Emman 
When pleasantly unexpected events lead to another one, and then add Siargao to the picture, the result is an unexplainable discovery of positive vigor.
I never intended to go to this island.
My way was supposed to be the opposite. I’m going to Davao City to visit a friend but as I landed at the airport, it happens to be that my brother, who was touring around Mindanao Islands on his bike, was also there.
When I was just about 30 minutes away from reaching my final destination, he dragged me 500 kilometers away from where I’m supposed to be.
The reason? We’re going to Siargao Islands – in which, it also happens to be, that my brother was also dragged by his friends to come over. It was never his intention too to come over to the Philippine’s surfing paradise.
From Davao City, we drove for 230 kilometers to stop over at Hinatuan and see the Enchanted River. The river is blue and transparent that you can see the depth of the bottom. You can see how big the fishes are from where we stood at the cliff. The only reason I can find on why it’s called Enchanted River is because you can’t take your eyes off its clear blue waters.
Next, we push to Butuan City, and drove for another 140 kilometers. After 4 hours, bruised thighs and agitating boredom, we took the night off in this city.
The next morning, we traveled the last leg of the trip- which is Butuan City to Surigao City- for two and a half hours to Surigao Port.
That’s where we hop on a ferry going to Siargao and meet the people whom I don’t know, not even the chance to know their names, yet.
On that ferry ride was me, my brother and my cousin Jay, who’s based now on the island guiding travelers and arranging tours. When two unexpected people randomly pop up on this island, with no plans and no direction where to go, my cousin Jay was a point of relief. He and his partner, Ozzie, welcomed us into their home.
Going back to Siargao was new and refreshing. It was never like it was 16 years ago when I first step on to this island. As my brother puts it, “it does not count”. Well, I have to agree it wasn’t.
The thing I remember was that, there’s still no paved roads around General Luna that time. The only thing I also remember was that surfing tower at the place called Cloud 9. I was amazed by the structure because it stands 3-stories high that’s made with nothing but woods and nails. It stands at the reef where it’s closest to the gigantic waves. Its purpose was to be the viewing point of judges and spectators during surfing competitions.
It’s also worth knowing that the reefs on Siargao’s east coast break the waves from the Pacific Ocean before they reach the shore. The coast offers massive waves to surfers and yet the reefs make their shores safe and liveable.
Today, the current situation of the tower never resembled what it was from the first time I’ve been on the island. The year was 2021 when Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) totally swept the whole tower. After the storm, locals went to the beach and saw as if Siargao’s icon have not existed.
Now, I can only wish that they would bring back the tower to its former fame and glory. Can you imagine if something tore down the Eiffel Tower and the City of Paris just left it as it is? Sorry for lamenting.
Despite for that one setback I saw, it seems they get hundreds of good one. I’m here to show you that there’s magic on this island.
Going back to my cousin’s home, and that it didn’t count my trip from 16 years ago, he gave us recommendations on what places we must see- teaching us every route and stops like a good tourist guide should be.
With our motorbikes full of gas, sunnies, hat, and waterproof bags, my brother and I, with the amazingly unexpected people, are ready to experience the Palm Island’s magic.
There were many places around the island that consequently got travelers’ attention- places that are unintended to a tourist’s eyes. One of these was the Catangnan Bridge.
Bridges provide passage over obstacles, making travel easier. But tourists and locals don’t see Catangnan Bridge this way- blame it to the location where they built it. The road link connects two places on the island, which would otherwise require going around a mangrove basin to reach the other end. The other side of the bridge was the mangrove basin, while on the other side was the Pacific Ocean.
The clear water under this bridge invites people to jump over and enjoy the company of unknown people, making friends out of jumping from a bridge. During this time, the air of the scene shifts- beers are out and the street party takes over.
Another beautiful consequence that people took attention to was the coconut view deck. The road up ahead of our journey drops by into this sea of coconut palms. They built the road around a hill where it gave a unique view of these massively abundant coconut trees that stretches to the horizon.
No one planted those coco palms for people to view, and it was not the intention for the road builders to construct the road there, to let people see these coco palms. But these things made a perfect recipe for a tourist attraction.
No wonder why it’s charted as Islas de las Palmas by the Spanish conquerors. The island has not given our Spanish friends a hard time to think what should they call it. Just by the endless coco palms that their eyes can lay upon, the Spaniards decided to call it that way.
But that’s what they call it from the distant. When you look at this island on a magnifying glass, not only they have acres of coconut palms but also mangroves upon mangroves that linger along its shores and rivers. In fact, the word “Siargao” derives from a word Saliargaw, a mangrove species that’s native to the island.
One perfect exhibit for how vast the mangroves are in Siargao was our way towards Sugba Lagoon. At the west part of the island, we rode a boat from Del Carmen port that will take us to Sugba Lagoon. We maze through a series of river bends. What made the bend was the array of mangroves that stretches towards our destination. Everywhere I look, either on port side or starboard, I see nothing but green leaves on the surface of the river, where its twigs and branches stand firm on the river bed. Behind those mangroves is another layer of mangroves, and after that, is another layer until it aches my head on how vast is the expanse of these hardy shrubs.
I can’t help but wonder how wide is these coastal trees occupy and so I went to search for the numbers. The numbers came back, helping me realize that we’re cruising inside of a 4,259-hectare of lush, thick mangrove reserve. As we pass by, the boat greeted these mangroves with its calm waves, and the leaves answered with a slight sway.
That part was the journey, and the destination is another story. It was a lagoon deep within this plantation. As we’re about to arrive, I saw an establishment with no walls, only posts and a roof. Getting closer, behind it was a yellowish rocky hill with a spread of greenery around. The sky was blue, and the water was a crystal blue-green.
The building with no walls was the docking point on where tourists would arrive. We disembarked on a wooden platform and there we see the full beauty of the Sugba Lagoon- an enclosed body of water in the middle of nowhere.
When you look ahead, it’s all just greeny hills. Beneath the flora and fauna was a rocky hill that run down towards the waters of the lagoon. The water is still and calm, more peaceful than the world outside. The sky was cloudless and nothing but blue. They built a wooden jumping board for you to jump on the water, or get the perfect angle for your pictures of the scenery.
Truly, Mother Nature bask this place with her creative hands and made a place that’s so tranquil and quiet. This master stroke of nature was wonderfully placed in Siargao. You will wonder why this island is so blessed with scenic nature that other place would envy of.
And by nature’s made, people also took notice of Magpupungko Rock Pool. On low tide, the waters of Magpupungko Beach draw back to the Pacific Ocean, showing the reef. Then, the changing of tides reveals the clearest natural pool that nature can offer. The reef has a portion of a gaping hole that, when the tide subsides, traps most of the seawater, making an amazing natural pool that the best hotel pools cannot beat.
And of course, your Siargao experience will not be complete if you haven’t taken a ride on its waves.
My friends and I drove 44 kilometers north of General Luna to a surf spot called Pacifico beach. The last portion of the drive goes on a downhill where you can see the beach and the wave, both are white. We stop by on a shack serving drinks and food and then surfing instructors, only in their shorts, came swarming up to ask if we’re interested in a surfing lesson, in which, of course, we all are.
The quickest lesson you can get in your life is surfing. Not over 5 minutes, the instructor said to lay flat on the board, toes should point towards the board, ready to stand up, and then paddle using my arms. As you gain speed riding on the waves, you have to push yourself up, stand using your right foot first, positioned at the back, then followed by the left, place at the front. Make sure that both feet facing the side of the board and then knees slightly bend, look forward.
Pretty simple when you’re still on the sand, practising what to do. Doing it in the actual waves was not so simple as these instructors have it appear on the shore. My arms sore paddling back to the waves, and I can’t understand what my stomach was feeling. Probably because my belly fat was put to an athletic situation.
To people who’s about to try this ride-waving, balancing sport, there’s a reason movies portray surfers as lean, 6-packing abs with muscled arms. There is no media gimmick to make such fantasies about surfing. You’ve got to be physically fit to fully enjoy this sport.
One thing my instructor never mentioned about is maintaining balance. There are people who are naturally good at this balancing act. And some are unfortunate. I’m the unfortunate. I can only envy my friends as I watch them ride the whole travel of the wave towards the shore. While I jump back to my board and paddle, using my soring arms, back to my instructor who’s face was not happy with my performance.
All of these, the adventure and the experience of the marvelous nature of Siargao, were shared by my newfound friends. The places of Siargao are the food, and the people you go see it with are the spices that add flavor to your journey. It seems that stars have aligned that we got to know each other. When pleasantly unexpected events lead to another one, and then add Siargao to the picture, the result is an unexplainable discovery of positive vigor.
It’s not hard to love every square inch of this tear-shaped island. And the people that I have met along the way make it even more stirring.
You can never have enough of Siargao. Who would have thought that one photo of the “perfect wave”, taken by an American, have help put this island under the radar? From then on, not only waves from the sea have come to Siargao, also waves of tourists and travelers coming from around the world.
I don’t know anyone who has been here that doesn’t want to go back. There’s always a reason for yourself to go back to this island, all because of Siargao’s sweet serendipity.