The first batch of 12 Miss Universe 2016 delegates recently visited Siargao Island, regarded as the country’s surfing mecca, as part of the pageant’s promotional tour around the country’s top tourist spots.
The contestants were hosted for lunch by the triple-A Siargao Bleu Resort and Spa, the Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte headed by Governor Sol Matugas, the First District Congressional Office under Congressman Bingo Matugas, the Department of Tourism-Region 13, and Siargao government and private stakeholders.
Miss Philippines Maxine Medina led the 12 candidates who visited the famed Cloud 9 surfing spot in General Luna town, acclaimed as the world’s eighth best surfing site by the CNN Go travel portal.
She was joined by Miss USA Deshauna Barber, Miss Myanmar Htet Htet Htun, Miss Korea Jenny Kim, Miss China Li Zhenying, Miss Vietnam Ngo Tra My, Miss New Zealand Tania Dawson, Miss Japan Sari Nakazawa, Miss Indonesia Kezia Roslin Cikita Warouw, Miss Thailand Chalita Suansane, Miss Australia Caris Tiivel, and Miss Malaysia Kiran Jassal.
The ladies tried their hand in surfing and described the island’s pristine charm as “paradise-like”.
Situated by the Pacific seaboard off Surigao del Norte in northern Mindanao, Siargao is composed of nine municipalities.
Its other tourist spots include Magpupungko Rock in Pilar, the 4,000-hectare mangrove forest and Sugba Cove in Del Carmen, Bucas Grande Island in Socorro, and a host of powdery beaches, scuba diving sites, waterfalls, skimboarding spots and scenic viewpoints.