Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19) — It may be argued that more people have explored what is out there in space than what is at the bottom of the ocean.
And a Filipino scientist will take the plunge and embark on a historic mission in the hopes of changing that and more.
Dr. Deo Florence Onda, a microbial oceanographer from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, is the first and only Filipino who will soon dive to the third deepest spot in the world, the Emden Deep in the Philippine Trench. The Emden Deep is approximately 10,400 meters deep.
Onda told CNN Philippines’ New Day that since Filipinos have already learned about the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise in the northeast Philippines, now is the right time to “discover the vastness of our resources in the deepest part of the ocean” and for his fellow countrymen to be aware of the extension of their marine heritage.
“If you go to google and look for the whereabouts of the Emden Deep, there’s really limited information about it,” Onda pointed out. “But I hope with this dive, we can pay attention to this unexplored oceanic region and also provide some perspective to the Filipino people of what we could see down there.”
Caladan Oceanic asked Onda to join the Emden Deep Expedition from March 22 to 28, 2021. Caladan Oceanic is a private firm that has been setting records for deepest manned descents in the world’s deepest trenches, with the most recent one in the Marianas in 2019.
Onda said that while he is the one who will go to the depths of the Emden Deep, other Filipinos are also playing important roles in the exploration.
