Surigao del Sur Offers Much More than Surfing

SURIGAO DEL SUR

By HueMan1 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89035277

Surigao del Sur is a province in the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tandag City. Surigao del Sur is situated at the eastern coast of Mindanao and faces the Philippine Sea to the east.

Photo from: https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines/comments/ajx8v9/a_clear_river_running_thru_a_municipality_with/

The province falls under Type II climate of the Philippines, characterized by rainfall distributed throughout the year, although there is a distinct rainy season which begins from the month of November and ends in March. However, the climatic behavior of the province for the past few years has shown variations wherein the onset of the rainy seasons no longer occurs on the usual time. Months with low rainfall are from July to October with September as the driest month. Wet months are from November to June with January as the wettest month.

Photo from: https://www.traveltabai.com/tinuyan-falls-bislig-city/

The population of Surigao del Sur in the 2015 census was 592,250 people, with a density of 120 inhabitants per square kilometer or 310 inhabitants per square mile.

The indigenous people of the province were largely Christianized during the early times of the Spanish conquest.

Photo from: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/92959/Local-News/Rediscovering-culture-and-tradition-in-Cantilans-Sirong-Festival-

The province is home to the Kamayo and Agusan people. Their dances are showcased in the local festival, “Sirong Festival”, held especially during the town fiesta of Cantilan. The Sirong Festival depicts the early Christianization of the early Cantilan inhabitants where the natives tried to defend their land against Visayan invaders.

Photo from: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/377619

Surigao del Sur is one of the suppliers of rice, bananas and other tropical fruits. Copper, chromite and silver are also found here. Marine and aquaculture is abundant in the province, being a primary livelihood of the inhabitants as the province is well known for producing seafood and sea by-products.

Photo from: https://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Lanuza-Rivermouth/photos/1707

Bislig’s main tourist attraction is the Tinuy-an Falls, known as the little “Niagara Falls of the Philippines”. It is a white water curtain that flows in three levels about 55 meters (180 ft) high and 95 meters (312 ft) wide. Its unique natural formation once appeared in the International Travel Magazine. It is also known as the widest waterfall in the Philippines.

Surfing in Surigao del Sur is widely known and has been one of the local tourist attractions. This extreme sport is often practiced in Cantilan and Lanuza. Skimboarding is also found in several municipalities, attracting tourists.

TEXT SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surigao_del_Norte