3 islands in Philippines hailed as among best in Asia

MANILA, Philippines — Boracay, Palawan and Siargao were included in the list of “Top Islands in Asia” by the foreign travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2023.

Boracay ranked third with a score of 91.07, Palawan sixth with 89.71 and Siargao 10th with 87.37, according to the results of the magazine’s online poll.

Bali in Indonesia topped the list, followed by Koh Samui in Thailand, Boracay, Phuket in Thailand, Langkawi in Malaysia, Palawan, Sri Lanka, Phú Qu?c in Vietnam, Okinawa and Ryukyu Islands in Japan and Siargao.

Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco praised the accolades for Boracay, Palawan and Siargao, saying in her statement, “This achievement reflects the hard work, dedication and sustainable tourism efforts of our country, from our local communities, national and local government agencies and stakeholders who have strived tirelessly to preserve and enhance the beauty of these islands.”

The agency also said around 600,000 readers of Condé Nast Traveler registered and took part in the online poll.

Boracay topped Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Islands in Asia list in 2020 and 2022, while Palawan placed fourth in 2020 and eighth in 2022.