PESCADOR Island in the town of Moalboal in southern Cebu has formally reopened its shores to tourists, particularly to local and foreign certified divers.The Provincial Task Force, led by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, launched the Dasig Pescador, a volunteerism program on coral aggregation around Pescador Island on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022 to signal the reopening of Pescador to visitors.Garcia, along with several officials including Moalboal town Mayor Paz Rosgoni, Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Engelbert Soriano, Department of Tourism Central Visayas Director Shalimar Hofer Tamano, and other volunteer certified divers, joined the coral planting as part of the rehabilitation around the island.On Jan. 18, the Municipal Council of Moalboal passed a resolution temporarily closing Pescador Island for three months following the destruction of the corals and marine life around the island due to Typhoon Odette (Rai) on Dec. 16, 2021.Various aqua sports activities, including diving, snorkeling, and island hopping, were supposedly prohibited around the island within the said period.However, the governor ordered that the island be immediately rehabilitated so that it can resume operations and provide livelihood to the locals. During the launch on Sunday, Garcia said they could not wait for one to two years in order for the corals to rehabilitate itself.“What will happen to those who are making a living on Pescador Island, the tour boats and dive shops with business, because divers come to see the beautiful corals that are now destroyed,” Garcia said in Cebuano.Garcia recognized that there is an opportunity in the midst of a crisis, which is why she chose to adapt and look for ways to revitalize it.She further said that instead of only watching at corals around the island, this time there will be an added mission, cause, or advocacy that will make the dive of tourists more meaningful considering that they will involve themselves in the coral planting.“Og dinha mahimong mas makahulugan alang sa atong nga divers tungod kay ang ilang pag-dive karon, mapun-an man sa mission nga ma rehabilitate ang mga naguba nga corals through coral aggregation,” she explained.(It can be more meaningful for our divers because their dives now will also be filled with the mission to rehabilitate damaged corals through coral aggregation.)To encourage others to dive around the island, Garcia made a refresher dive along with Rosgoni, who is a diver herself, and joined in the coral planting.Garcia stated that, despite the fact that Cebu Province has approximately five million residents, the tourism industry would be revived even if only half of them visit the resorts.Moalboal is regarded as one of Visayas’ best diving reef locations.