Philippine surfing championship tour kicks off in Borongan City

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar – The first leg of the Philippine surfing championship tour formally kicked off in Borongan City, Eastern Samar province on Monday, Dec. 6, two years after the prestigious surfing event was set aside because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 200 surfers from Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Davao, and Caraga Region are competing in the event.

The national surfing championship tour is expected to be the ground for the best surfers representing the Philippines in coming international surfing events.

Participating surfers were required to be fully vaccinated and were subjected to mandatory antigen swab testing upon arrival. Health protocols were also heightened throughout the city following the event.

“This is a big step towards making Borongan City the surfing capital of the Eastern Visayas region. Our goal is to raise local athletes who can compete in the international arena. At the same time, we want people to come to Borongan, enjoy our tourist sites, learn surfing, and experience the hospitality of our city,” said Mayor Jose Ivan “Dayan” Agda.

The city’s week-long festival from December 6 to 12 also included other sports in its lineup of activities like beach football, skateboarding, and skimboarding.

Borongan has long been aiming to be the surfing capital of Eastern Visayas since it hosted its first Surf festival last December 2019.

The city government pledges to support any local athlete who competes in a national or international event.

Borongan is known for its fine sand beaches, unspoiled rivers, forests, and surfing, the main selling point to potential tourists.