Wow Lanuza: A Wealth Of Waves

by Annalyn S. Jusay
Travel & Tourism Section
Manily Bulletin

People usually equate their travels with well-kept hotel rooms looking out into perfectly-manicured lawns, sparkling swimming pools and the availability of every conceivable amenity that makes being a tourist in this day and age such a cinch.

It was therefore an eye-opening experience when I ventured to faraway Lanuza, Surigao del Sur to check out a surfing tournament in the area. Our plane first touched down in Butuan City before we embarked on a gruelling six-hour or so land trip that took us through the quaint, undeveloped towns of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and finally Surigao del Sur. Arriving in Lanuza, we realized soon enough that this was no place to play the role of the city-bred tourist. What was immediately evident though was the warm hospitality of the residents who greeted us with leis and treated us to a modest Pinoy feast in time for the surfing event's opening.

According to Dr. Algerico Irizare, the town's indefatigable mayor, Lanuza prides itself in being consistent winner in the Cleanest and Greenest municipality contest conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Governments every year. The town has certainly come a long way since it hogged the headlines in the mid 1980s after its municipal hall was attacked by communist rebels. Today in Lanuza, there is only peace amid its calm green sea, verdant surroundings and tree lined boulevards.

If there's one thing that will make Lanuza a tourism byword in the future, it is the water sport of surfing. The good mayor notes that surfing in Lanuza - discovered in the early 70s - came earlier than Siargao, which is now known as the country's premier surfing destination with its world-class Cloud 9 waves. However, problems with peace and order and development of the proper infrastructure have prevented Lanuza's surge into the national stage.

"With political will and the cooperation of all residents, we are now laying the ground-work for Lanuza's transformation as a sought-after surfari," Mayor Irrizari said.

A step in this direction was the holding of the First National Lanuza Surfing Festival which was graced by then Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and was participated in by country's top 32 surfers. The venue was the Doot Poktoy Sand Bar Resort. We found it very unique because it was bounded by a natural river on the right and the seawater on the left.

There are ten surfing grounds in Lanuza, all boasting of a wide variety of waves which are ideal for long board surfing. The waves can go up to 15 feet and the best time to surf is from November to January, when heavy rains occur. Unlike other places in the Philippines, it rains in Lanuza in December. The rest of the year however, the whole area only has a seven percent exposure to typhoons.

Damien Cusho, a 28-yaer old Australian surfer, said Lanuza should be the country's next surfing hotspots. "I like it here because it's not crowded, the people are very hospitable and it's got one of the best beach breaks that I've surfed in all the Philippines.

More than its waves, however, Lanuza has other gems to show by way of its wonderful eco-tourism. We had fun wandering through the estuarine and wetland park, the marine park and sanctuary and the Magkawas Falls where our group took a refreshing dip surrounded surrounded by lush vegetation.

The trip was also memorable because I was able to take my first spelunking adventure in Campamento Caves where we gazed at centuries-old stalactites and stalagmites while negotiating through all the steep rocky crevices. The well-preserved sights certainly showed the strength of the town's commitment to protecting the environment.

Now, who says city-bred tourists need hotels? I thought the best part of my trip was experiencing Lanuza's one-of-a-kind "homestay" program. Under this program, local residents open up their houses to visiting guests and feel up close the distinctive Filipino hospitality. Our gracious and warm host, Mrs. Barcelina Pejero who lived with her equally charming family in a two-storey, made sure we sipped our hot coffee each morning and retired with our crisp bed linens at night.

In the near future, Lanuza will be a much different place. It will probably be enjoying the benefits of tourism and doing brisk business. I feel lucky to have been one of the few outsiders to explore its unspoiled beauty and of course, its wealth of waves.