Beyond surfing: why Lokal Lab’s vision matters for a resilient, sustainable Siargao

Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, but we don’t hear about it as much in mainstream media. Aside from providing farmers with the tools they need, what are your other efforts to champion agriculture in Siargao? 

KR: For food security, it’s important to grow vegetables on the island. Tourists sometimes expect vegetables like kale and arugula, but we hope to introduce more native varieties to the tourism industry. For instance, Adeline has a foraging tour where she introduces different chefs to the native plants they can use in their cooking. This helps us lower our carbon footprint while supporting the local farmers. 

Jolina Mecate, community liaison (JM): In high school, we’d walk 5 kilometres just to get to school. It was difficult, but my parents wanted me to be a teacher. Instead, an unexpected encounter led me to pursue agriculture. Now, here I am, working as a community liaison for Lokal Lab. Everyday, I encourage more young people to be farmers; without agriculture, we have no future. The next generations depend on us to keep our agricultural spirit alive.

Beyond agriculture, Lokal Lab advocates for greater educational opportunities through the Tropical Academy. Can you tell me more about that? 

Ciara Venezia, tropical academy manager (CV): We’re in our third year, and our goal is to have a test-accredited vocational school on the island that teaches nature-based farming, sustainable construction and hospitality courses. We don’t want to stop tourism on the island, but we want to find a more sustainable path forward. The academy is also immersed in an agricultural learning site, so we do farm tours, cooking classes, and weaving tours guided by the staff. 

KR: These tours empower the locals to take pride in their skill sets and build connections with the tourists beyond the typical island-hopping experience. For Vicki, one of our weavers, people realise how difficult weaving is and how much effort goes into it. These immersive opportunities push Siargao’s culture forward, putting the locals at the centre of the discussion. 

CV: One of my favourite things about working here is having these daily tours, where we offer farm-to-table lunches with delicious plant-based meals like vegetable lumpia, banana heart sisig and more. This inspired me to experiment with different meals that make our cuisine unique. 

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Lokal Lab takes a holistic approach to community development, often highlighting women’s work as they nurture the people around them through meals, weaving and more. Can you tell me more about the women Lokal Lab has helped? 

KR: One of our most recent programmes is Pasalo or Para Sa Lokal. It deals with the storytelling and journalism aspect of our advocacy. Here, the youth confidently share the stories they’ve learned from their elders and their own experiences. It’s amazing to see how the students who graduated from this programme are in college now. 

Iris Aroa, co-founder (IA): We started with a snack bar and our farm-to-table restaurant. At our first location, we started working with a team we call the ‘mamas’. Marga, one of the team leaders, was also one of the first people to help us. She was a barangay health worker back then, doing a lot of volunteer jobs with minimal pay. 

Eventually, we convinced her to work with us, and now she has a key role in the organisation. She is one of the many women who have become breadwinners for their families. Through our initiatives, these women can gain some financial independence. As for the weavers, they pass on their interests and skills to younger generations and even people outside the community. 

EA: It wasn’t by design; it just happened that many of the communities we worked with were led by women, like the farm networks and weavers’ associations. This shows how integral women are in inspiring members of the local community. They also possess a lot of indigenous knowledge that they openly share.

KR: Even as we were rebuilding after the typhoon, many women leaders from the community stepped up to help. In the community kitchens, more than 400 staff members were women. Their leadership and support flowed so naturally. 

Aside from empowering the local community to thrive, you also encourage tourists to be responsible and respectful. What do you wish more tourists knew before visiting Siargao? 

KR: Many tourists don’t know that Siargao is a protected island. It’s also vulnerable to climate change. It’s important for them not to extract too much from it. It also helps if they patronise local restaurants and are careful when interacting with the natural surroundings.

Analyn Dulpina, co-founder (AD): Siargao is famous for surfing, but there are many agricultural opportunities here that we should protect. I push for river foraging because I want more people to have a fuller picture of what Siargao is really like. Exploring the other bodies of water in Siargao, like natural springs and rivers, reminds us how we’re all connected and need to help each other thrive. 

CV: As someone who’s not native to this island, I always try to be conscious of my integration with the community. We don’t want Siargao to just be an accessory to someone’s experience; it’s more of a partnership or an ongoing relationship you take with you, wherever you head next. 

EA: There’s been a shift in recent years with how we view tourism. We’re going off the beaten path and pursuing more authentic cultural experiences that immerse us in the local communities. This aligns with our mission at Lokal Lab, supporting our evolution through the years. We first started by supporting the livelihoods of farmers and weavers under lockdown when tourism was minimal. It was a major shock to their livelihood, especially after the typhoon. 

We do see issues of ‘over-tourism’ not only here but in other islands like Siquijor, Baler or Palawan. There’s a valid concern that tourism is harming local livelihoods. But what we want to do at LokalLab is to keep storytelling at the heart of everything we do. Tourism is an essential part of Siargao’s story. We just have to keep it in check and ensure the community takes charge of what their future looks like.

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