Tides and Trash: Can Siargao Keep Its Waters Clean?

 

From above, Siargao still looks like paradise.
White lines of surf curl along the reef. Rivers cut through mangroves. Yet below the surface, another story moves with the tide. Wastewater, runoff, and plastic drift quietly toward the sea.

What Lies Under the Surf

Siargao’s tourism rise brought progress, but also a test of how much the island can hold. The population of General Luna has doubled since 2015. With it came new hotels, cafés, and rental houses, many built fast, few with full waste systems. Some rely on septic tanks too close to groundwater. Others still drain gray water straight into fields or creeks that lead to the ocean.

Locals notice changes first. Water that once ran clear after rain now turns cloudy. Fishermen see more debris near shore. The concern grows quietly, like tide under moonlight.

The Weight of What We Build

Efforts to fix the problem exist but move slowly.
UNICEF and local partners launched campaigns for clean water and environmental awareness in 2024, training youth volunteers and barangay leaders. Waste collection improved in parts of General Luna, but rural barangays still burn trash or dump it in lowland pits.

Officials talk of a proper materials recovery facility, but land and funding remain issues. The main landfill site near Dapa has limited capacity. Waste segregation programs start, stall, and restart.

Tourism adds pressure daily. In peak season, more than 1,500 cubic meters of solid waste pile up each week on the island, according to local estimates. Plastic bottles, packaging, and single-use items fill bins and beaches. Community cleanups help, but the waste keeps coming back.

New Commitments and Global Support

While local efforts sometimes stall, major international partners are now stepping in to meet the growing need for resilient infrastructure. In late 2025, the World Bank finalized a significant loan aimed at improving water supply and sanitation on Siargao, signaling the start of a massive upgrade to the island’s essential utilities.

Parallel to this, private sector innovators are planning to replicate a successful, integrated sewage and septage treatment model, specifically designed for coastal areas, on Siargao.

Furthermore, non-government initiatives, such as the Siargao Green Economy Project, are actively supporting communities in General Luna and other municipalities to establish better Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and strengthen recycling practices, recognizing that solutions must be implemented from the community level up.

Keeping Paradise Possible

Siargao’s future depends on balance.

Its clean water and open ocean built its name. Without them, tourism loses meaning. Locals now talk more about sustainability, not as a trend but as survival.

Rainwater catchment, solar power, and better waste sorting are small moves that matter. Some resorts already use their own filtration systems and limit plastic use. Others follow, knowing guests notice.

The question is whether the island can keep up with itself.
Can it grow without losing what makes it beautiful?

The tide will answer soon.