Star Meets

In His 15 Years in the Industry, Jake Cuenca Has Proven Himself a Talented Actor, Having Been the Face of Many Beloved and Unforgettable Characters. But When the Camera Is Off and the Reels Stop Rolling, the Man Behind Prolific Roles Is Even More Interesting. We Discover His Many Unedited Iterations—traveler, Fanboy, and Rebel of Sorts—and Are Fascinated With Them All.

- Alyssa Lapid

 The rain is pouring and the island oft-portrayed as sunny and in visible gradients of blues and blood oranges is downright gloomy. It will look better tomorrow, we all think wistfully. Tomorrow comes and the only gradient is grey—light to very dark, like smog. The waters are roaring and, frankly, scary. Huge waves crash atop each other. It’s not a good day to surf, we concur. By the third day we are so used to the gloom that we finally realize we’ve been taking the island for granted all along.

The island of Siargao is highly revered for a reason: it is beautiful. There was an entire movie dedicated to the island, after all. The social media version of the island may be bright, sunny, and, well, Instagrammable, but even in a more dramatic mood the island does not disappoint. A gem in the province of Surigao del Norte, this Mindanao island has been consistently dubbed the next must-see destination, which is a feat given that direct flights to the island were only recently launched.

Lined with white sand beaches, Siargao boasts of the best island offerings, including virgin islets Naked Island, a serene open sandbar stretch, Guyam Island, and Dako Island, the three main destinations when island-hopping. An hour’s boat ride through hectares of mangrove reserves is Sugba Lagoon, a staple on social media with its equally famous dive board. The Magpupungko Rock Pools are natural rock formations with the clearest waters. Siargao is also a haven for surfers, with different surf spots throughout, including the most popular destination, Cloud 9, where both waves and instructors are aplenty. The island is the whole package.