Image courtesy Billabong Australia

UPDATE 7TH AUGUST 2010: THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED

[Originally published June 2010] The Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational surfing cup on Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, is the most eagerly awaited surfing event in Asia – mainly because of the uniqueness of the Cloud 9 break but the idyllic tropical island location, combined with the laid-back Siargao Island lifestyle, has a lot to do with it.

An international cast of surfers from Australia, Bali, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa, Hawaii and the Philippines are the typical line-up for international surfing cup events at Cloud 9, Siargao, and if a typhoon happens to pass by then everyone will be literally on Cloud 9.

Image courtesy Asiapix

Ever since the Puerto Galera Yacht Club was founded, in 1991, there has been an Easter Regatta held every year whereas the America’s Cup is only held once the current America’s Cup holder has deigned to offer it up for competition.

The PGYC Easter Regatta is unique in that it actually extols the virtues of the sport of sailing and leaves hundreds of sailors and as many spectators wishing the America’s Cup could be so friendly and civilised. Unlike the America’s Cup, where every recent event has featured lengthy and costly court cases, the Puerto Galera Yacht Club Easter Regatta in 2010 will be no different from last year except it will mark the event’s 20th anniversary,making it even more fun.

Image courtesy John Smart

The Manila 10s International Rugby Tournament 2010 at the Nomad Sports Club is the biggest 10-a-side rugby tournament in Asia. Every year the Manila 10s attracts rugby teams & thousands of spectators from around the World to the Nomad Sports Club in Merville Park, Paranaque. If you are a rugby fan then you must not miss this event.

If you can’t make it to the event then you can watch the Manila 10s live on the Internet using the MyCam-Asia “Big Screen” view – it is not quite like being there but it is better than missing the event completely.

Image courtesy www.samal-island.com

UPDATED 27/03/2010

Dive Davao Festival 2010 is the latest in a series of annual scuba diving events designed to promote the superb scuba diving and snorkeling areas in the Davao Gulf, around Samal Island. Almost all of best Samal Island beach resorts take part in the event and offer special packages for scuba diving adventures, and snorkeling adventures for those who have not yet qualified as scuba divers.

The week long Dive Davao Festival 2010 (formerly: Dive The Gulf 2010) activities will climax on Saturday evening with the Caracoles Festival. The Caracoles Festival is a dusk-to-dawn party along Peñaplata Wharf and adjoining beaches, with music & dancing, food & merriment served all-night long.

Photo courtesy Batangas Racing Circuit

The next leg of the National Drag Racing Championship will be held at Clark Field, Angeles City, Pampanga, on 22nd August. The exact location is behind the Clark Expo on the North side of the former Clark Air Force Base. This particular race session should determine the Philippine National Drag Racing Champion for 2009.

For such a high-octane motor sport it is interesting that a relatively low-octane product, San Mig Coffee, sponsors National Drag Racing Championship. But sponsor it they do, along side (more appropriately) Yokohama and Aeromed.

Photo by Martyn Willes

The 2009 Independence Day Commodore’s Cup Regatta offers you the chance to GetWet sailing in the Philippines and see Subic Bay from a totally new perspective. The 2009 Independence Day Commodore’s Cup Regatta is organised by the Subic Bay Yacht Club, the Saturday Afternoon Gentlemen Sailors (SAGS) and The Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotels.

From 12-14 June the waters of Subic Bay will be filled with sailing yachts of all shapes and sizes and apart from being a great spectator sport, with exciting on-water sailing action photography opportunities, if you have any prior sailing experience at all then you can join in the 2009 Independence Day Commodore’s Cup Regatta because there are always boats looking for extra crew.

Photo by Bernadette Villaluz

New free Internet tools now available for those asking the question “how to fly to . . . in the Philippines” but don’t which airline or who to ask.

Don’t waste hours waiting on-hold on the telephone, trying to contact an airline that doesn’t go where you want to go, instead follow this free How To Fly To link and simply select your From/To route, then click “Show”. Within less than one second you will be shown ALL the of the airlines that fly your selected route; click on the airline logo of you choice to get the direct link to the airline’s on-line booking page.

In addition to answering the How To Fly To question