Dinagat Islands offers safe tourist attractions for ASEAN attendees
By Renelle L. Escuadro
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands (PIA) — As the country hosts this year’s 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu City with expected influx of foreign visitors, the Province of Dinagat Islands continues to champion peace and order, making it a safe destination for attendees who wish to segue for touristy.
To guide the ASEAN participants in their leisure itinerary, a homepage for ASEAN Philippines 2026 was created, https://asean2026.gov.ph/.
In it, the Tourism in the Philippines dropdown menu will lead to the Department of Tourism’s website where one can review and choose a few of the selected destinations and attractions in the country, including the Province of Dinagat Islands.
Contained in the list of pristine beaches and resorts in the province is the Bitaog Beach in Coring, Basilisa town where crystal-clear waters meet the powdery white sand. The place is ideal for swimming, sightseeing and kayaking.
Kisses Islets in Libjo town, on the other hand, is a captivating place for dive and marine adventure where limestone formations resemble the world-famous Hershey’s chocolates.
Pangabangan Tidal Pool or known to many as the Blue Lagoon, still in the town of Libo, is another picturesque destination where tourists can also do trekking, rock climbing and camping with friends and loved ones.
How to get there
The provincial government of Dinagat Islands through its Provincial Tourism and Cultural Office (PTCO) recommended safe and convenient ways to reach Dinagat Islands from Cebu City as the place of origin by following several transportation options, typically through air travel, boats, and sometimes land travel. Here’s a general guide on how to reach the province:
By Air (plane) from Cebu City
The most common way to start your journey to Dinagat Islands is by flying to a nearby airport in Mindanao.
The nearest major airport to Dinagat Islands is in Surigao City, located on the northeastern tip of Mindanao. There are regular flights from Cebu City to Surigao City Airport or Cebu City to Butuan City Airport. If you fly directly to Surigao City, you can travel to Dinagat Islands via a ferry or boat.
By Land
However, if you arrive at Butuan City, you can travel to Surigao City via bus for about 3-4 hours. From there, follow the ferry route to Dinagat Islands.
By Sea
The ferry rides from Surigao City to Dinagat Islands usually take about 1.5 to 2 hours. The main port in Surigao that serves ferries to Dinagat Islands is Surigao Port. Ferries depart regularly and provide connections to various towns in Dinagat Islands, such as Cagdianao, Basilisa, Dinagat, Libjo, Loreto, San Jose and Tubajon. The port in San Jose serves as the main port of the province, also offering regular vessel trips.
For Dinagat Islands Provincial Tourism Officer Benlen Navas, Dinagat Islands has been rated in surveys as one of the safest provinces in Mindanao and it has been free from insurgency and terrorism for a long time.
He cited this year’s Holy Week observance when the province received a surge in both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals.
“During this year’s Holy Week observance, the province received a total of 30,652 arrivals from March 28-April 5,” Navas said. “From that data, 119 were foreign tourists who stayed overnight, while 264 were reported as same-day foreign arrivals. All of them arrived safe and left the province secure, unharmed and fully satisfied with their tourism experience.” (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)