LIST: Top local spots to love more this Tourism Week

By Olive Pallasigue

As we celebrate National Tourism Week, we offer some of the Philippines’ most scenic destinations that often remain behind the spotlight.
In this light, get ready to uncover these hidden gems that brim with beauty and culture.

Batanes: The Home of the Winds

Located in the northernmost part of our country are breathtaking cliffs, rugged coastlines, and stone houses that make for a picturesque view.

Batanes is considered the smallest archipelago province in the country, both in population and land area. The Ivatans, their local tribe, regard the chilly weather from November to the first week of February as their “local winter”. 

Siquijor: Where Magic Meets Nature

Located in Central Visayas is a place of mystery that is home to Salagdoong Beach, Cambugahay Falls, and the Cantabon Cave.

Siquijor’s reputation as the “Island of Fire” is due to the relaxing sunsets that seem to send out a glow coming from its islands. This is where a hundred shamans or healers inhabit, which makes it is a birthplace for mystic stories that are passed on through generations.

Antique: An Eco-Adventure Haven

Located in Western Visayas is an eco-adventure paradise with its ever flowing rivers, lush rainforests, and fascinating waterfalls.

Antique is known for its bags, baskets, mats, hats, wallets, boxes using Buri (palm with the strips of the unopened leaf), traditional Patadyong using “Tiral” (wooden handloom), and potteries such as Kuron, Kalan, Paso, and Banga. This suggests that it is encompassed by a rich heritage and a home to the Kinaray-a indigenous people.

Surigao del Sur: The Cultural Gem

Located in Caraga region is a hidden paradise a home to mesmerizing rivers and clear waters teeming with marine life.

Tourists can have a first-hand interaction with the Mandaya tribe known for their traditional handicrafts using “Abaca”. You can also find more artifacts, antiques, and photographs displayed at the Surigao State Museum.

Catanduanes: Winds of Wonder

Located in the farthest part of the Bicol region, Catanduanes considers the strong winds both bring a blessing and a curse.

Facing the Pacific Ocean, it is the first one to usually get hit by typhoons. On the contrary, surfing, diving, or sightseeing can also be the perfect activities here because of its winds and waves. These showcase the raw beauty of natural sceneries, definitely a tourist destination worth seeing!