Will we protect Siargao?

Praying to all the diwata and ancestors to keep Siargao green and those indigenous maintain sovereignty, especially in their relationship with the land

Siargao is incredibly beautiful.

Coconut trees surround you from left to right, harmoniously with a plethora of other native fauna. The waters calm, clear, warm and inviting. Oooh -- and the food? Fresh fruit and fish are abundant.

Upon setting eyes on the island from the plane, I couldn't help but instantly fall in love.

As well as fall deeply into worry.

The common pattern when it comes to a place becoming a ~travel destination~ are capitalistic powers hopping on the trend, over-extracting the land's offerings and exploiting its people. We saw this happen to Boracay; Shangri-La, Hilton and more covered up the vast white sands, coral reefs died, and it overall became polluted to a point that the government has to close it off for clean-ups.

Siargao visitors are welcomed by locals outside of their native tongue of Surigaonon with, instead, Tagalog or English, compensating for visitors from all over the country and [hella] white European and America immigrants. Portions of Mother Earth are being labeled as "property" while buildings are built by brown hands for white owners.

There are some troubling signs but there is definitely hope as well:

How greenery well outnumbers buildings
No plastic // no waste zones
*Native* led activities
* for example, visiting Siargao? Take surf lessons from @botitisiargao and his fam! They're the best
And.. if you wanna get into legality
Siargao is a Protected Area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas) Act

There is hope.
Let's be part of that hope for wherever we go. Leave no trace, respect and listen to native peoples, and say thank you to the land.