For most Filipinos—and the entire world included—Siargao is known as the top surfing destination of the Philippines, and maybe even the planet. Surfing schools pepper the tourist town of General Luna and the world-renowned Cloud 9 beach has been hosting an international surfing competition for the past 25 years. So if there’s one thing the locals of Siargao expect you to do, it’s to surf.

But surprisingly, this trip wasn’t about surfing at all. It was about exploring its cultural side: the people, the challenges of the community, and, most interestingly, the solutions to problems like waste management that the locals are coming up with. Enter Globe’s Siargao Sustainable Tourism Week.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBE

In partnership with the Department of Tourism to encourage eco-friendliness in the Philippines, the telco company visited Siargao to collaborate with local businesses advocating sustainability. After all, the island’s primary problem was waste management, according to Surigao Del Norte representative Francisco Matugas II, due to the influx of tourists. So what better way to help solve the problem than to make the tourist spots themselves a more eco-friendly zone?

Globe’s initiative was also about making local businesses more competitive by improving their connectivity. Now, there are new cell sites, fiber internet, and GCash coming to the island—a win-win for both locals and tourists.

We tagged along on the trip and paid a visit to all the businesses that Globe partnered with. As a first-time visitor of Siargao, I was able to have a more 360-degree experience of the island. And honestly, missing out on surfing wasn’t such a bad thing. Check out our tried-and-tested Siargao itinerary sans the beach.

Join a cultural land tour

Bathala Land Tours’ new handpainted jeepney takes tourists on a cultural land tour around the island.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the island—aside from the waves—is the community within. The people of Siargao are warm and welcoming by default, and part of the experience is to immerse yourself in their daily lives.

If you want to explore the beauty of the island and learn about local craftsmanship firsthand, join a Bathala Land Tour. An entire day lets you create baskets with local weavers, drink coffee with beans sourced from small-time farmers all over the country, and go on a boat ride on the rivers of Pilar just to name a few.

You can reach Bathala Land Tours at 09950117805 or [email protected]. Check out their Instagram at @bathalasiargao.

Volunteer at a recycling studio

The colorful bean bags are the output of the kids and the volunteers’ hard work hand-recycling soft single-use plastics.

Nature Kids of Siargao is a non-profit group that aims to teach the community about sustainability—and they have fun while they’re at it, too.

Their recycling art studio lets you go through the whole process of collecting, laundering, drying, breaking down, and shredding soft, single-use plastics by hand, then repurposing them into bean bags or decorative pillows.

They also hold eco-orientations and run the Pay By Plastic Shop where you can exchange plastic for household items. Volunteering here allows you to help the community, learn about recycling, and meet some kids along the way.

Visit Nature Kids of Siargao at Purok 5, General Luna, Surigao del Norte. Reach them at 09333355513 or [email protected], or check out their Instagram at @naturekidsofsiargao.

Go on a fresh food trip

Each of Bayatakan Farm owner Analyn Dolpina’s crops are meticulously planned to keep the natural farming system intact.

If you want fresh, responsibly sourced food, try out the Bayatakan Farm Experience. It’s a farm-to-table day tour in Burgos where you get to explore Bayatakan Farm’s natural farming system, harvest your own veggies, and cook your lunch at a cooking class in the farm.

The menu is always vegan Filipino food. (Yes, there is such a thing). After lunch, you’ll plant something new in the garden. As the farm’s co-owner Analyn Dolpina says, whatever you harvest, you must plant again.

Visit Bayatakan Farm in 8400 San Isidro, Surigao Del Norte. Reach them at 0998 247 6522 or check out their Instagram at @bayatakanfarm.

Go taste local coffee

MA+D has an al fresco set up right by the ocean, which is the perfect view for a cup of responsibly sourced coffee.

Did you know that there’s a Siargao coffee bean already? You can try it out soon at MA+D Siargao. According to owner Omar Tawfek, they found an abandoned coffee farm in the mountains of the island where beans have been growing unharvested. But, it’s not uncommon for them to find new types of beans.

The peeps of MA+D Siargao make it a point to explore the Philippines to look for new beans. The best part is that they always make sure to source from small-time farmers while teaching them how to sell their beans at a competitive price. Drinking a cup at their shop pretty much lets you go on a savory tour of not just Siargao but the entire country as well.

Visit MA+D Siargao at Abukay Beach House, General Luna, Surigao del Norte. Reach them at 09085970063 or [email protected], or check out their Instagram at @madsiargao.

Shopping (or window shopping)

Kudo Surf’s board shorts are made of recycled P.E.T. bottles and their shirts 100 percent organic cotton.

Upon exploring General Luna’s Tourist Road, we found many establishments keeping it clean by avoiding plastics during shopping. When visiting Siargao, always bring your own eco-bag.

Plus, the products themselves are responsibly made. We checked out establishments like Kudo Surf, which only sell sustainably made surfwear. Also, don’t forget to grab items woven by artisans of Siargao!

Visit Kudo Surf at Greenhouse, General Luna, Surigao del Norte. Reach them at 09175014942 or check out their Instagram at @kudosurf.

Art by Cathy Dizon