AG Sa?o
Artist / Environmentalist
AG is a renowned,multi-awarded Filipino Artivist who has painted more than 1200 murals in 17 countries about Peace, Planet and People. He has worked with reputable NGOs and institutions such as WWF, Greenpeace, Conservation International, Silliman Marine Lab, LAMAVE, RARE for marine conservation campaigns. He is a founding member of Dakila, an artist collective for modern heroism and Balyena.org. He is one of Georgetown University’s Earth Commons’ Global Environmental Storytellers. He has planted more than 50,000 trees, and is not stopping anytime soon. He dreams of painting in outer space some day.
Anna Oposa
Executive Director and Chief Mermaid
Anna Oposa is the Executive Director and "Chief Mermaid" of Save Philippine Seas, a movement to conserve marine resources by empowering "seatizens" towards collective action and behavior change. She has been at the forefront of campaigns and projects on shark conservation, addressing marine litter, and environmental education for over 13 years. Anna has been recognized locally and internationally for her work in environmental conservation and youth development. A national hero once said that the Philippines is worth dying for. As an avid scuba diver, Anna believes it’s worth diving for.
Anne Gumiran
Dive and Travel Content Creator, Insta360 Global Ambassador
Queenie Anne Gumiran, also known as the queen who escapes, is a firm believer of the line, ‘we all deserve a little wanderlust ‘. She is also the only Filipina Insta360 Global Ambassador for travel and freediving, highlighting her advocacy on sustainable traveling. Anne started the Queen’s Escape travel blog/vlog to tell people her thousandfold story about the Philippines– that it is more than just its pristine beaches and breathtaking summits. It aims to take her followers to the best places to explore – both the world-renowned and the off-the-beaten path, how rich and diverse its culture is, how delectable the foods are and more.
Danny Ocampo
Science Strategy and Campaign Senior Manager, Oceana
Daniel Ocampo or Danny, as he prefers being called by his nickname, studied at the University of Santo Tomas and took up BS Chemical Engineering. His love for the environment, particularly the ocean, was fueled by watching the Life on Earth series by Sir David Attenborough and documentaries by Jacques Yves Cousteau when he was still in elementary school. When he entered high school, he co-organized a Nature Lover’s Club in his school and organized treks to mountains and snorkeling trips to coastal areas. This led him to get acquainted to non-government organizations which inspired him to choose joining the non-profit sector. He became a certified open water SCUBA diver in 1989 and started taking underwater photos shortly thereafter with a Nikonos III film camera. He is an accomplished underwater photographer and received several recognition in local and international underwater photography contests. He is also an advocate of ethical and responsible diving and underwater photography practices. As such, he chooses contests and events he joins that are aligned with his advocacy of protecting the marine environment and fostering responsible underwater interaction and behaviour among divers and marine life.
Darren Heppner
Dive Instructor
Darren worked many years for Microsoft in the US and Asia. He retired in 2020 to pursue his personal interests in Scuba Diving, Sustainability, and seeking adventure. Darren was OW Certification April 20, 2005, in Seattle Washington. He met Maria (his wife) in 2012 and started diving in the Philippines in 2013. Together, they have been diving all over the Philippines. Darren is now a PADI dive Instructor teaching in and around Anilao and Puerto Galera. Their dive boat, Queen Maria, serves divers in and around Puerto Galera and Verde Island. Darren started diving with a Full Face Mask in early 2019 with an OCEAN Reef G Diver. Darren is a training Development Coordinator (TDC) for OCEAN Reef and dive with a Neptune III 90% of the time… Underwater, Naturally.
Gordz Gojunco
SSI Instructor Trainer / Certifier
SSI Instructor Trainer / Certifier for Recreational Diving, Technical Diving Instructor, Freediver, Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor, Semi-Closed Rebreather Diver, Commercial Diver, Cave and Wreck Explorer. Having been exposed to outdoor activities at a very young age, It was just a matter of time before this guy was introduced to Scuba Diving. Now with over 8,000+ dives composed of recreational, commercial, search rescue and recovery, technical and exploration dives, Gordz continues to share his passion by training Dive Professionals and entry level divers. Trying to keep the gentle balance between work and spending quality time with his lovely wife Toni and son Dax, Gordz still finds time to squeeze in duties as a volunteer firefighter and an emergency medical technician.
Jayson Edward Ramirez
Freediving Instructor And Athlete
Jayson Edward Ramirez is a distinguished Molchanovs Freediving Instructor and athlete, renowned for his accomplishments in freediving. As a 6-time National Record Holder, he is the deepest male Filipino freediver, holding both CMAS and AIDA National Records in the Philippines. Jayson is ranked as the #1 male freediver in the country, reflecting his dedication and skill. His freediving journey began with FREEDIVE TRIBE PH in Mabini, Batangas, where he first immersed himself in the sport. Today, he stands as a proud representative of FREEDIVE TRIBE PH and an inspiration within the freediving community.
Ma. Nikka Andrea Oquias
Marine Protected Area Campaign Lead, Oceana
Ma. Nikka Andrea F. Oquias is a lawyer with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cebu School of Law. She was admitted to the Bar in 2020 and now a practicing environmental law advocate. She is currently the Marine Protected Area Campaign Lead of Oceana. Before joining Oceana, she worked with Philippines Earth Justice Center, a non-government organization composed of environmental lawyers committed to ensuring the enforcement of environmental laws and to promoting environmental justice in the Philippines. Her advocacy work centers on legal and policy, capacity building training, and community engagement.
Marichu (Macky) Macrohon-Regino
NAUI Instructor
Marichu Macrohon (Macky Regino) was exposed to diving during her formative years. Together with her eldest brother, NAUI Course Director and Philippine Representative, Dr. Michael Macrohon, an Orthopedic Surgeon, they would tag along with their dad, also an orthopedic surgeon who had been an avid scuba diver since 1960s. During that time, for Macky and Doc Mike, Scuba Diving was a normal thing for the family where on weekends travelling to small islands for diving and spearfishing was a way of life especially living in Mindanao. While big brother pursued trainings in scuba diving under NAUI. Macky set aside her interest for scuba diving to prioritize career and family. Fast forward to 2017, Macky’s second daughter, Zia Regino (now a NAUI Instructor herself), showed interest in Scuba Diving, which inspired Macky to rekindle her passion for Scuba Diving. To the delight of her brother Doc Mike, he trained her and imparted valuable life lessons in scuba diving aimed to provide her a solid foundation geared towards becoming a dive leader in the diving industry under NAUI, where not too many explore due to its reputation for rigorous trainings. Now, Macky has achieved the leadership status under NAUI and is one out of the few female instructors in the Philippines who had undergone the rigorous training, requiring high level of effort, skill and discipline to meet the standards of NAUI Worldwide. The other Filipino active female instructors happen to be Macky’s daughter Zia Regino, and sister Dr. Cristina Macrohon-Valdez. Macky is also a Recreational Side-Mount and DPV diver as well as an Underwater Photographer. She is working on upscaling her skills to become a technical diver with the aspiration of exploring more of what the ocean world can offer. As an energetic NAUI member, she aspires to see more strong and confident women joining NAUI in the Philippines leading the diving community in dive safety through education. Currently, Macky is one of the moderators for NAUI Worldwide official FB page. By profession, Macky is Chief Human Resources Officer. She also practices life coaching and holistic wellness through a unique modality and she has helped change people's lives.
Matt Reed
SDI/TDI Instructor Trainer - Rebreather specialist
Matt is an experienced technical and rebreather diver and Instructor Trainer having studied with some of the world’s best over the years. Matt started as a full time instructor in the UK and since 1999 has lived and worked in some enviable locations around the world. Based in the Philippines since 2003, Matt has made the country his full time home with his wife Anna, and their 2 daughters. Specialising in deep trimix and rebreathers Matt’s current 'fun' diving sees him exploring the deep in the Malapascua area. The Mogami Maru, a Japanese ship from WW2 resting in 50m, and the nearby Pioneer Cebu wreck at 110m, are regular dives, as well as the famous reefs of Monad shoal and Kimud shoal where various species of sharks can be seen up close.
Patricia Yap
Research Associate / Species Distribution Theme Lead of FishBase & SeaLifeBase
Patricia Yap, MSc. is a dedicated marine conservationist with a deep passion for understanding and protecting our oceans. Since 2003, she has been actively involved in projects that empower coastal communities, promote volunteerism, and enhance public access to oceanic data. She advocates for ocean conservation through data-driven initiatives, striving to create a sustainable future for our marine environments.
Rafael Manrique
Director of IMR
Rafael founded IMR together with his wife Chelsea. Born and raised in Peru his passion for marine biology led him to pursue a degree in Marine Biology. His connection with the ocean depended when he became a PADI instructor exploring the intricate ecosystems beneath the waves and witnessing firsthand the beauty and fragility of marine life. As the director of IMR, Rafael has taken on the responsibility of driving meaningful change in the way we perceive and protect our oceans. Together with the IMR team, the institute has developed innovative educational programs aimed at raising awareness about marine conservation strategies among students from all over the world. His vision is to make marine conservation efforts as technologically sophisticated as possible.
Ram Yoro
Underwater Photographer
Ram is a multi-published UW Photographer, Scuba Instructor, and Tech Diver. He was part of several wreck-, reef-, and cave explorations around the Philippines and in Brunei. Back in his base in Anilao, he is considered a pioneer of Bonfire Diving. His works can be seen in the Guide to Anilao, Legends Beneath the Waves, Black is the New Blue, and Coral Reefs of the Philippines among various other publications. When not in the field, Ram keeps busy with UW photo workshops and scuba courses out of his homebase.
Scott Gutsy Tuason
Wildlife Photographer / Owner of Squires Sports Philippines
Gutsy Tuason is a Manila-based diver and nature photographer who started taking underwater photographs 35 years ago. Anilao, a photobook he co-authored, won the P’alme d’Or at Antibes in 2000, putting the then-little known dive spot on the world map for macro photographer. His most recent book, Blackwater and Open Blue, which picked up book of the year at the 2017 Underwater Photographer of the year Competition, explored a new genre of dive photography known as blackwater. As a veteran of the industry, Gutsy works with numerous dive publications, collaborates with leading conservation groups, and represents the Philippines in international expos. When he’s not out diving, Gutsy runs Squires Bingham Sports, a boutique that specializes in scuba gear, underwater imaging, liveaboard charters, and photography workshops.
Sef Alba Carandang
Trustees of Danjugan Island
Sef has over 20 years of experience in development, working with local communities to create sustainable livelihood, protect the environment, and empower women and the youth. As a trustee of PRRCFI, she guides and supports the foundation’s community development program, as well as its environmental education activities, particularly its Nature Tourism Program and its Marine and Wildlife Camps — a pioneer program which the foundation has been running for 33 years. Sef is also a trustee of the UK-based charity Communities for Nature, and is a certified scuba diver, freediver and mermaid of Danjugan Island ?
Takuya Torii
Mr./Corporate Messenger Boy of INON INC.
Takuya is a corporate messenger boy of INON INC., manufacture of underwater imaging gears. During his 20 years’ carrier with the company, he has been driven to develop and serve global market by interacting with enthusiastic people seeking their underwater photographic equipment to showcase beauty of the ocean. He often shows up different dive shows to meet enthusiastic people fascinated in the ocean, diving and underwater imaging, to get inspired himself as one of those people, and to deliver corporate message as well as collecting market needs. This time, he introduces latest compact strobe, unique GoPro system including compactible wet lenses as well as easy and useful accessories for popular TG series. Let’s join to update your “grocery list” during DRT Show Hong Kong.
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