‘It's the Siargao curse’: 'Afam,' blind surfer share life in island paradise
SIARGAO, Philippines — As a bar and restaurant manager, Londoner Saul Asghar had been into big cities all over the globe, including Manila.
But for him, there is no place like Siargao.
“I've been here for five months, right? Siargao is a very different change of pace of life, right? I was in Manila for a year and I was in London before that, so big cities, a lot going on. You have convenience, but you have traffic, you have noise,” he said in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com.
“In Siargao, you have space, you have peace and the lifestyle is very different. If you can deal with the compromises like brownouts, you know, sometimes the water won't work and you know, you can't just pop to 7-Eleven to go and get what you want, right? You have to plan it, not everything's open all the time, but in exchange for that, there's no traffic. There's very little pollution, and for me, I have that space to breathe and be present.”
Although he is still “adjusting” to the inconveniences, Asghar has no plans of leaving the island anytime soon.
“This is the only place I've been… where it doesn't matter if you've been here one day, one month, one year, five years, it doesn't matter. Everyone is open, you're part of that collective energy. And it's the locals, it's the transnationals, it's anyone, the tourists, it's just one community. Everyone's open for that. And that's why so many people stay, that's why it's the Siargao curse because you feel that warmth, you feel like you're home,” he affirmed.
“And I definitely feel that even after five months, I haven't experienced an energy like that… the community side is something that really separates it from a lot of other places that I've experienced traveling before.”
Asghar’s colleague, Jaycer Casing, Resort Manager of the restaurant’s adjacent resort, Lamari Siargao Boutique Hotel, moved to Siargao from Manila in 2020.
“Throughout the years, one thing that really sets the island of Siargao is really about the sense of community,” he said.
“It's really the sense of community that makes the island magical. I myself also experienced that,” he attested.
Because of their community in Siargao, Casing is back to surfing despite being one-eye blind.
“I had my accident back in 2021. I got into a surfing accident and lost my right eye, and back then, that was during the peak of pandemic. Just so grateful that everyone came together and then helped me. (They) did some community stuff to assist my medical needs and not only that, the emotional support that the people (gave). The people here are very selfless!”
According to him, he has experienced a lot of struggles in Siargao, including the 2021 Super Typhoon Odette that wiped out the island, but it keeps on moving forward because of the people’s “bayanihan.”
“The island has been through a lot, but… look at the island, we thought that it's going to be like more like five years before the island (recovers from Odette), but eventually, after a year, (we have recovered). It's really the people that makes the island… that's the one thing that people come here (for), is because of the people and (their) genuine kindness.”
The nation’s flag carrier airlines, Philippine Airlines (PAL), now flies thrice weekly from Clark International Airport to Siargao, and vice versa. Bookings are via Philippineairlines.com. Flights are every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and departs from Clark at 11 a.m., and from Siargao at 1:35 p.m.
For hassle-free travels, Guide to the Philippines has a summer promotion to explore the country’s top destinations, including Siargao. — Video by Deni Bernardo, video editing by Geraldine Santos
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