Action Sport for development in the Philippines: Exploring the Surfing, Well-Being and Environment Nexus

Internationally, (action) sport for development and peace (ASDP) initiatives use sport as a tool for development purposes to address several issues, including conserving the environment and promoting gender equality, health, and well-being among program participants. The purpose of this research project was to explore the experiences of the staff members and participants of local non-governmental organization (NGO), in Siargao, Philippines. Drawing on postcolonial feminist political ecology (PFPE), this participatory action research project (PAR) utilized visual methods, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and reflexive journals to investigate how the Siargaonon NGO participants, volunteers, and staff experience its activities on well-being and local environmental efforts. The findings highlight that the role of surfing is nebulous, and the activity is rooted to the economic development history of the island. Moreover, the findings demonstrate how the environment, colonial and imperial histories, politics, local knowledge, and cultural forces (i.e., race, class, and gender) are important factors that shape surf development efforts, well-being, and leisure participation of the participants. The significance of this study has a range of benefits for the scholarly and ASDP community including, but not limited to: (1) initiating new discussions and practices on how to better support programming, community, and participants; and (2) identifying resources that the NGO may need to improve overall environmental and well-being efforts in Siargao.