Beyond the Waters:
How Kapuso divers find peace, purpose, and perspective

For many people, the ocean is simply a destination — a place to visit on weekends or holidays. But for some Kapuso employees, it has become something far deeper: a teacher, a sanctuary, and a source of personal transformation.

Whether through freediving or scuba diving, Sparkle artist Mikee Quintos, Senior News Correspondent Bea Pinlac, GMA News’ Sig Iporac, and GMA New Media, Inc. director Arjun Yap each discovered that the greatest treasures beneath the surface were not only coral reefs, whale sharks, sea turtles, or schools of sardines. They found courage, clarity, and a renewed perspective in life.

Finding calm in the blue

For Sparkle artist Mikee Quintos, her relationship with water began long before she discovered freediving.

Long before audiences knew her as an actress, Mikee already knew where she felt most at home. It wasn’t on a stage — it was in the water.

“The water always calmed me since I was a little girl.”

A competitive swimmer since Grade 1, Mikee grew up drawn to water in all its forms — even the sound of rainfall brought her an inexplicable sense of joy.

That lifelong connection eventually led her to freediving, where she discovered a challenge she never expected to love.

Source: 24 Oras Weekend

“When I found freediving and saw how staying underwater was a challenge, I never thought I’d enjoy this much. I fell in love na,” she said with a laugh.

Drowning out the noise

GMA Senior News Correspondent Bea Binlac feels a similar sense of peace whenever she enters the ocean.

“Being in the ocean drowns out the noise and chaos in my life.”

Beach trips were rare during Bea’s childhood because of her parents’ busy schedules. Those rare trips became cherished memories that inspired her to spend more time in and around the ocean as she grew older.

Photo by: Thomas Bannenberg | Pexels

Among her most unforgettable encounters underwater are graceful whale sharks, vibrant coral gardens, sea turtles, and the breathtaking sardine runs of Moalboal. Although Cebu is home to many of her favorite dive sites, Batangas will always hold a special place in her heart. It was there that she took her very first freedive.

For Bea, every descent beneath the surface is more than recreation.

It is another opportunity to understand and ultimately help protect the waters she has come to love.

From fear to freedom

For GMA News’ Sig Iporac, the journey began from an entirely different place. Only eight months ago, he couldn’t even swim.

“A few months ago, I couldn’t even swim. I was genuinely terrified of the sea — even something as simple as riding a boat made me anxious."

Everything changed when a friend challenged him with a simple question: “Paano mo malalaman ang isang bagay pag hindi mo susubukan?” (How will you ever know if you don’t try?)

That question pushed him to face his fear and take his first breath beneath the surface. What followed was an unexpected transformation.

Source: TikTok@sigczar

“In just a few months, the ocean went from being my greatest fear to becoming my sanctuary.”

Every dive reminds him of what he calls the “Turtle Theory.”
“Turtles don’t rush. They don’t panic, and they don’t care who’s ahead of them. They just keep going, one steady stroke at a time, whether the water is calm or chaotic.”

The lesson has stayed with him above the surface — a reminder that slow progress is still meaningful and that peace often comes when we stop comparing ourselves to others.

The beauty of the unexpected

While freedivers experience the ocean through a single breath, GMA New Media, Inc. Senior Manager for Multimedia, Video Production Head, and Director Arjun Yap explores its depths through scuba diving.

For him, the ocean’s greatest beauty lies in its unpredictability.

“Every scuba dive is a different story."

Source: Arjun Yap | 200 Bar Dive Shop

Over the years, he has encountered sea turtles, colorful nudibranchs, schools of jacks, barracudas, whitetip reef sharks, and eagle rays. Yet no matter how many dives he completes, the excitement never fades.

“I think the most amazing thing I encounter underwater is the unknown and the unexpected.” Each encounter reminds him how fortunate he is to witness marine life that few people ever get the chance to see up close.

His favorite dive site is Pagkilatan in Batangas, a lesser-known reef located along the Verde Passage. “It’s not a mainstream dive site, but that’s what makes it so special,” he explained.

Home to thriving coral communities and diverse marine life, the reef offers strong currents, excellent visibility, and an exhilarating drift-diving experience for those fortunate enough to visit.

Lessons from the deep

For all four divers, the underwater world offers more than stunning scenery.

Mikee recalls being awestruck by a massive school of sardines. Bea treasures encounters with whale sharks, sea turtles, colorful corals, and endless sardine runs. Arjun remains captivated by the possibility of discovering something new with every dive.

For Sig, however, one experience at Apo Reef left an especially profound impression. While exploring a sunken fishing vessel and later during Apo Reef’s vibrant coral gardens, he found himself immersed in complete stillnes

“There was no noise, no urgency, no pressure — just flow and awareness.”

At one point, he realized that he was no longer simply observing the ocean. “You stop thinking about the dive entirely. You’re no longer observing it — you’re simply part of it.”

That feeling of presence remains one of the most beautiful experiences he has ever encountered.