SIARGAO: MINDANAO'S SHANGRI-LA OF AN ISLAND By Ariel Allera

SIARGAO: MINDANAO'S SHANGRI-LA OF AN ISLAND

The Philippines is an archaepelago of enticing islands. Not only does it teem with attractions to keep coming back to, it boasts a myriad other reasons why local and foreign tourists would think alike. Because the country is known the world over for its beautiful seascapes, how could the people let go of the best in experience? And there's more to it than just plain beachcombing; that is, if you're thinking of a more exciting experience.

By Ariel Allosada Allera


Invitations to an isolated, far-flung island are seldom to come by. So when one was verbally given me by my newspaper-publisher boyfriend Roel Catoto, how could a manic tripper like me turn it down?

Although I'm no fond of surfing or swimming, I'm basically one to revel at the sight of sea and the sound of waves. Call me a weirdo, but while everybody would keep their fingers crossed, I'd rather thank the universe for the joy of riding a boat that is being rocked by swell, and the once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity of looking over the waves that basically remind how electrifying the current of Mother Nature's blessings for mankind is.

Roughly ten hours after I boarded at the port of Cebu, I found myself setting foot on the city of Surigao, excited to embark another two hours en route to Siargao. My runaway imagination did not shortchange my first impression upon arrival at Dapa port: not to mention being the surfing capital of the Philippines, it is a Shangri-la of sorts, especially where virgin islands and beach hideaways are concerned.

Siargao is one of the lovely islands of Surigao del Norte, a province situated on the northeastern tip of Mindanao. A 36-nautical-mile away from the capital city of Surigao, its eatern coast overlooks the famous Philippine Deep and the Pacific Ocean, where strong winds and currents are coming from, intensified by the Mindanao's current running westward through the Siargao Strait.

In the course of every surfing competition where people from different countries come over to participate and enjoy the waves, this laidback island would turn into every tripper's rendezvous, specifically the town of General Luna, home to one of the world's top surfing waves, popularly called Cloud 9. Surfers and the aficionados alike do not only participate in or witness the competition, they also get to revel at some of Siargao's unlimited offshore and underwater perks such as swimming, snorkelling, diving, sailing, spelunking, and sightseeing.

Swimmers may cross the 27-mile long, white sugar-free sand strip of General Luna. While some would like to ogle the starfishes, the sea urchins, the mollusks, the crabs, not to mention the schools of fish through their diving masks in placid shallow waters of some islets, others could find their way to the Zaragoza Rock Formation in Sibale Island, where there is a one-hectare beach park of dagger-shaped structures standing erect at 20 feet and arising from waist-deep crystal clear waters.

Island hopping is not to be missed once you're in Siargao. Different modes of transport are available for rent: motor launches or the bancas, catamarans, and kayaks. The regulars who don't feel like leaving the place have their own sailboats built there. Of course, there are yachts here and there.

Those who take pleasure exploring the caves and tunnels will not go out of place because Siargao is surrounded with islands that have several of them. The Suhuton Cave in Bucas Grande is submerged in water most of the time, while the Silop Cave in the mainland is cathedral-like caverns glowing with luminescent spires of stalactites and stalagmites. With three tunnels leading to a cavernous tunnel three kilometers long, the Buenavista Cave in Hikdop Island also has a knee-deep pool inside and a palatial chamber replete with a "king's throne." Off the island of Dinagat there's the Suy-ang Cave. Its high Gothic interior makes it a must-see for cave explorers. But for those who want to see a labyrinth of caves interconnected by tunnels and halls, they had better go to the mainland caves of Mapawa because this island teems with the like.

It's quite hard for a nature lover like me to resist the beckoning spots of the springs, the lagoons, the coves, the waterfalls, the mangrove forests, the whirlpools. The list of this island's places of interest does not end here, for there's more in Siargao than all of the above.   As it seemed I was not allowed to leave the place without having been satiated with its splendor, I vowed to the tidal waves, to the powdery white beaches, and to the hospitable people of Siargao that I would be back--- come what may.