Go Pro
Become a dive professional in Dauin, Philippines
Serious training. People you can get to know.
At Bongo Bongo, professional training is a central part of what we do. Our Course Director, Anthony Cruz, runs the IDCs, with Master Instructors Luna, Magnus and TJ teaching alongside him, and 2026 marks ten years of Instructor Development Courses with us.
Come to develop your skills, ask questions and take your next step seriously. Get to know the people behind the training and the place you'll call home while you learn. Meals at our restaurant and coffee we roast ourselves are part of everyday life here, alongside the diving.
Bongo Bongo at a glance
- PADI 5 Star Career Development Center (CDC) since 2026, a PADI member since 2016 (PADI member number 25463)
- Platinum level in PADI Asia Pacific’s Professional Development Excellence Award, March 2026
- Ten years of Instructor Development Courses: 2026 is our tenth year of IDCs
- PADI Asia Pacific Professional Development Excellence Award, Platinum level, awarded in March 2026
- Three PADI Master Instructors and two affiliated PADI Course Directors in our training community
- Languages: our Master Instructors speak English, French, German, Danish and Filipino
- Where: Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines, with shore diving on Dauin's volcanic sand and day trips to Apo Island
- On site: rooms, a restaurant and our own home-roasted coffee; we're also a PADI Eco Center and a Green Fins member
Platinum: PADI Asia Pacific
Professional Development Excellence Award, March 2026. Platinum is the highest of its four levels and recognises how many PADI professionals a centre trained in the previous year.
Those numbers are our track record, not a promise. We don't guarantee exam results or jobs: the Instructor Examination is run by PADI, and we'd rather tell you honestly where you are than tell you what you want to hear.
See how we teach
Meet the Scuba Instructor Philippines team and see how we train future dive professionals here in Dauin.
Where do you want your diving to take you?
Your starting point might be your first certification, your next professional qualification or the decision to become an instructor. Explore the pathways below, choose the courses you're interested in and see an estimate before sending us your plans.
Become a Divemaster
PHP 60,000
Build the practical skills, judgement and confidence to support other divers. A 6-week programme with unlimited dives on our regular dive schedule.
Divemaster trainingBecome an Instructor
PHP 110,000
Develop how you explain, demonstrate and help people learn to dive. Our IDC includes 5 + 2 free specialty instructor courses, and the PADI Instructor Examination follows straight after.
Instructor trainingKeep developing as a professional
Add specialty instructor ratings and teaching experience after your IDC, including our optional two-week Learn to Teach programme. Talk to the team about what fits your plans.
Talk to us about your trainingCourse prices
Prices per person in Philippine pesos (PHP), current from 26 September 2026. PADI's fees are separate and listed below. Accommodation and living costs are not included.
PADI fees: what's separate and why
Your estimate covers the Bongo Bongo training package you choose. Applicable PADI application, examination and processing fees are additional and shown separately below.
These are PADI's charges for the relevant professional qualifications, not an extra Bongo Bongo training charge. When you compare centres offering the same pathway, check whether their advertised price includes them or lists them separately. We'll confirm which fees apply to your course choices before you commit.
PADI fees for 2026, paid in Australian dollars (AUD), as confirmed by our Course Director on 26 September 2026. PADI sets these fees and can change them; we'll confirm which ones apply to you, and how they're paid, before you commit.
Plan the training. Get to know the place.
Choosing where to train also means choosing where to spend your time. Explore the rooms, talk to the team and ask what a training week at Bongo Bongo could look like. Your course estimate is a starting point, and we'll help you work through the details.
- Rooms at the dive centre, including trainee rates for Divemaster and IDC candidates: a dorm bed PHP 15,000 or a single room PHP 20,000 a month, charged by the week
- Our restaurant and home-roasted coffee
- Getting to Dauin: fly into Dumaguete, and we can arrange a private transfer
Our specialist training site
Our specialist professional-training site, scubainstructor.info, is run by the same team and goes deeper into the instructor programme. Everything you need to plan and price your training is here too.
Questions candidates ask us
Which programme fits my current certification?
If you're a Rescue Diver with Emergency First Response (EFR) training, you're ready to start Divemaster training. If you're a Divemaster (or hold an equivalent leadership rating), the next step is the Instructor Development Course (IDC). If you're newer to diving, you can add Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver first. Build My Career shows each step and its price.
What is the difference between the IDC and the IE?
The Instructor Development Course (IDC) is the training: our Course Director prepares you to teach. The Instructor Examination (IE) is a separate two-day exam run by PADI, held in Dauin straight after our IDC. You pay PADI's IE fee separately.
What do CDC, IDC, IE and MSDT mean?
IDC is the Instructor Development Course and IE the Instructor Examination. MSDT is Master Scuba Diver Trainer, a PADI instructor rating you can earn later by holding specialty instructor ratings and certifying divers; preparing for it doesn't award it. CDC means Career Development Center, PADI’s highest rating for dive centres that train instructors; we have been a PADI 5 Star CDC since 2026.
Are PADI's fees included in your prices?
No. Our prices cover the training with us. PADI's application, examination and rating fees are separate and listed in full above, so you can see the whole picture before you commit.
Which languages do you teach in?
Our PADI Master Instructors speak English, French, German, Danish and Filipino. Ask us which languages are available for the dates you have in mind.
Do you guarantee a job or a pass?
We don't promise jobs, exam results or a fixed finishing date. How long your training takes depends on your experience, the conditions and your progress, and we'll be honest with you about where you are.
What happens after I send my career plan?
We reply by email. We check your certifications and logged dives, suggest dates and confirm the price with you. It's an enquiry, not a booking, and there's nothing to pay at that stage.
How does scubainstructor.info relate to Bongo Bongo?
scubainstructor.info is our specialist professional-training site, run by the same team. Everything you need to plan and price your training, including PADI's fees, is here on divebongo.com.
Talk to us about your training
Tell us a little about your diving and when you'd like to start. We'll reply by email with the details and help you plan your next step.
Haven't decided on dates, or not sure which programme fits? That's fine; just tell us where you are now.
You can also email us at ask@divebongo.com.
This is an enquiry, not a booking, and there's nothing to pay now. We use your details only to reply to you. See our privacy policy.