Save Our Subic Wrecks!

Welcome to Save Our Subic Wrecks.

Our goals are to promote the responsible and forward-thinking preservation of the Subic Bay wrecks.  YOU can help!

Please read this article, and navigate this site, to get involved with helping to preserve and protect the wrecks of Subic Bay!

Why Preserve the Subic Bay Wrecks?

The Subic Bay wrecks have immense value to the local and national interests of the Philippines, they are;

1) Critical marine ecosystems, providing habitat for thousands of species of corals, fish and other marine animals.

2) Historic monuments with significant heritage value, illustrating the world-shaping events that took place in the Philippines over 200 years of history.

3) A prime attraction for local and tourist scuba divers, who visit Subic Bay specifically to dive upon them, stimulating the local economy and providing a sustainable income for a large percentage of the local population. Without the wrecks, the scuba diving industry in Subic Bay would close-down, and the tourist figures for the area would greatly decline.

Threats Effecting the Subic Bay Wrecks

The wrecks of Subic Bay are globally unique.  They are amongst the only wrecks in the world that are both shallow enough for recreational scuba diving, close to shore and protected from the significant deterioration from storms and ocean currents by the unique topography of the bay.  If adequately protected, these wrecks should remain of interest to divers and historians for hundreds of years to come.  Without protection, they could disappear within a decade.

The primary threats to these wrecks are:

1)  Illegal Salvage.  Over recent years, the volume of illegal salvage work conducted upon the wrecks has increased dramatically.  This salvage is conducted on a small scale, often using hookah (surface supplied) air, small boats and home-made dynamite.  Local divers have noted, recorded and reported the effects of these salvage operations, including an estimated 30 tonnes of metal removed from the San Quentin wreck, to local authorities – but little has been done to interdict these illegal activities. Materials stolen from the Subic Bay wrecks are primarily sold as scrap metal, for a pitiful price, at local scrap metal merchants.

2) Illegal Fishing Methods.  The use of dynamite fishing techniques, whilst outlawed, persists within Subic Bay.  The shipwreck sites are often targeted by fishermen because the wrecks are an ideal habitat for reef fish populations.  Dynamite fishing not only devastates the marine life populations and soft/hard coral growth upon the wrecks – but also causes catastrophic structural damage to the wrecks themselves.

What Can Be Done To Protect The Wrecks?

There are a variety of agencies, organisations and interest bodies who can, and should, strive together to protect the Subic Bay wrecks. These parties should recognize the benefits of wreck protection and seek to actively implement an effective strategy to preserve the wreck sites in Subic Bay.

In particular, the following issues can be addressed:

1) Formalize and publicize the legal protection of the wrecks. 

Republic Act (RA) 4846 and Presidential Decree (PD) 374 recognize the importance of the Philippines’ cultural heritage as well the threats it faces from illegal excavations and cultural property commercialization. Section 2 of both laws states that, “It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to preserve and protect the important cultural properties and National Cultural Treasures of
the nation and to safeguard their intrinsic value.” Under Section 3, “ships or boats in part or in whole,” are part of the definition of cultural properties. Section 4 designates the National Museum as, “the agency of the government which shall implement the provisions of the Act.” Part of Section 12 of both laws states that:

It shall be unlawful to explore, excavate or make diggings on archaeological or historical sites for the purpose of obtaining materials of cultural historical value without the prior written authority from the Director of the National Museum. No excavation or diggings shall be permitted without the supervision of an archaeologist certified as such by the Director of the National Museum, or of such other person who, in the opinion of the Director, is competent to supervise the work, and who shall, upon completion of the project, deposit with the Museum a catalogue of all the materials found thereon, and a description of the archaeological context in accordance with accepted archaeological practices.

The wrecks of Subic Bay should be classified as “important cultural properties” under current legislation, and protected as such.

2)  Enforce active protection of the wrecks.   Also contained in the above mentioned acts and decrees are the penal provisions for violations of the law.  However, these legislations are sterile, unless actively enforced by the bodies responsible – ideally, in coordination with local diving businesses (as represented by the Subic Bay Dive Operators Association) who are willing to serve in a capacity to monitor and report upon the condition of the wrecks.

The Cultural Properties Division (CPD) of the National Museum implements laws on the protection of the Philippine cultural heritage and conducts information dissemination activities throughout the country. To further strengthen the implementation of its mandate, the National Museum coordinates with other Philippine government agencies such as the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Local Government Units (LGUs) that could be tapped for policing, monitoring and management purposes. The National Museum is also a member of the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee NALECC), Sub-Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, composed of directors of concerned government agencies. This is a venue for discussing environmental and cultural concerns at the senior level for immediate action.

The latest legislation related to UCH is Republic Act 10066, the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, this was approved on March 26, 2010. Article III Section 11 is a very important amendment to the previous laws since it states:

No cultural property shall be sold, resold, or taken out of the country without first securing a clearance from the cultural agency concerned. In case the property shall be taken out of the country, it shall solely be for the purpose of scientific scrutiny.

What can YOU do to help?

Please help to support our cause – once the wrecks have gone, they are gone forever!

1) Visit the EMAIL CAMPAIGN page and send some lobbying emails to the bodies listed, expressing your concern over the destruction of the Subic Bay wrecks.

2) LIKE! our campaign on Facebook. Google +1 to spread the word. Share this on Twitter. Please help spread awareness anyway you can.

3) Sign our PETITION.  Show those with the power to protect the wrecks that people do care!

4) Educate others about the value of shipwrecks as historical, ecological and sustainable tourism interests (resources).

5) Print out the POSTER and display it where you can (legally).

6) CONTACT US  to report any damage to, or illegal activities upon, the Subic Wrecks.