Surfing competition to put Dinagat Islands town on surfers’ map
By Renelle L. Escuadro
Cagdianao Mayor Dondon Longos is calling on local and foreign surfers to come to their town in Dinagat Islands and witness the Harok sa Tagbi 2023, an open surfing competition to be held in this town from November 21 to 25.
The competition was first held in 2021 as a means to help the place recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the onslaught of Super Typhoon Odette.
Harok sa Tagbi
“Harok” meant the loud roaring sound of the bumpy surf waters, a one-of-a-kind description and ideal experience for surfers, while “Tagbi” is short for “Tagbirayan,” where the surfing battle ground is located.
Tagbirayan observes the same surfing season as Siargao Island, where waters are superb for surfing beginning the last week of September to March, and they become still and restful from May to August.
It is located in Barangay San Jose, Cagdianao town in Dinagat Islands. The place has become a haven and home to foreigners for over 20 years.
Mystical islands, province of love
With its recent and awe-inspiring celebration of Bugkosan sa Isla 2023, which was in line with its 17th Charter Anniversary, the province successfully showcased its different tourism portfolio, from sand and beaches as first in the list, while nurturing others such as gastronomy, culture and heritage, agri- and mining tourism, and festivals, while at the same time embracing its tourism tagline, “The Mystical Islands, Province of Love.”
Dinagat Islands is a province situated in the Caraga region, occupying the northeastern section of Mindanao, with an hour of sea travel time from mainland Surigao City. It has a land area of 315.63 square miles and is cultivated by 128,117 people, based on the 2020 census. It has seven municipalities, in which Cagdianao takes the lead in tourism, rural development, and infrastructure development, among other economic activities.
Nurturing another surfing spot
During its inception, Harok sa Tagbi was fully supported and participated in by surfers from Siargao Island, the towns of Burgos, Claver, and other parts of Surigao del Norte and the Caraga region.
The surfers from Siargao Island ripped the waves of Tagbirayan as Sheila Mae Convicto bagged the first place in the women’s longboard division.
On the other hand, Piso Alcala, a professional surfer from Siargao Island and a member of the Philippine Surfing Team, was declared the champion for the men's shortboard division.
In one of his interviews, Alcala affirmed the possibility of Tagbirayan as a promising next surfing spot of the country, stating, “Tagbirayan has a big potential for surfing. I hope this competition will sustain and have global reach.”
As the surf community and culture continue to evolve and grow, the LGU wants the world to know that there is another surfing spot in Cagdianao for them to create memories and impressions. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)
