This notice applies to LA TORTUE DIVE CENTER, which operates this website and provides accommodation, restaurant, resort, diving, training, and related services.
1. Who we are
The personal information controller covered by this notice is LA TORTUE DIVE CENTER, a sole proprietorship registered with the Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue under BIR registration number 079RC20240000007563.
The business operates from Bonifacio Street, Masaplod Norte, 6217 Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines.
You can contact us about privacy at latortue.info@gmail.com or +63 969 529 1297.
2. Information we collect
Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect:
- your name, email address, telephone number, nationality, arrival and departure details, booking dates, requested services, messages, and other booking information;
- valid identification details and, where required for accommodation or legal compliance, a copy of an identification document;
- payment and invoice information, including the payment method and transaction reference, but not the passwords or login credentials for your payment account;
- for divers, certification details, training records, date of birth or age, emergency contact information, dive history, signed releases, and equipment records;
- medical questionnaire answers and medical clearance where required for diving safety;
- identifiable photos or videos taken during your stay or activities when you give specific permission for their publication; and
- technical information about use of this website, such as pages viewed, interactions, browser or device information, and cookie preferences.
Please provide accurate information and avoid including unnecessary sensitive information in general enquiry messages.
3. Why and how we use personal information
We process personal information only for specified purposes, including to:
- answer enquiries and prepare, confirm, administer, modify, or cancel bookings;
- provide accommodation, restaurant, diving, training, excursion, and related guest services;
- verify identity, diving certification, age, medical fitness, and participation requirements;
- protect the health and safety of guests, staff, and other divers and respond to emergencies;
- process payments, issue invoices, keep accounting records, and comply with legal obligations;
- handle feedback, complaints, disputes, and legal claims;
- operate, secure, measure, and improve the website and our services; and
- publish identifiable guest photos or videos for social media or promotional purposes only with specific permission.
Depending on the situation, processing is based on the performance of a booking or service contract, steps taken at your request before a booking, compliance with a legal obligation, protection of life and health, our legitimate business interests, or your consent where Philippine law requires it. Medical information is sensitive personal information and is used only to assess diving fitness and support safe participation.
We do not currently use guest information for promotional email or message campaigns, and we do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
4. Who may receive personal information
Relevant information may be used internally to coordinate your stay, booking, payment, diving activity, or safety. Access is limited to staff who need the information for their work, including authorised reception and diving staff.
We may also disclose limited information to:
- Booking.com, Airbnb, or another booking platform you use;
- SSI Philippines and the MySSI service for diver profiles, training records, and certification;
- banks and payment services used for your transaction, including GCash, Wise, Remitly, and PayPal;
- Netlify for website hosting and form processing, and Google Tag Manager or connected analytics services when analytics consent is enabled;
- local transport or tour providers, normally limited to your name and relevant arrival or departure information;
- accountants, professional advisers, insurers, emergency or medical responders, and public authorities when reasonably necessary or legally required.
Some providers may process information outside the Philippines. Their handling of information is also governed by their own privacy terms and applicable safeguards.
5. Storage, security, and retention
Records may be held in electronic booking records, the MySSI service, email accounts, and paper files stored in our office. We use reasonable organisational, physical, and technical measures to limit unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or loss.
Our standard retention periods are:
- Diving records and forms: up to five years, after which local records are securely disposed of. Records held in MySSI may remain subject to SSI's own retention requirements.
- Other booking, enquiry, identification, and operational records: generally up to one year after the stay, activity, or closure of the enquiry, unless a longer period is required for a dispute or by law.
- Invoices and accounting records: five years from the day following the deadline for filing the relevant return or, for a late filing, from the actual filing date. Records may be kept longer when required for a pending tax matter or by another law.
- Published photos and videos: until they are no longer needed for the permitted purpose or permission is withdrawn. Removal from third-party social media services may remain subject to their own systems, backups, and legal requirements.
When a retention period ends, paper records are securely destroyed and electronic records are deleted or anonymised where reasonably possible. Backup copies and records controlled by third-party platforms may remain for their normal deletion cycle or legal retention period.
6. Website forms, cookies, and external links
When you use our contact form, Netlify processes the information submitted so that we can receive and answer your request. If you contact us through WhatsApp, a booking platform, or another external service, that provider also processes your information under its own privacy terms.
| Technology | Purpose | Choice |
|---|---|---|
| Local storage | Stores your cookie choice and analytics preference. | Required to remember your selection; you can clear it through your browser. |
| Google Tag Manager and connected analytics | Measures website traffic and interactions so we can improve the site. | Optional and loaded only after analytics consent. |
| Embedded or linked third-party services | Provides maps, booking, social media, messaging, and other external features. | The provider's terms apply when you use or open the service. |
You can change your analytics choice at any time through Cookie settings.
7. Your data privacy rights
Subject to the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules, you may have the right to:
- be informed about the processing of your personal information;
- request access to and a copy of information we hold about you;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- object to certain processing or withdraw consent where consent is the basis;
- request erasure or blocking where the legal conditions are met;
- request data portability where applicable;
- claim damages and lodge a complaint with the Philippine National Privacy Commission.
Some requests may be limited by safety, contractual, accounting, certification, legal-claim, or other lawful retention requirements. We may ask for information needed to verify your identity before acting on a request.
8. Contact and updates
To exercise a right, ask a privacy question, or request removal of an identifiable guest photo, contact latortue.info@gmail.com. Complaints may also be submitted to the National Privacy Commission.
We may update this notice when our practices, providers, or legal obligations change. The current version will be published on this page with its revision date.