Siargao on my mind

I went there with a few law school friends in the mid 1990s when it was still a sleepy, teardrop-shaped island in Surigao del Norte.

By 2019, it had been voted by Condé Nast Traveller as the best island in the world.

Indeed, the island of Siargao has become synonymous with surfing, white sand beaches, palm trees, and, of course, the AFAMs — a colloquial term for foreigners in the country.

Siargao is not really associated with running and marathons.

But this notion is about to change.

Last Sunday, around 210 runners from all over the country, with a splattering of foreigners, toed the start line of the 42-kilometer event at Pacifico Beach in the Municipality of San Isidro.

It was the inaugural Siargao marathon that kicked off at 2 a.m. There were likewise 21K, 10K, and 5K events that started later in the day.

Pacifico Beach in San Isidro is some 17 kilometers away from General Luna, the center of the universe as far as the Siargao tourists are concerned.

But holding the race there made a lot of sense.

Just like the other Siargao municipalities, the roads were nearly flawless in San Isidro and the dense growths of Palm trees and the beach made for a very scenic route.

The Pacifico area is quieter and still relatively unspoilt, with just a handful of small resorts. Locals say this is where the more serious surfers who don’t appreciate the crowd in General Luna go.

But “crowded” is not really the word I would use even for General Luna.

For me, Siargao is tourism done tastefully. The road network is better planned, there are strict restrictions on the height of buildings (maximum of two floors), tourist establishments can only stay open until midnight, and only locals can serve as island hopping guides.

There is also a wide range of homestays and resorts for any budget. Unlike the crowded beaches with countless gimmicky activities, Siargao is really just for surfing, swimming, and “doing nothing.”

There are countless restaurants, cafes and bars in General Luna but you will not see a Jollibee, Starbucks or McDonald’s. This is a great strategy to encourage coffee shops and food establishments with a local vibe and flavor to flourish.

Most of all Siargao is generally safe and clean.

It’s the reason why foreign tourists abound and many have decided to stay.

For digital nomads, I can imagine Siargao is paradise. The internet signal is strong even on the boats in between islands.

Indeed, I wonder why it took this long to have a major running event there.

As far as the actual race went, it was relatively well-organized with ample hydration stations.

The out-and-back route on the main road made it impossible to get lost even without marshals. The race singlets and finishers shirts, as well as the medals, were well made with a design that was unmistakably Siargao.

My only complaint was that the race organizer did not arrange shuttle services for runners staying in General Luna, since many did not anticipate the difficulty of finding a ride to and from the race area.

Another complaint, but one that is not race related, is how atrociously expensive the flights to and from Siargao are. In fact, it would have been cheaper to fly to Japan.

Granted that I booked my flight just a couple of weeks in advance, still, it is incomprehensible why it would cost so much.

The almost prohibitive fare has become some sort of a crowd control mechanism, I suppose. But I hope the day will come that it will be more affordable for ordinary Filipinos to go there.

Later on, I learned that the cheaper option is to fly to Butuan and or Surigao City then take a fast craft to Siargao.

Locals talk about the Siargao “curse,” which means that foreigners who go there for a brief visit eventually end up extending their stay and some even staying for good.

Now, I totally get why.