Alfonso Amores (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Alfonso Amores, the reconstructive surgeon and environmentalist scuba diver who died in a diving accident in Surigao Del Sur, was laid to rest yesterday at the Mactan Memorial Gardens after a 10 a.m. Mass at at the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Parish in barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City.
Amores is survived by his wife Luz, a son and two daughters who have their own families.
During the funeral, Dr. Constantino Amores spoke of his late brother’s enthusiasm in appreciating nature.
“Our gathering today is a celebration of his accomplishments where many people and communities have benefited from his contributions,” he said.
Amores was president of the Filipino Cave Divers, a group he founded a year ago and has 12 technical divers as members.
The group promotes cave diving, and explored many sites underwater sites in Surigao Del Sur, Siargao, Cebu and Bohol.
He once said, “exploring underwater caves that have not been explored yet by many divers is a great challenge.”
The surgeon was instrumental in the establishment of Lapu-Lapu’s first two marine sanctuaries.
One is in front of Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and the other is Dakit-Dakit Marine Sanctuary in barangay Maribago.
Lapu-Lapu City now has nine marine sanctuaries due to the coordinated efforts of resort owners, barangays and the Task Force Kalikasan, whose members were trained by Amores.
Andy Berame, head of the Coastal Law Enforcement and Lapu-Lapu City government’s representative in the Task Force Kalikasan, was very close to Amores.
“We went diving together in many underwater caves. His loss was heartbreaking for us in the group of the Filipino Cave Divers,” said Berame.
Mario Marababol, of the Department of Tourism Regional Eco-tourism committee and part-time administrator of Ocean Care Advocates Inc. said Amores contributed much in coastal protection in Lapu-Lapu City and the Mactan Channel.
Amores was also a founding trustee and board member of Ocean Care Advocate Inc., a non-government organization whose thrust and advocacy is the care of the ocean including its marine resources and have been into coastal and marine environment projects.
Ocean Care was managed by the Aboitiz Foundation starting 2005.