Image courtesy Philippine Paragliding & Hang Gliding Association

The Philippine Paragliding & Hang Gliding Association was officially registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission this month in Metro Manila, to further develop the fledgling air-sports of paragliding and hang gliding around the Philippines.

Paragliding in particular is a burgeoning adventure sport that has attracted individuals from all walks of life because it gives the freedom of the skies, using the same principles the have kept raptors aloft since the dawn of the dinosaurs.

Photo courtesy Unilox Industrial

The Philippine Boat Show Sea-Expo 2010 is a great venue for the water sports professional to understand the technology that makes the nautical lifestyle cost-effective and environmentally friendly, simply by choosing the right propeller.

Do you know why there are so many different designs of propellers available for boats and jet skis? And do you know that buying the right one for your boat or jet ski can make you go faster, more safely and maximize fuel economy? Come and educate yourself at the Philippine Boat Show Sea-Expo 2010.

Image courtesy Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) is now in its 15th year at Clark Field, Pampanga. The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is simply biggest festival celebrating things airborne in the Philippines and brings the hottest balloons and flying machines together for four days of fun and spectacle.

Hot-air balloons lift off after 6.00am and return in the afternoon around 4.00pm'ish. In between the hot-air balloon take-off and return there are flying displays by microlight/ultralight airplanes, skydivers, paragliders, motorised paragliders and possibly, this year for the first time, glider sailplanes.

Photo courtesy John Smart

The PSS 10th National Caving Congress will be held in Davao del Norte amongst the spectacular near-virgin caves in limestone hills and mountains surrounding Kapalong.

Under the auspices of the Philippine Speleological Society, and organised in conjunction with the Davao Speleological & Conservation Society, the PSS 10th National Caving Congress's four-day caving event will introduce a dozen Kapalong caves to visitors from around the Philippines and from around the World. The primary theme of this 10th National Caving Congress will be “A Decade of Pursuit Towards Responsible Caving”.

Photo courtesy Aquaventure Whitetip Dive Supply

The Philippine Boat Show Sea-Expo 2010 is not just about boats, nor is it simply a nautical lifestyle event. The Philippine Boat Show Sea-Expo 2010 is also about introducing the latest trends and technology that make life wearable.

To lose weight is a goal of millions who want to get into the wearable lifestyle but only now is it something applicable to scuba diving. Last week GetWet spoke to Aquaventure Whitetip Dive Supply, at their Manila headquarters, to discover what was new in scuba diving in 2010,and some of the new is very surprising.

Photo courtesy batsanctuary.org

13th January 2010; Samal Island - Philippine fruit bats that roost on Samal Island were officially accorded the Guinness World Record of largest colony of any fruit bat species. On any given day approximately 1.8 million Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats (rousettus amplexicaudatus) inhabit the Monfort Bat Cave on Samal Island.

The Monfort Bat Cave & Conservation Foundation aims to protect the Samal Island fruit bats through research programs that lead to better education and conservation of habitat. Education programs will foster a greater understanding of the role of fruit bats and dispel the myth that fruit bats compete with humans for food when the reverse is actually true. Samal Island and the nearby provinces of Davao would not enjoy such an abundance of durian and other tropical fruits if it were not for centuries of natural seed and fertilizer dispersal undertaken free of charge by the fruit bats.

Photo courtesy Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation

West Pacific Hobie Championships (19-22 February, 2010) in Boracay, Philippines. Boracay has been the venue for Philippine Hobie Challenge events in 2000, 2006 and 2009 over the years, and since 2001 the annual Hobie 16 Boracay Cup has been held in the clear windy waters off Boracay. Boracay is the ideal location for Hobie racing. In February the predominant Amihan (northeast monsoon) provides good winds and calm waters inside the reef, for a first class, safe racing environment. Being so close the famous powder-soft white sand of Boracay Beach it is also a fantastic place for photographers and casual spectators.

Photo courtesy Bernadette Villaluz

The 39th annual Iloilo Paraw Regatta will be taking place between 19th and 21st February, 2010, along the Iloilo waterfront. The Iloilo Paraw Regatta 2010 is definitely the longest running competitive sailing event in the Philippines and probably the longest running competitive sailing event in Asia, next to the China Sea Race.

One of the most interesting aspects of this sailing event is that most of the sails are uniquely painted for the occasion. Local schools and colleges are encouraged to let loose their art students in a frenzy of creative daubing and there are prizes for the best paraw sail designs as well as for the best sailing performance on the water.