Summer means SURFING in Siargao Island

Summer means SURFING as Siargao Island hosts this year's Siargao Girls International Summer Surfing Cup from May  1 to 4 and 14th Siargao National Surfing Cup from May 5 to 9.  

Women surfers from all over Asia will converge at Cloud 9 surf break in General Luna as they vie for the Php300,000 or approximately US$7,000 total prize-money. This is a historical landmark in the progression of Philippine surfing as it is the first time that Asian Surfing Championship [ASC] tour included Philippines in a multi-country, multi-event professional surfing competition circuit.  The ASC circuit will be held in five countries, namely: Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and now PHILIPPINES. 

  The ASC works with local, national and multinational event sponsors and organizers to maximize the results of the competitive surfing events towards accomplishing the goals of sharing the sport of surfing and bringing positive economic, social and environmental benefits to the people in these Asian countries.

Siargao Island is very fortunate to be chosen as venue of this ASC through the initiative of the Philippine Surfing Federation and General Luna Mayor Jaime Rusillon.

The ultimate goal of the ASC is to grow the sport of surfing in Asia from the grassroots level by assisting each country in creating organized and sanctioned events that will develop the skills of their surfers in healthy competition as well as to draw attention to their area for the progression of surfing locally, nationally, and throughout the Asian region.

As an ASC sanctioned event, it is expected to draw around forty surfers from Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Philippines. 

The 14th Siargao National Surfing Cup, on the other hand, is the inaugural event for the Philippine Surfing Championship tour [Part 3]. the tournament will take off in Siargao and travels to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte in August, Guiuan in Eastern Samar in October, Lanuza in November and Cabugao in December [final leg]. This is a joint effort of the surfing destinations in the country to promote surfing as a sport and at the same time increase tourist arrivals to these emerging destinations. The top 12 junior [ages 21 years old and below] and senior [21 years old and above] Filipino surfers will be selected and they will have the opportunity to represent the country in the international surfing competitions and get surf companies to sponsor them as riders. They will also represent the country for the Billabong Pro-Junior event and 18th Siargao International Surfing Cup in September this year.

Mayor Rusillon announced that during the women's event,  the municipality will also be staging the General Luna Beach Volleyball Tournament from may 2-4. It will be held night and day at the beach area of Paseo de Cabuntog Boulevard. He said that this is the first time, this event is supported by the PSC or Philippine Sports Commission's Philippine Volleyball Association. According to him, PSC Commissioner Chito Loyzaga committed to send around teams for the tournament. this is another breakthrough to siargao as the 'beach volleyball destination' next to Boracay.

These events would not be possible without the full support of Surigao del Norte's working couple, Congressman Francisco "Lalo" Matugas and Governor Sol Matugas. These events have flourished over the years and brought several tourism benefits to the island.  These tourism benefits include: 1) made Siargao as the Surfing Capital of the Philippines and top 8th world surfing destination, 2) made Siargao as the Fishing Mecca in the Philippines, 3) based on the tourism statistics, the jobs and income generated from spending by visitors was approximately P1.5 billion (tourist receipts) and created more than 34 thousand jobs in 2010, 4) enticed more foreign and local investors, and 4) improved the island's infrastructure facilities from accommodation, road networks, seaports to aiports. Tourism infrastructure-related projects include:  Cloud Nine's wooden footbridge and tower, homestay program in Pilar, boat ramp in Pilar, Tourism Lounge and Cottages at Mangpopongko Beach, water system in Pilar, road network improvements, Sayak Airport expansion and the regular direct flight of Cebu Pacific from Cebu to Siargao four times a week.  

These surfing events are brought to you by the Office of the Congressman of the First District of Surigao del Norte, Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte, Local Government Unit of General Luna, Philippine Surfing Federation, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and the Philippine Department of Tourism.

For more details of this event, please email us at zenpallugna@yahoo.com.ph or call/text at +639296721508 or visit www.travelwithzen.blogspot.com.

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P802-M budget to make Siargao a prime tourist destination

SAYAK AIRPORT, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, Mar. 18 (PIA) -- Finally, the Eden-like island that is Siargao Island has been noticed, and big time at that. In an objective to make the “paradise island” of Siargao the country’s modern tourist destination, a proposed P802-million budget for 2013 was strongly endorsed on Friday.

Surigao del Norte Representative Francisco T. Matugas made the endorsement as he briefed Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas during the inauguration of the newly completed P25-million Sayak Airport terminal here.

Matugas said the proposed budget will make Siargao Island and other tourist destinations in the province more globally competitive.He said the proposed fund will be used to complete all road networks to the various tourism sites. “We hope this budget proposal will be given priority next year because we are really aiming high to make this part of Mindanao globally competitive,” stressed Matugas.

Currently, in prepping up Siargao for bigger things, more than P100 million worth of various infrastructure projects such as roads, municipal and barangay (village) ports, and other national government offices are undergoing construction on the island’s nine towns.

The provincial government is also preparing for a five-day global fishing competition slated from April 28 to May 1, this year in Pilar town.

In another development, the Region-9 office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-9) said that President Aquino is expected to lead the inauguration of the P342  million Sanga-Sanga – Lapid-Lapid steel bridge in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi early next month.

Bridge Project Engineer Jul-Arab Kong of the DPWH-9 said that by April of this year, the bridge will be made opened to the public.

DPWH-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DPWH-ARMM) Secretary Emil K. Sadain pointed out that after decades at attempting to construct the bridge project, “it is only now that we are to realize it.” The steel bridge is expected to spur economic growth and boost the social transformation of Tawi-Tawi.

The bridge, one of the priority projects of the national government, will connect the capital town of Bongao to the municipalities of Panglima Sugala, Sapa-Sapa, Tandubas, and Lunguyan.

“Most people in this province are eagerly waiting for the completion of the bridge since it will reduce travel time to this (Bonago) town,” Sadain was told.

The project, which started in 2008, has five components – the upgrading of the 7.6-kilometer Sanga-Sanga Road, upgrading of the 8.45-kilometer Lapid-Lapid Road, construction of Sanga-Sanga Bridge, construction of the Lapid-Lapid Bridge, and the implementation of the Bakhaw Dakula Link Road. (NCLM/MUC/PIA-Caraga)

Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1701332034194

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