Baby Tsunami a boost to Mindanao’s coastal hick towns
LANUZA, Surigao del Sur — The world remains
gripped by the horror and destruction wrought by the Dec.
26 giant tsunami that hit 11 countries in Asia and Africa,
but tsunamis of the gentler kind can also bring prosperity
to a coastal hick towns in southern Philippines.
One such coastal hick town is Lanuza in
Surigao del Sur which is blessed with a world-class surfing
round that makes one of the country's surfing destinations.
Lanuza's sea waves are decidedly first class
for surfing. Reputedly the second longest rolling waves
in the world, they can make surfers ride up to 100 meters.
After hosting the First National Surfing
Cup last year and the success of the Second National Surfing
Festival recently, Lanuza Mayor Gery Irizari said he plans
to institutionalize the event after realizing that surfing
has started to stir economic activities in his municipality.
“During the first surfing event we only
had one entertainment place and a few stores but now visitors
and locals have many things to choose from. With surfing
we can develop our place and make it known to the world,”
he said.
Caraga tourism director Dorothy Jean Pabayo
said Lanuza can promote Surigao del Sur as one of the most
beautiful provinces in the country through its surfing assets.
“Lanuza offers another kind of surfing experience
and waves that will surely attract visitors. After seeing
Lanuza, visitors will really go around to explore the rest
of the province,” she said.
Pabayo encourages Lanuza folks to practice
and develop the culture of tourism. She assured the Department
of Tourism will always be there to support them and predicted
that this year's surfing influx will be bigger than last
year's.
On the other hand, Surigao del Sur's second
district Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. said he will set aside
P5 million for infrastructure projects in the province that
will support the next International Surfing Cup in Lanuza.
The infrastructure projects, he said, will
include a foot bridge that would give people a better view
of the surfing games and a surfers camp where the visitors
can stay since the place has no hotels or inns yet.
Even without hotels, Irizari said he is
hopeful Filipinos abroad would invest in his town since
Lanuza is a tourist destination with or without surfing.
PNA
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