Del Carmen from 2G to 3G

The strong partnership between SMART Communications and the Municipality of Del Carmen has resulted into the upgrading of the mobile technology in Del Carmen from 2G to 3G with Smart Canopy. This will increase the stability of the signal and access to internet connectivity benefiting the students, teachers, business community and government service delivery. New Service is targetted to start on February 29, 2012. Mabuhay ang Del Carmen! Mabuhay ang SMART!

Source: Municipality of Del Carmen

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Government Assistance Benefits Island Towns

26/02/2012 - DAPA, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines – At least 16 organizations in various communities of the three towns on this “paradise island” received some P2.9 million assistance from the government’s Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program.

The cash assistance was received by the 16 organization-beneficiaries in the towns of Dapa, Del Carmen, and Pilar.

The SEA-K aid was personally handed over by the Caraga Livelihood Unit of the Region-13 office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-13) Thursday.

DSWD-13 Information Officer Leah T. Quintana said the 16 organizations are composed of some 325 members that benefited from the SEA-K – a national government effort to alleviate poverty.

Meanwhile, Roy Serdeña, of the DSWD-Caraga Livelihood Unit, also said that the beneficiaries will use the financial aid in venturing to other livelihood opportunities.

SEA-K aims to provide the poor and disadvantaged sector of society with timely access to credit and development opportunities.

This initiative was realized during the previous administration and is continuously implemented by the present administration.

In another development, to supply the demand, the City Agriculturist’s Office in Butuan City has dispersed hundreds of tilapia fingerlings to various fishpond operators and fisherfolk.

City Agriculturist Bert Boca said around 500 tilapia fingerlings had been distributed to fishpond operators and fisherfolk in line with the aquaculture project implemented by the city government.

He said the tilapia business is increasing in the city and its neighboring areas in the Caraga Region, prompting the city government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities.

It was learned that event the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is assisting the fisherfolk in Butuan City in an effort to increase their fish production.

The said activity will be continued this year, as it was observed that the conduct of the program was made successful.

According to BFAR, tilapia is the second most important fish that is cultured in the Philippines, next to milkfish.

In 2006, of the total fisheries production – some 4,408,472 metric tons, tilapia contributed 202,040.56 metric tons or 22 percent.

The continuous study on the development of tilapia species and the use of a number of various culture technologies contributed to this steady increase of the fish production in Northeastern Mindanao, BFAR added. (Manila Bulletin)

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5th Siargao International Game Fishing Tournament

The municipality of Pilar in Siargao Island will once again host the first and biggest international game fishing tournament from April 26 to 30, 2012. The town is expecting more than eighty anglers from the different countries in the world such as Japan, Singapore, Russia, United States, Germany, Switzerland and China to join the tournament.  For more information or details of this event, please email us at zenpallugna@yahoo.com.ph or visit our website www.siargaogamefishing.com or www.travelwithzen.blogspot.com.

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Siargao’s Cloud 9 ranks top 8 of the world’s 50 best surf spots

Siargao Island's Cloud 9 surf break ranks top 8
in CNNGo's World's 50 Best Surf Spots.
(Photo by: Aye Navarro)

CNNGo, an ultimate travel website of CNN International (www.cnngo.com), recently featured Siargao Island’s Cloud 9 as top eight (8) of the world’s 50 best surf spots. As a Southeast Asian country, Philippines or Siargao Island in particular, ranked second to Indonesia’s Uluwatu and Kuta surf breaks as it shared top 3 spot.

World’s 10 Best Surf Spots (Source: CNNGo, 2012 )

1. Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii, United States (The daddy of all waves)
2. Supertubes, Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
3. Uluwatu and Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
4. Superbanks, Gold Coast, Australia
5. Mavericks, California, United States
6. Lima, Peru
7. Hossegor, France
8. Cloud Nine, Siargao Island, Philippines
9. Sultans, North Male, Maldives
10. Honolua Bay, Hawaii, United States

With this pronouncement of CNNGo, Siargao is once again creating a “buzz” among the surfers and surfing enthusiasts to discover and explore Cloud 9, aptly described by CNNGo ---  “This dramatic and powerful reef break, which crashes onto shallow razor sharp coral, offers right and left death rides to those who dare. Those who do will experience a slice of paradise, or magic mushroom-like hallucinations, as the wave wraps over them like a Cornish pasty shaped cocoon of water. Don’t slip, or your skin and bones will be ripped to shreds by the ocean bed.”

However, whether you are a beginner or a pro surfer, you are all welcome to “experience a slice of paradise” in Siargao Island. Aside from world-class waves, Siargao Island --- a tropical paradise of Surigao del Norte --- offers beautiful white-sand beaches and islets, naturally-carved tide pools, mangrove forests, coves, caves, and schools of non-stingy jellyfish.  The beautiful smiles, the warmth and hospitality of the islanders, inadvertently made it a must see destination. 

You will also enjoy the different surf spots in the island any time of the year. The local surfers are very much willing to be your surf guides or surf instructors.

Cloud 9 is the surf break in Siargao Island named after the local no-melt chocolate bars. It was discovered by John Callahan, a famous American surf photographer and writer. The photographs and articles he wrote about his surf expedition to Siargao Island in 1992 made Cloud 9 a famous surfing haven in the Philippines.  It is recognized as one of the surfers dream breaks in the Pacific Region (Nelson & Taylor, 2006) and considered as the Surfing Capital of the Philippines. 

Before the advent of sports tourism, the people of Siargao Island were largely a community subsistent on fishing and farming with the island having inadequate infrastructure facilities and poor road conditions.  

With the growing popularity of Siargao Island as a surfing destination, the municipality of General Luna and the entire Siargao Island caught the attention of the national government and local and foreign investors. Tourism-related investments projects and project support started pouring in, in the form of road concreting, airport expansion, seaport construction, and water supply and tourism facilities or resorts construction. It is also expected that with the “buzz” created by CNNGo, Siargao Island will have an increased visitor arrivals and vibrant local economy.  

Anyone interested to surf at Cloud 9 or spend your holiday in the Island, just send an email to Philippine Surfing Federation, zenpallugna@yahoo.com.ph (e-mail) or call us at +63 9296721508 (mobile).

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