a life-changing experience because I didn't expect to see so much color and life beneath the ocean surface: it was an encounter with a secret world that has always existed parallel to my terrestrial one. It came as no surprise when I found out later on that the Philippines has the greatest biodiversity- as well as the one most threatened with extinction- in the world: Galapagos multiplied seven times.

Here I am in Anilao with my lawyer-diving buddies Bebot Cabeguin, Agnes Bailen and Rolly Tulay. After a dive, we're flashing the hand-signal that divers use underwater to say "okay!"

Cast your on-line vote for Tubbataha Reefs National Park or Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park in the New 7 Wonders of the World.