Plans & Progress in the Land of Contradictions

I’m here in Siargao, a tear-shaped island in the southeast region of the Philippines famous for surfing, for eight weeks now to understand if sustainable travel and tourism is possible. It’s an incredible opportunity to observe an issue from 10,000 feet up and from the ground level. But also a tall order.

Upon landing, I’d make small talk with everyone from the airport van drivers, restaurant servers, tour guides, to resort and guest home owners, foreign investors and nonprofit founders. I would even check in with my biological and step-father — one who’s owned and operated businesses here, and the other who’s active politically, to ask about their experiences and opinions. I wanted to hear everyone’s thoughts on tourism and its effect on the local community; and also understand why things happen the way they do here. During my down time, I would download and read over 100 academic papers on sustainable tourism and environmental awareness in the Philippines, how to motivate Filipinos to be environmentally responsible, the role of various government levels in tourism planning, and specific initiatives planned for Siargao.

Looking at Siargao’s Tourism Industry With New Eyes

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights, but in looking with new eyes,” wrote Marcel Proust. This quote, paraphrased by many authors like Pico Iyer, comments on the character’s experiences on art in Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time. The context may be different, but I think the sentiment rings true about nature and travel.

When your plane first approaches Siargao island, you’re greeted with lush mangrove forests and hints of white sand beaches just below. After touching down, this sight continues with the endless amount of coconut trees that surround the area. It’s only when you slow down and get off your vehicle do you see the amount of trash and piles of construction materials that are in or near the mangrove and coconut forests.

Mangrove forests below

Defining Sustainability in Siargao, Philippines

When people think about the Philippines, images of uninhabited white-sand beaches, turquoise-colored waters, towering limestone rocks, colorful coral reefs, cultural heritage sites, and Tarzan swings into waterfall pools come to mind.

Tourists can hardly wait to experience the country’s natural wonders and the activities which locals, foreign investors, and tourism groups have dreamed up for them, making paradise a difficult place to leave. But that also means daily island-hopping tours that attract thousands of people who step on coral reefs; banana boat rides that zip across the water at 60 mph too close to eager swimmers; Western-style dinners in which food stocks come from thousands of miles away; or full moon parties by the beach where people leave their worries (and common sense) behind.