(PNA file photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – Ninety-four surfers from various parts of the country are now in Borongan City for the Surf City Masters 2023, the 4th leg of the NextGen Pilipinas Surfing National Tour.
Borongan has been hosting the national surfing championship since 2019.
Surfers from Aurora, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Eastern Samar, Ilocos Sur, Leyte, La Union, Northern Samar, Palawan, Sorsogon, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Zambales will compete in the fourth leg of the tourney which began in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte in August, then in Calicoan, Guiuan in September and Baler, Aurora early this month. The last leg will be in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.
In a press release issued Monday, Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda said the hosting of the fourth leg of the NextGen Pilipinas Surfing National Tour would help promote Borongan City as a surfing site in the Visayas.
"The impact of this surfing [competition] in Borongan is very laudable, very important for our city because nalalagay na tayo sa mapa ng mga surfers (we are now on the surfing map) in the country and, hopefully, we will be recognized also internationally,” Agda said.
Hosting the national competition would also benefit the locals, particularly those in tourism-related establishments.
“Maraming nakikinabang sa activity na ito, hindi lang ang ating surfers, hindi lang ang ating kabataan, hindi lang ang mga contestants, (Many people would benefit from this activity, not only our surfers, not only our youth, not only the contestants,) but the whole community of Borongan and the entire province. As well as 'yung pride na naibibigay (As well as the pride that it brings) about Borongan, about the province of Eastern Samar,” he added.
Surf City chairman and the city information office chief, Rupert Ambil, said the event creates many opportunities for the whole community of Borongan.
"It's not just about surfing anymore. It's a whole community approach to creating opportunities not just for surfers but for everyone. Everyone is pitching in," said Ambil, adding that the city government organized a trade fair activity showcasing famous food and non-food products of Eastern Samar.
The national surfing competition is held at the Baybay beach located along the more than two-kilometer stretch of Baybay Boulevard where the City Park, skatepark, tourism office, hotel accommodation and restaurants and food stalls are found, hence dubbed as Surf City.
The Surf City Borongan Masters 2023 is sponsored by the City Government of Borongan, co-presented by Tingog Partylist, the Department of Tourism, Philippine Airlines, the Provincial Government of Eastern Samar led by Governor Ben Evardone, the Lone District of Eastern Samar represented by Congresswoman Fe Abunda, and Congressman Marcelino Libanan of 4Ps Partylist. It is co-supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The competition is in collaboration and sanctioned by the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA).
Borongan will also host the second national surfing summit this December 1, to bring together all surfing stakeholders in the country to harness the global phenomenon as a powerful tourism attraction and recognize its status as an Olympic sport. (PNA)
