The Philippine Travel Map According to BINI and SB19
Thirteen artists, ten destinations, and one island six of them picked. The full BINI and SB19 travel map, with Suroy field notes where we have been and honest gaps where we have not.
Some travel maps begin with an airfare search. This one began with 13 Filipino artists choosing the places that call to them.
The Department of Tourism launched BINI and SB19 travel microsites on August 12, bringing together the members’ selected destinations, official tourism information, and offers from participating travel businesses. The result is not one predictable list of famous beaches. It stretches from the windswept hills of Batanes to the mountain air of Bukidnon, the quieter islands of Romblon, and the cultural coast of Zamboanga.
There are 10 unique destinations in all. One of them appears again and again.
Before the list, a note on how Suroy is covering it: Suroy Field Note means we have a verified visit and original photographs in our archive. On the Suroy Route means we have not yet published a firsthand guide, so we will describe the destination through attributed official information rather than borrowed experience.
BINI and SB19
Ten places, two groups, one map
All ten destinations the thirteen members named on the Department of Tourism microsites, plotted where they actually are. Tap a pin to jump to that section.
Every BINI destination pick
| BINI member | Destination | Suroy status |
|---|---|---|
| Jhoanna | Siargao | Suroy Field Note |
| Maloi | Batanes | On the Suroy Route |
| Colet | Batanes | On the Suroy Route |
| Sheena | Palawan | Coron and El Nido: Suroy Field Note; rest: On the Suroy Route |
| Stacey | Boracay | Suroy Field Note |
| Gwen | Bukidnon | On the Suroy Route |
| Aiah | Batanes | On the Suroy Route |
| Mikha | Romblon | On the Suroy Route |
Every SB19 destination pick
| SB19 member | Destination | Suroy status |
|---|---|---|
| Josh | Batanes and Bohol | Batanes: On the Suroy Route; Bohol: Suroy Field Note |
| Justin | Batanes and Surigao | Both: On the Suroy Route |
| Pablo | Batanes and Boracay | Batanes: On the Suroy Route; Boracay: Suroy Field Note |
| Stell | Siquijor | Suroy Field Note |
| Ken | Zamboanga | From the Suroy Archive |
Taken together, the choices create a 10-destination map: Batanes, Bohol, Boracay, Bukidnon, Palawan, Romblon, Siargao, Siquijor, Surigao, and Zamboanga.
Batanes is the place that keeps returning
By our count, six members chose Batanes: BINI’s Maloi, Colet, and Aiah, then SB19’s Josh, Justin, and Pablo.
That is almost half the combined lineup.
The official tourism pages frame Batanes through its rolling hills, dramatic coastlines, and Ivatan culture. Places such as Rakuh a Payaman, Basco Lighthouse, Sabtang Island, and Valugan Boulder Beach sit at the center of the usual first journey. Yet the repeated appeal probably runs deeper than a checklist. Batanes represents distance in a country already made of islands. It feels like the edge of the map, quiet enough to hear weather arriving.
ON THE SUROY ROUTE: Suroy has not yet published a verified firsthand Batanes field guide. Until our own trip is complete, we will not tell readers which viewpoint is “best,” how a place felt at sunrise, or what route we personally recommend. Those are details that should be earned on the ground.
The one piece of Batanes planning already in our archive is the paperwork. Every visitor now has to preregister before arrival, and the step-by-step guide to Batanes visitor preregistration is worth reading before you book anything.
Places already in the Suroy archive
Siargao: Jhoanna’s island rhythm
SUROY FIELD NOTE · VISITED AND PHOTOGRAPHED
Siargao is often reduced to one wave and one boardwalk. The island becomes more interesting once the trip slows down.
From our field guide, a first visit works best with five days and a base in General Luna. That keeps surf schools, food, nightlife, and the familiar island-hopping departures close. A longer stay creates room for Sugba Lagoon and the north coast without turning every day into a race.
Jhoanna’s pick makes sense for travelers who like a destination with two speeds. Siargao can be social and loud around Tourism Road, then quiet enough in Pacifico, Burgos, or Alegria to make the island feel newly discovered.
Read next: Siargao Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Eat, Surf, and Explore, and How to Get to Siargao in 2026: Flights, Ferries and the Manila Problem for the part that trips people up.
Bohol: Josh’s easiest great escape from Cebu
SUROY FIELD NOTE · VISITED AND PHOTOGRAPHED
Bohol holds several versions of a Philippine holiday in one island. There are the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers of the interior, the slow water of the Loboc River, the old churches and towns, then Panglao when the day needs sand and sea.
For a Cebu-based traveler, its advantage is not only beauty. It is reach. A fast ferry can turn Bohol into a real three-day break instead of a weekend consumed by transfers.
Our archive already covers the Chocolate Hills, Loboc River, tarsier encounters, Panglao hotels, Bohol Bee Farm, waterfalls, rice terraces, and places to eat. That gives Suroy room to do more than repeat DOT’s destination summary. We can show what belongs together in one route and what should be saved for another trip.
Read next: Bohol Travel Guide: The Loop, the East Side, and What the Hills Cost Now. Price the trip with the Bohol budget calculator, or work through the whole Bohol archive.
Siquijor: Stell’s island for people willing to stay
SUROY FIELD NOTE · VISITED AND PHOTOGRAPHED
Siquijor is easy to misunderstand when treated as a day trip. The island is 72 kilometers around. A nonstop loop takes roughly two hours, but the real day expands to six or eight once waterfalls, old churches, beaches, meals, and unplanned stops enter the route.
Three days is the better answer. Two reaches the headline places. Three gives the island time to become more than a lap.
The practical side also changed in 2026. Siquijor now has commercial flights from Cebu, and southern Cebu has new and returning ferry options that make Oslob, Liloan, and Bato useful gateways. Schedules and fuel surcharges are moving, so the route still needs checking before departure.
Read next: Siquijor Travel Guide 2026. Cost it out with the Siquijor budget calculator.
Zamboanga: Ken’s choice beyond the usual island list
FROM THE SUROY ARCHIVE · FIRSTHAND COVERAGE AVAILABLE
Zamboanga changes the character of the map. It is not included only for a beach. It brings Chavacano language, Yakan weaving, Fort Pilar, food traditions, Paseo del Mar, and the striking shoreline of Grande Sta. Cruz Island into the same journey.
Suroy’s published archive begins with Pink Beach, a short boat ride from the city proper. That is firsthand coverage, but it is not yet the complete 2026 Zamboanga guide the destination deserves. We should say that clearly rather than make one island article carry the weight of an entire city and region.
Read next: The Pink Beach of Grande Sta. Cruz Island
Boracay: Stacey and Pablo’s shared classic
SUROY FIELD NOTE · VISITED AND PHOTOGRAPHED
The official campaign returns to the island’s powder-white sand, bright mornings, and sunsets. Boracay is the most familiar name on the list, which is precisely why a Suroy guide should avoid being generic. The Boracay travel guide compares Station 1, 2, and 3, explains the Caticlan arrival sequence, and lays out a realistic five-day plan with a weather buffer. Coming down from Luzon by vehicle instead, the Batangas to Caticlan RoRo schedules and vehicle rates are here.
Palawan: Sheena’s landscape of limestone and hidden water
SUROY FIELD NOTE · TWO ROUTES COVERED, THE REST ON THE ROUTE
DOT describes Palawan through towering limestone cliffs, emerald water, and hidden lagoons. The name covers several very different trips, including Puerto Princesa, El Nido, Coron, San Vicente, and the quieter municipalities between them. A responsible Suroy guide should choose one route rather than write as though “Palawan” were a single stop.
Suroy’s published Palawan coverage now runs to two of those routes. Coron came first, with a practical itinerary, current costs, island-hopping guidance, and a weather buffer. El Nido followed, covering the four standard tours and the newer way in. Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, and the quieter municipalities between them are still on the Suroy route.
Read next: Coron Palawan Travel Guide: Itinerary, Costs and the Month Everyone Skips and El Nido, Palawan: A Complete Travel Guide to the Four Tours and the New Way In. Price either one with the Palawan trip cost calculator.
Places still on the Suroy route
Bukidnon: Gwen’s cooler side of the Philippines
Bukidnon gives the map altitude. Official tourism material points to mountain air, broad landscapes, farms, outdoor adventure, and places such as Dahilayan and Lake Apo. It is a strong contrast to a list dominated by islands.
A future Suroy route could begin through Cagayan de Oro, then separate the Manolo Fortich experience from Valencia and the longer southern drive. Until that field work is complete, the article should not claim a favorite ridge, café, or viewpoint.
Romblon: Mikha’s reward for taking the less obvious route
Romblon is not one island experience. Tablas, Romblon Island, and Sibuyan each require a different plan. The official campaign emphasizes clear water, less-developed islands, and the province’s marble craftsmanship.
That makes Romblon one of the most promising editorial gaps in the list. It also makes accuracy important. Ferry routes, ports, and transfer days can shape the trip more than any attraction list.
Surigao: Justin’s choice needs geographic precision
The official SB19 page uses “Surigao” and highlights a wider Caraga journey that includes Hinatuan Enchanted River, Mabua Pebble Beach, Sohoton Cove, and Siargao Island. Those places do not sit in one compact city itinerary.
Suroy should resist turning Surigao into another name for Siargao. A future guide needs to state whether it covers Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, or a larger Caraga route.
Which destination fits the trip you want?
| Travel mood | Best match from the list | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dramatic landscapes and quiet | Batanes | Hills, coastlines, distance, and Ivatan culture |
| Surf, food, and island energy | Siargao | Easy social base with room for slower north-coast days |
| A compact first island trip from Cebu | Bohol | Multiple experiences with relatively low transfer friction |
| Slow roads, waterfalls, and folklore | Siquijor | Best when the itinerary leaves room to wander |
| A classic white-sand holiday | Boracay | The most developed and immediately recognizable beach choice |
| Mountain air and outdoor adventure | Bukidnon | A cooler inland contrast to the coastal picks |
| Less-obvious island discovery | Romblon | Multiple islands, clear water, and a route that still feels earned |
| Culture, food, history, and coast | Zamboanga | A city-and-island journey with a distinct local identity |
| Limestone, lagoons, and long island routes | Palawan | Best approached one sub-region at a time |
| A wider Caraga expedition | Surigao | Rivers, coves, islands, and long overland connections |
Mood is only half of it. The month decides the rest. Best Time to Visit the Philippines breaks the year down month by month, and what habagat actually changes is worth reading before writing off the rainy season.
The Cebu traveler’s version of this map
Nearly all of it starts in one of two places: Mactan-Cebu International Airport for the flight-led trips, or the North and South bus terminals for the southern ferry gateways.
From Cebu, Bohol is the simplest island jump in the list. Siquijor can work through a flight, Dumaguete connection, or southern Cebu ferry. Siargao and Zamboanga are usually flight-led trips, while the northern and western destinations require more deliberate routing.
The right question is not only, “Which artist chose where?” It is, “Which destination can I give enough time to?”
A three-day weekend can hold Bohol or Siquijor when connections line up. It cannot hold every promise of Palawan. Romblon rewards patience. Batanes should never be squeezed between two obligations. Surigao needs a defined province before it needs an itinerary.
The campaign succeeds because the choices feel personal. Suroy’s responsibility is to keep the travel advice personal too, but only where we have earned the right to speak from experience.
Some of these destinations are already in our field notes. The rest are now on the route.
Suroy Wear
Ten destinations. One archipelago.
Thirteen artists picked ten places and barely dented the map. The whole count goes on the shirt. ₱999.
Wear the storyQuick answers
Which destination was chosen most often by BINI and SB19?
Batanes. Six members selected it by our count: Maloi, Colet, Aiah, Josh, Justin, and Pablo.
How many unique destinations appear across the BINI and SB19 picks?
Ten: Batanes, Bohol, Boracay, Bukidnon, Palawan, Romblon, Siargao, Siquijor, Surigao, and Zamboanga.
Which selected destinations already have firsthand Suroy coverage?
Bohol, Siargao, Siquijor, Boracay, Zamboanga, and Palawan through Coron and El Nido. The Palawan and Zamboanga coverage is narrower than a full province or city guide.
Are the other destination notes personal Suroy recommendations?
No. They are clearly marked On the Suroy Route and rely on attributed official information until a firsthand guide is completed.
