# Siargao

Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 196 kilometers southeast of Tacloban. It has a land area of approximately 437 square kilometres (169 sq mi). The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar. The coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white, sandy beaches. The neighboring islands and islets have similar landforms. Siargao is known as the surfing capital of the Philippines, and was voted the Best Island in Asia in the 2021 Conde Nast Travelers Readers awards.
The island is within the jurisdiction of the province of Surigao del Norte in the mainland Mindanao and is composed of 9 municipalities of Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica and Socorro.
Siargao is a famous tourist destination, well known for its many surfing spots and featured in the film Siargao for such qualities. Surfing is so ingrained in the identity of Siargao, that in 2022, two political families from Surigao Del Norte traded barbs over the cancellation of a national surfing competition hosted on the island.

## Etymology

The name originates from Visayan siargaw or saliargaw (Premna odorata), a mangrove species that grows on the islands.

## History

The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Siargao Island was by Spanish navigator Bernardo de la Torre on board of the carrack San Juan de Letrán in 1543 when attempting to return from Sarangani to New Spain. It was charted as Isla de las Palmas (Palm Island in Spanish).
In 2013, President Noynoy Aquino allocated transparent funds for the modernization of Siargao's airport, the first ever modern development on the island.
Siargao Island was declared a national park under Republic Act No. 11038 (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2018.
On December 16, 2021, Typhoon Rai struck the area as a Category 5 super typhoon. It left the island devastated, with many buildings damaged or demolished. It caused ₱20 billion ($400 million) in damages.

## Geography

Siargao Island contains one of the largest mangrove forest reserves in Mindanao, covering an area of 4,871 hectares in Del Carmen. Long stretches of wetlands indicate a potential for commercial seaweed propagation. The extensive mangrove forests of the western coast in the Del Carmen area are home to the Indo-Pacific crocodile Crocodylus porosus. A large specimen measuring 14 feet 9 inches (4.50 meters) was found dead in 2016
Siargao Island is greatly influenced by the winds and currents coming uninterrupted from the Pacific Ocean, intensified by the Mindanao current running westward through the Siargao Strait. The tide of Siargao is diurnal with tidal curves typically present, especially on the east coast of the island.
The island's Pacific-facing reefs are situated on the edge of the Philippine Trench, and the extremely deep offshore waters assure the ocean swells have undiluted power when they encounter the many coral and rock reefs. Siargao has excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest "habagat" monsoon from August to December when the prevailing wind is offshore.
There are several islands located off Siargao. The islands in General Luna include Guyam Island, Pansukian or Naked Island (a sandbar), and Daku Island. These are typically included in island-hopping tours that are popular activities being offered to tourists visiting the island.
In the western coast in the municipalities of Del Carmen and San Benito are numerous islands, most of which are covered in mangrove forests. These islands include Caob, Pagbasayan, Poneas, Tona, Laonan, and Kawhagan. The tourist attractions of Sugba Lagoon and Pamomoan Beach is located in Kawhagan. The westernmost island of Siargao is Halian (under the jurisdiction of Del Carmen), located in between Siargao and the Dinagat Islands.
Off the southern end of the island are the three Bucas Grande island groups. Two of which, East Bucas Grande and Middle Bucas Grande, are part of the municipality of Dapa, while the largest island, Bucas Grande, is contiguous to the municipality of Socorro. Bucas Grande is known for the tourist attractions of Sohoton Cove, Tiktikan Lake, and the Jellyfish Sanctuary, among others.
In the past, the island could be reached via a direct domestic flight from Manila to Surigao City and then by a ferry to the coastal towns of Dapa or Del Carmen. Now, Cebu Pacific has flights from Cebu-Siargao, vice versa as well as a Manila-Siargao route (it stops briefly in Cebu and passengers then switch to a smaller aircraft). In March 2017, both Cebu Pacific and SkyJet Airlines commenced direct flights to Sayak Airport (IAO) (aka "Siargao Airport") Siargao island from Manila Airport (MNL), the first direct flights to the island from the capital. Additionally, Philippine Airlines has been offering direct flights from Clark International Airport to Sayak Airport since July 1, 2018. There are plans to extend the runway of Sayak Airport in Siargao, to cater to the demands of growing tourists who will be visiting this island paradise.

### Cloud 9

One of the well-known surfing spots in Siargao and the Philippines, with a reputation for thick, hollow tubes is "Cloud 9". This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.
The wave was discovered by travelling surfers in the late 1980s. It was named by American photographer John Seaton Callahan after a chocolate bar of the same name and was featured in the United States–based Surfer magazine in March 1993. This surf trip to Siargao Island was named by Surfer as one of the "Ten Best Surf Trips of All Time" in 1995. Cloud 9 also has a reputation for being a relatively cheap destination for surfers with many accommodations, restaurants, and bars to choose from. There are several other quality waves on Siargao and nearby islands such as Tombstones, but Cloud 9 has received more publicity than any other surf spot in the Philippines. While it is not the only wave in the Tuason Point and General Luna areas easily accessible via the long pier from the shoreline and without the need for a boat, it is easily the most popular, leading to overcrowding and the nickname of "Crowd 9" among surfers.
Siargao, particularly the municipality of General Luna and the Tuason Point area, is well known as "The Surfing Capital of the Philippines" with a reputation among surfers within the Philippines and the International scene.

## Demographics

Siargao Islands have approximately 150,000 inhabitants – 9 municipalities of which Dapa is the largest with 25,000 people as the municipality is also the main entry port for those who travel by ferry from Surigao City in the mainland Mindanao. General Luna has a population of 15,000 and is the main tourist destination due to its closeness to Cloud 9 and other international standard surf spots. A tourist destination, the population in Siargao consist of the native Surigaonons and non-native settlers from Luzon, Visayas and other parts of Mindanao as well as foreigners, making the islands the melting pot of people. Visiting local and international tourists would soon become Siargao's permanent residents after establishing their business there, adding its local population.

## Geology

The Late Cretaceous Dinagat Ophiolite is present on a northeast to southwest trend from Burgos, Santa Monica, and Santa Monica to Esperanza. The assemblage consists of amphibolite, peridotite, gabbro, and pillow basalt. Overlying the ophiolite is the Late Miocene Loreto Formation, which is a conglomerate overlain by sandstone, shale and mudstone. The conglomerate includes clasts of basalt, diabase, gabbro, peridotites, and schists. Overlying the Loreto Formation is the Pleistocene Siargao Limestone, which is a massive reef limestone.

## Awards and recognition

Out of the 85 destinations listed, Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines, is named as the best island in Asia in the annual Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) readers' choice awards for top islands to visit this 2021.

## Gallery

* The beach at Daku Island off General Luna
* Cloud 9 Boardwalk in General Luna
* Doot Beach (also known as "Secret Beach") in Dapa
* Sugba Lagoon in Kawhagan Island, Del Carmen
* Old lighthouse at Pacifico Beach in San Isidro
* Magpupungko Rock Pools in Pilar