Outdoor activities

The Philippines' third-world status has limited most people's exposure to the kind of leisure activities that are taken for granted in the West. Facilities are poor and for rural families there are more important considerations than sporting excellence. That said, even the most isolated barangay has some sort of rudimentary basketball court where villagers gather to play in the cool of the late afternoon. Trekking is becoming popular among young professionals, with a number of clubs organizing regular trips up famous peaks such as Mount Apo, Mount Makiling and Mayon Volcano. The best organized clubs include the Association of Philippine Mountaineers (Jules Calagui tel 02/922 5760), PLDT Mountaineering Club (Mike Salalila tel 02/813 7851), or the Metropolitan Mountaineering Society (president Romulo Henson tel 02/890 5136). Caving, rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking are all developing a respectable following. Surfing is also taking off, with major international competitions held regularly in Siargao, northeast Mindanao.

Other useful information for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections):