After living in New York, London, and Manila, the former TV producer and now LGBT advocate Queenmelo Esguerra has resettled in Siargao, which has evolved from remote provincial backwater to a trendy, cosmopolitan surfing hot spot.

Queenmelo, or Melo for short, tells Howie Severino what makes Siargao magical: the combination of natural beauty and an egalitarian vibe where rich and poor, native and foreign can freely play and socialize together.

"When surfers go to the water, everyone is equal. It's just you and your relationship with nature," she says while dressed in her typical flowing kaftan and flamboyant shades. "They carry that attitude when they're on the ground."

Queenmelo asserts that Siargao is one of the most open places in the country for the LGBT community. But she says the Philippines still has a long way to go in gender equality, citing the sleeping status of the SOGIE bill.

Shortly after she moved to Siargao in 2021, Typhoon Odette struck. Queenmelo and a friend survived by taking shelter in a fire station. The next day, she swung into action, mobilizing friends to set up a relief kitchen that prepared hot meals for beleaguered islanders. Queenmelo has also helped rebuild homes and start community food gardens.

Siargao people's response to their plight demonstrated their community spirit and further deepened their roots in their adopted home. As they rebuild, they have a chance to create a model for the rest of the country — in sustainable tourism and in socially just ways of relating to each other.

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