The Philippines are at the hub of the Coral Triangle, known for bio-diversity and destructive human behavior. Also unique is the phenomenon by which detritus collects on the near shore sea bed to form habitat attractive to an incredible array of species. Visiting the Philippines may underscore 2 extremes: 1) the innate happiness & love of the Philippine people in general and 2) extreme poverty leading to indifference or obliviousness on the country's treasure trove of reef habitat and wildlife. While tourism is the lesser of many evils, its revenue stream now provides livelihood in some key areas and may lead to further realization of what the world will pay to see these things.