Anilao Underwater Shootout stages a successful comeback!
Amateur and professional underwater photographers, divers, and marine enthusiasts once again masterfully captured the beauty of Anilao in the entries to the 7th Anilao Underwater Shootout (AUS), recently mounted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) of the Philippines.
Dubbed as the “World Cup of Underwater Photo Competitions,” the four-day event highlighted the town’s teeming marine biodiversity, including its world-famous nudibranchs.
The event showcased the country’s readiness to welcome back tourists and reclaim its position as the world’s leading dive destination. Supporting the Department of Tourism’s thrust to safely restart tourism in the country, more than 95 percent of the tourism workers in dive destinations are now fully vaccinated.
Gathering a total of 120 participants flying in from all over the country, the event also spurred domestic tourism activity in Anilao, trickling down to the community with engagement from the town’s resorts, dive guides, and spotters.
This year’s edition garnered a total of 348 entries across the competition’s 11 categories. Winners were awarded over two million pesos worth of prizes from its official airline partner Cebu Pacific, underwater photography gear from event partners Nauticam, Scubalamp, and sponsors AOI, XDEEP, Crest, Fourth Element, Divers Point, Nautilus Dive, and Sports Center, Squires Bingham, and Ultralight Control Systems, Inc.
The Winners
Open Class
Macro/Supermacro category
1st place: Dennis Corpuz
2nd place: Marivic Verdadero Maramot
3rd place: Emil Ribaya Jaranilla
Marine Behavior category
1st place: Ariel Careño Locsin
2nd place: Glenn Ian Diaz Villanueva
3rd place: Adrian Dan
Nudibranch category
1st place: Dennis Corpuz
2nd place: Glenn Ian Villanueva
3rd place: Armida Esteban
Fish Portrait category
1st place: Dennis Corpuz
2nd place: Louis Myse Fae Ronquillo
3rd place: Angelyca Paras Nery
Compact Class
Macro/Supermacro category
1st place: Rafael Francisco
2nd place: Jorge Ida
3rd place: Fr. Nemer de Castro Chua
Marine Behavior category
1st place: Regie Casia
2nd place: Lloyd Respicio
3rd place: Anjeanette Fuentebella
Nudibranch category:
1st place: Penn De Los Santos
2nd place: Kim Morfe
3rd place: Armando Panopio
Fish Portrait category
1st place: Teresa Sy Ortin
2nd place: Patricia Santos
3rd place: Ronald Amboy Dalawampo
Special prizes were awarded to Dennis Corpuz in the Blackwater category and Paul Joseph Aristorenas in the Wide Angle category.
Teresa Sy Ortin and Dennis Corpuz were named DOT Photographers of the Year for the Compact and Open classes respectively.
The international event has been organized by the DOT since 2013, in line with the identification of diving as a priority tourism product in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP). This year’s panel of judges includes renowned underwater photography aficionados David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes, Mike Bartick, Scott Gutsy Tuason, William Tan, and Underwater360 Group founder John Thet.
Following COVID-19 restrictions, the event followed a hybrid format with underwater photography workshops hosted via Zoom and the competition’s official Facebook page. Judging and deliberations were also done through the video-conferencing application.
The 7th Anilao Underwater Shootout was mounted in partnership with Mabini Tourism, DOT Region 4 A Calabarzon #DiscoverCalabarzon, Solitude Acacia Resort, Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort, Crystal Blue Dive Resort, Nauticam, Scubalamp, AOI, and Scubastudio Philippines. The event is also supported by Wetpixel, Underwater Photography Magazine, Underwater 360, and GRID Magazine.
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