Siargao After Sundown: The Drive Toward Safer, Brighter Roads

 

When the sun sets on Siargao, the island exhales. Motorbikes head home in twos and threes. Tricycles move along quiet roads as the last daylight fades. Long stretches between towns grow dim, and visibility becomes a challenge.

Many riders say that a late trip from Cloud 9 back to Dapa can be tense. Headlights cut only a short path ahead, and anything beyond that is shadow. A pothole, a stray dog, or a curve that comes too soon can turn a calm ride into something unpredictable. It’s beautiful out here, but it isn’t always safe.

That is slowly changing.

The Road Everyone Uses

Siargao’s circumferential road ties the island together. It loops through all nine towns, connecting surf spots to sari-sari stores, fishing docks to family homes. Farmers use it before dawn. Tourists rent scooters to explore it. Delivery riders and tricycles rely on it every day.

But when darkness falls, visibility drops fast. Crossings fade into the night, curves disappear, and safety becomes uncertain for both locals and visitors.

Local officials, with help from private partners, have begun installing solar streetlights along key parts of this main road. In early 2024, PLDT and Smart turned over solar-powered lamps for the Catangnan Bridge in General Luna, improving night visibility in one of the island’s busiest areas. The Municipality of General Luna also listed a Solar Power Street Lighting Project from Barangay Malinao to Barangay Catangnan under its infrastructure and utilities program. The project is part of ongoing efforts to build safer and more sustainable roads as part of post-Odette recovery.

Why Solar Makes Sense

The approach is simple: install solar lamps in critical areas such as bridges, populated zones, and main intersections. These units do not depend on the electrical grid, require minimal maintenance, and provide consistent lighting through stored solar energy.

For an island where movement and tourism both depend on safe roads, solar lighting offers practical and environmental advantages. It aligns with Siargao’s shift toward greener infrastructure and supports resilience planning across the island.

Nationally, motorcycle-related road accidents remain among the most common causes of injury in the Philippines. While Siargao’s traffic is lighter than most places, better lighting helps reduce risks, especially along the circumferential road where motorbikes and tricycles often share narrow lanes.

What It Changes

Brighter roads do more than make travel easier. They help people feel safer after dark.

Parents can breathe easier when their children ride home from school or work. Night-shift workers can move between towns with more confidence. Tourists who end up on the road after sunset are less anxious about finding their way back.

For an island that values its natural balance, solar lighting is a fitting choice. It uses clean energy, produces no emissions, and relies only on the same sunlight that defines the island’s days.

Still a Long Road, But Getting Brighter

Progress takes time. Siargao’s circumferential road stretches across nine municipalities, and lighting every kilometer requires coordination, funding, and upkeep. But the work is ongoing, and the difference is already visible in places like Catangnan Bridge, where solar lights now guide night riders home.

Communities continue to ask when their own stretches will follow. Each installation, however small, builds momentum toward safer travel for all.

For now, riders are still advised to move carefully at night, wear helmets, and travel in daylight whenever possible. But little by little, Siargao’s roads are beginning to reflect the same brightness that defines its spirit.

Each solar light that turns on after sunset is a small step toward a safer, more connected island for everyone.