BEFORE AND AFTER: Photos show the breathtaking view of Siargao island鈥檚 famous bent palm tree at the Maasin River, which collapsed on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. Photos courtesy of Janos Leo Gorgolon Andanar and Eddie Tesiorna Co帽ado/Facebook
Locals and tourists in Siargao dealt a devastating blow when the island鈥檚 famous bent palm tree, which served as a popular tourist destination for decades, finally collapsed.
The island鈥檚 distinctively bent palm tree has become a treasured playground for visitors who enjoy swinging on a rope perched on its trunk and extending over the emerald waters of the Maasin Enchanted River in Pilar town.
鈥淭he famous leaning coconut of Maasin River is now gone. Wayay gajud forever (Nothing really lasts forever),鈥� photographer Janos Leo Gorgolon Andanar captioned his post on Wednesday, Feb. 22, as he shared a photo of the leaning palm tree, which he took back in 2018.
鈥�Good thing may na ako daan picture nan Maasin river adisir pa ini nu sikat (Good thing I took a picture of the Maasin River before it became famous),鈥� he added.
Andanar, a Department of Health (DOH) representative on the island, included in his post a photo taken by Eddie Tesiorna Co帽ado, a local tour guide in Maasin, showing the exact location where the tree tumbled down into the river.
In a phone interview, Co帽ado told the that the tree fell around 4 a.m. on Wednesday: 鈥溾�榊ung puno, ung mga gamot niya [na sumusuporta sa kanya, parang nawalan na ng bisa dahil sa tubig mula sa river] at nawalan na ng lupa sa loob. [Tapos] ung tali, naputol lang tapos nagsimula nang malaglag [yung puno].鈥�
(The tree鈥檚 supporting medicines may have lost its effectiveness due to the river鈥檚 water and the soil inside has gone. The rope was then severed and the tree began to topple.)
鈥楾his is not the end鈥�
Since the tree had been an icon of the island for many years, the local government unit of Pilar took to social media to pay tribute to it, as the tree has been a source of livelihood for the community and helped boost tourism activities in Siargao until it reached its end.
鈥淭he local government unit of Pilar is thankful for the resources given by the Almighty and the effort exerted by the barangay officials and community to preserve the 鈥�Coconut Bent Tree鈥� that was discovered by tourists and gave livelihood to the community,鈥� the Pilar Tourism Culture & Arts wrote on its Facebook page.
Meanwhile, a social media user behind the Facebook account 鈥淟itik Maasin River 鈥� Siargao鈥� penned a heartfelt message to express gratitude for the fallen tree.
鈥淸In] reality, everything has a limit. Thank you for the times you were with us鈥攆or helping each of us. Because of you, we鈥檙e here; because of you, people here have a livelihood. Thank you very much for your help,鈥� he wrote.
鈥淲e will try to continue whatever you started. We will miss you so much, coconut bended tree,鈥� he went on to say.
Siargao鈥檚 tourism recovery
In October 2022, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a during the opening ceremony of the 26th Siargao International Surfing Cup that the Department of Tourism (DOT) has identified Siargao as one of its prioritized places for tourism development after it was ravaged by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) in December 2021.
During Odette鈥檚 onslaught, the Sugba Lagoon, which was once Siargao鈥檚 breathtaking hidden paradise filled with lush and abundant tropical rainforests, as well as the iconic Cloud 9 boardwalk, had been severely decimated by the typhoon.
More than a year after Odette ravaged the island, Siargao folks began to rebuild their lives, with the island slowly recovering from the tragedy owing to its tourism industry.