Manila, June 11 -- Around 250 scuba diving enthusiasts are expected to take part in the Dauin Dive Festival in Dauin, Negros Oriental, scheduled from June 25 to 29, 2025.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Galicano Truita announced that this year's festival will mark a shift, as it will be spearheaded by the private sector for the first time, unlike previous years when the government led the initiative.

For the past four years, the event was known as the Dive 7 Festival, organized by the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (Region 7).

However, following the creation of the Negros Island Region-which re-assigned Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Region 7 to a newly established region alongside Negros Occidental-the event was...