My trip to Siargao

It's been a while since I last took a flight from #CebuPacific.  But I have to say the ride was smooth and fun. I have no complains about the legroom.  You can buy snacks on-board.  There was even a game and winners bring home prizes.

The ride \from Sayak Airport to General Luna, SIargao took about 45 minutes.

We were billeted at the #ApsarasTribeSiargao.

 

This island has a very laid back vibes.  Tryke to anywhere is P20 only.  No special rides.  ATMs, there were about three in this area.  But, if you have mobile wallet, you will be fine.

  

Siargao is a growing tourist destination.  Its charm lies within its beautiful beaches and laid-back vibe. In 2018, Conde Nast Traveler named Siargao as the best island in Asia. Surfers from around the world have made this place one of their top choice surfing destinations. 

             

This nice lady is the Mayor of General Luna, Siargao.  Mayor Cecilia ‘Yayang’ Rusillon recently partnered with Globe to help promote her municipality.  Three new cell sites were inaugurated by the telecom giant to boost the LTE signal in Siargao.  One is located in General Luna.

Globe took the chance to flex its muscle and went live straight from Siargao to announce the developments and the company's sustainable efforts in the island.  "We can see the transformation in people’s lives the minute you give them access to the internet in 10 mbps, 20 mbps, where they can now stream video, they can now share the experiences and of course as tourists come, it’s fantastic to have them be sharing that experience to the rest of the world," said Globe CEO Ernest CU.  

  

Siargao will host the #25thSiargao International Surfing Competition from October 4-9, 2019 at the famous #Cloud9, the beach touted to have that perfect 'Tube wave'.  Globe is the official telco partner of the Surf cup.

The company also set up an eco-booth by Cloud 9 where people can trade in their plastics for some goodies. 

Globe is also partnering with local sustainable tourism groups in Siargao like #Lokal, #BayatakanFarmTour and #NaturekidsofSiargao. "We’ve always been a very big believer that business has to be sustainable," the CEO said.

Siargao really boasts of fine white sand beaches.  You can learn how to surf from the locals themselve, of course for a fee. 

      

  

Surfing is now an olympic sports.  We were told that 90% of those who will represent the Philippines will be from this Island.  The top 3 female surfer in the world is in the Philippines-Ana Mae Alipayo.  That's her teaching a batch how to ride the waves and sharing the etiquettes of surfing.

            

    

HoReCa by the beachfront is a dime a dozen.  This one is called MA+D Cafe. That's short of Make Advocacy + Delight.  It's a coffee bar and kitchen that serves erhhh--coffee that's brewed by hand.  

 

This island tries to be environment friendly, at mahihiya ka if you do not follow.  We went to Bayatakan Farm for a farm tour.  A welcome buko juice with papara for straw was served to the guests.  We begin in the Kubo where a short lecture about herbs were shared.  You can pay by Gcash here by the way.

 

The owner of the farma Analyn, personally showed us portions of her farm and taught us how to harvest and plant seedlings.  There was refreshment after all fresh and from her big garden.  You are free to harvest anything.  But you . have to replant what you harvested. It's a win-win of sort.

  

The following day, our group met up with #NaturekidsofSiargao.  Sunny, the girl who helps run this org met with us to explain how things are done.  She said she has been in the country for over seven years now.  She started out as a call center agent until she went to Siargao.  The minute she got one of the municipality she knew this is the place for her.

  

Here they teach kids and the community about dealing with plastics and 

how to upcycle it.  First they receive it, and clean them using a washing machine.  

Like regular laundry after washing, they dry them under the sun. and sort them out .

then they put the plastics into a heavy duty shredder where it is really broken down into tiny pieces, then they convert them to usable materials like bean bags.  these items are sold and money generated from the sale will used for supplies.

To encourage more people to turn over plastics from the garbage, they put up a store where anyone can trade their plastic trash into items like soap, shampoo, noodles or notebooks.  The group who participates more often are the women and the items most bought from the plastic shop is--Spaghetti.

           

Marc Nelson is a supporter of this effort.  "I came here a couple of  years ago and saw what they are doing here.  So every time I come back I make sure I come by to see how they are doing, promote what they are doing a little bit more and try encourage more people to volunteer or to donate," said Nelson.

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Yes, trash is all the fuss in Siargao as in all places in the Philippines.  This place is a booming tourism destination .  "We want Siargao to remain laid back as possible," said Cong. Bingo Matugas of the 1^st District Surigao Del Norte. 

 "We don’t want modernization to come in except maybe for communications.  But for commercialism we want the locals to be the one spearheading the commercialism especially food.  The fast food we don’t want it here," said the congressman.

I agree totally.  So when you go to Siargao, enjoy the waters, see the sunset and sunrise by the beach, walk barefoot on the sands, ride the bike, befriend a local, support small businesses, sort your trash--or in other words--travel responsibly.

That's me with friends from Manila Bulletin, Inquirer, Globe, ABS-CBN and Noli Soli.  Thanks Siargao for the new friends and for the lessons in sustainability.