Elite surfing meets perk up Siargao’s tourism industry

SURIGAO CITY – The recent bombing in Davao City failed to dampen the booming tourism industry of Surigao del Norte, particularly Siargao Island which has been welcoming foreign and local tourists since early this week for the 2016 Siargao National Surfing Competition and 2016 World Surfing Cup slated next week and the last week of this month, respectively.

Hotels, resorts, inns and lodging facilities in nearby “Cloud 9”, site of the two national and world surfing events in General Luna town are already teeming with tourists as well as guests of various local government units and private groups and organization from different parts of the Philippines and the world.

Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol F. Matugas and General Luna town Mayor Jaime P. Rusillon are both optimistic that this year’s surfing events will put Siargao Island an d Surigao del Norte in the global tourism map.

Several of the world’s top surfers are already in General Luna since early this month to prepare for the surfing competitions, Rusillon said.

The 2016 Siargao National Surfing Competition is slated from Sept. 18-21 while the 2016 World Surfing Cup is on Sept. 22-25, 2016.

“We already saw the influx of foreign and domestic tourists because of the surfing events and we also expect more revenues and livelihood opportunities for the villagers within the surfing areas and neighboring areas as more tourist spots and amazing and beautiful white sand beaches, rock formations and newly discovered tourism areas will be explored by our tourists,” said Matugas.

He said that aside from white sand beach resorts, Siargao Island also has a number of tourist attractions like the island and islet hopping, natural rock formations, lagoons, caves in Bucas Grande in Socorro.

Matugas also acknowledged the regional and provincial tourism offices, province’s local government units as well as other sector including mining companies for building more tourism infrastructures.

She added that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH 13) under the leadership of Regional Director Engr. Danilo E. Versola, Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority has initiated multi-million peso projects in Surigao del Norte and Siargao Island to boost its transformation into one of the country’s tourism hubs.