Siargao’s Malinao Skate Road Ban: What Closed, Who Ordered It and Where to Skate Now

Reported by Suroy Newsdesk. Edited by Janette Arceo. Editorial standards.

Skating, vending and gatherings on the Malinao “Skate Road” in General Luna, Siargao, have been banned since November 5, 2026, and the town says the closure is permanent. The General Luna LGU confirmed it in an official statement on Sunday, November 8, saying it is enforcing a directive from the Department of Public Works and Highways after a complaint was filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

The ban hits three groups at once: local skaters who used the strip as dry-land training, the vendors and surfskate instructors who made a living there, and visitors who came to General Luna partly for it. A public skate park is planned, but the town has not said where, how much, or when.

What was banned on the Malinao skate road

Everything that made it a skate road. Skating, vendors and gatherings or activities on the strip stopped on November 5, the Inquirer reported, after a road-clearing drive by DPWH. Barangay Malinao officials put up a notice along the road reading “No Vendors & Skaters Allowed By: Barangay Officials.”

The road itself stays open to traffic. It is a national road, and that is the whole point of the ban: the LGU’s statement says national roads are built for transport and that using one as a skate spot is a safety risk to skaters and motorists and an unlawful obstruction of a national highway.

Who ordered the closure, and why

The LGU points to DPWH. Its November 8 statement says the closure is “strictly implemented pursuant to the direct mandate and directive” of DPWH, following an official complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

According to the Inquirer, that complaint was lodged against village officials over alleged non-clearing of national roads and alleged unauthorized fee collections. Documents cited in the same report show the barangay council never passed an ordinance allowing the road to be used as a skate venue. DPWH and local complainants also raised noise and a lack of formal permits. DPWH has not published its own statement on Malinao.

The pushback

Opposition came fast and mostly online. Roel Catoto, a former journalist who covered Siargao for decades, told the Inquirer the vendors, surfskate instructors, vloggers and artisans on the strip “are trying to earn money through blood, tears, and sweat.” He argued the corridor never caused gridlock.

Nathaniel Plaza, a former General Luna councilor and former Surigao del Norte board member, backed keeping the strip open and said authorities should regulate it rather than shut it down. The LGU, for its part, says it recognizes what the closure costs local vendors and small businesses.

Where to skate in Siargao now

• Not Malinao. The LGU asks skaters to stay off the road entirely, and the barangay notice is posted along it.
• MagsaySky Skate Road. The LGU’s own page has been promoting a spot it calls MagsaySky Skate Road as “another destination” in General Luna. The post gives no exact location, hours or skating rules, so ask locally before assuming it is allowed.
• The planned skate park. Promised in the November 8 statement, with funding still being secured. No site or timeline yet.
• Surfskate lessons. Instructors in General Luna still list lessons; ask where they are riding now before you book.

None of this changes where to stay. Malinao is still the quiet end of General Luna for resort time, as our Siargao where-to-stay guide lays out, and the Siargao travel guide and how to get to Siargao cover the rest of the trip.

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