U.S. Ambassador dives to Subic Bay shipwreck
Francis Ricciardone, the U.S. Ambassador to Manila, joined Richard Gordon, the Philippine tourism secretary, in a recent deep sea dive to view a sunken American ship in Subic Bay, off Olongapo in central Luzon.
After plunging 90 feet into Subic Bay, Ricciardone and his daughter Chiara, saw the 112-metre-long USS New York, which has remained under water for more than 62 years, said Butch Horacio, Subic's diving instructor.
In 1941, the U.S. Navy sank the USS New York to prevent it from being taken by the Japanese Imperial Army, whose sneak attack on Pearl Harbour had launched World War II.
"There is something ghostly and mysterious," said Ricciardone when he emerged from the sea.
But the shipwreck 'has become a platform for life", because it is now full of corals and various fish varieties, Ricciardone noted.
About 26 ships have sunk in the depths of Subic Bay. Seven of them have remained intact and were spared from looting. Dozens more lay at the bottom of the South China Sea, the tourism department said.
The Spanish colonials used China Sea as a trade route after they had established trade between the colonies, Philippines and Mexico from the 16th to the 19th century.
The tourism department has designated Subic as one of the country's destinations for ship wreck viewing.
The former U.S. Naval Base was located in Olongapo. It was one of the two largest war facilities of the U.S. then. In 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the U.S.-proposed extension of the defunct Military Bases Agreement (MBA) which was the basis of the US presence in the country for almost 100 years.
Ricciardone said the Philippines should be promoted as a tourist destination.
Earlier, the U.S. issued travel advisories to its nationals, saying they should not visit the country due to terror threats from separatist groups and kidnappers.
Ricciardone's presence in Subic is a prelude to a possible reversal of the U.S. travel advisory
After plunging 90 feet into Subic Bay, Ricciardone and his daughter Chiara, saw the 112-metre-long USS New York, which has remained under water for more than 62 years, said Butch Horacio, Subic's diving instructor.
In 1941, the U.S. Navy sank the USS New York to prevent it from being taken by the Japanese Imperial Army, whose sneak attack on Pearl Harbour had launched World War II.
"There is something ghostly and mysterious," said Ricciardone when he emerged from the sea.
But the shipwreck 'has become a platform for life", because it is now full of corals and various fish varieties, Ricciardone noted.
About 26 ships have sunk in the depths of Subic Bay. Seven of them have remained intact and were spared from looting. Dozens more lay at the bottom of the South China Sea, the tourism department said.
The Spanish colonials used China Sea as a trade route after they had established trade between the colonies, Philippines and Mexico from the 16th to the 19th century.
The tourism department has designated Subic as one of the country's destinations for ship wreck viewing.
The former U.S. Naval Base was located in Olongapo. It was one of the two largest war facilities of the U.S. then. In 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the U.S.-proposed extension of the defunct Military Bases Agreement (MBA) which was the basis of the US presence in the country for almost 100 years.
Ricciardone said the Philippines should be promoted as a tourist destination.
Earlier, the U.S. issued travel advisories to its nationals, saying they should not visit the country due to terror threats from separatist groups and kidnappers.
Ricciardone's presence in Subic is a prelude to a possible reversal of the U.S. travel advisory
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