The Philippines - Mindanao, Davao Oriental

The southern island of Mindanao is the largest single island in The Philippines and has a long history of social and political conflict. Making a surfing project in this area was risky, as few visitors had visited the coastline of Mindanao for any reason. 

Since the arrival of Europeans in The Philippines in 1521 after the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Panamá, Mindanao has seen everything from religious disputes to armed political struggle, conflicts that have severely constrained the social and economic development of the island.

At the time of the arrival of the Spaniards, led by the Portuguese navigator Fernão Malgalhaes, better known by his Spanish name of Ferdinand Magellan, most of Mindanao was under the control of various Muslim sultanates.