INTERNATIONAL SURFING. Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas II and General Luna town Mayor Sol Matugas welcome the participants and visitors to the 27th Siargao International Surfing Cup during a press conference on Tuesday (Oct. 24, 2023). The surfing event, which will run from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 and sanctioned by the World Surf League, will be held at the famous Cloud 9 Surfing Site in General Luna town. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
GENERAL LUNA, Siargao Island – The country's premier surfing destination is again in the spotlight as the 27th Siargao International Surfing Cup officially opened here Wednesday.
At least 100 professional surfers from Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Sweden, and the Philippines converged here for the prestigious surfing event.
Of the total number of professional surfers competing in the five-day tourney, 72 are males while the rest are females.
The tournament is a Qualifying Series 3000 sanctioned by the World Surf League, presented by House Speaker Martin Romualdez in partnership with the Gen. Luna municipality and the Department of Tourism.
Department of Tourism Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Tamayo, representing Secretary Ma. Christina Frasco, led the opening in the afternoon.
During a press briefing on Tuesday night, Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas II said Siargao was "about to come alive with the exhilarating beauty of wave riding, camaraderie, and endless adventures."
General Luna Mayor Sol Matugas, on the other hand, assured that the town was ready for the sporting event. “We already made all the preparations ahead,” Matugas said, adding that security and safety measures were in place and that tourism-related establishments (TREs) in the town were also ready to serve the athletes and visitors.
After the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in 2021 and the pandemic, the businesses of the TREs in General Luna have returned to normal, she said.
As of August this year, the town has 45 resorts, 39 villas, 150 homestays, 60 hotels and inns, and 200 other business establishments that are already fully operational.
Two international sports events were also successfully facilitated on the island earlier this year - the Siargao International Game Fishing in Pilar town in April and the International Dragon Boat Race in Dapa in July.
Early this month, the Conde Nast Travelers’ Readers’ Choice Awards named Siargao Island as one of the Top 10 Islands in Asia. (PNA)
