Siargao Island recently hosted the first batch of Miss Universe 2016 delegates that visited the country’s surfing capital, 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 Gov. Sol Matugas, the First District Congressional Office under Rep. 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 Gen. Luna town, site of international tournaments.
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 at surfing and described the island’s pristine charm as “paradise-like.”
Situated by the Pacific seaboard off northern Mindanao, Siargao is also noted for the Magpupungko Rock in Pilar, the 4,000-hectare mangrove forest and Sugba Cove in Del Carmen, powdery beaches, scuba diving sites, waterfalls, and skimboarding spots.