Philippines, Davao: Customs Situation Update

In 2025, cruisers in Davao began experiencing issues with the local Bureau of Customs. In response, Holiday Oceanview Marina (HOV) closed (August 2025) and Cruisers were Advised to Avoid the Area while the issues were clarified. The situation in Davao has now improved and the HOV Marina is open again (April 2026). Visits to Davao are slightly more complicated with considerably more paperwork than elsewhere in the Philippines. Vessels are permitted a maximum stay of 1 month unless otherwise approved by the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration.

Improving Situation in Davao

After problems with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Davao where Cruisers were Advised to Avoid the Area in August 2025, the situation has improved and Holiday Oceanview Marina (HOV) on Samal Island is accepting arrivals once again, as of April 2026.

The Holiday Oceanview Marina Arrival and Departure Guidelines for Local and Foreign Vessels, which are largely driven by the Bureau of Customs rather than the marina itself, limit initial stays in Davao to one month. However, cruisers can appeal to the BOC for longer stays, particularly if they have a reason such as repairs for extending their visit. There is considerable paperwork involved, both for one-month and longer stays, but the marina office is helpful in providing samples to follow and guiding cruisers through the steps.

See Davao Clearance for clearance details and requirements.

Davao / HOV remains more complicated and more restricted than most ports elsewhere in the Philippines, but it has several advantages as well:

• Most south-easterly port of entry or departure
• Less risk of typhoons (it is generally considered to be below the typhoon zone)
• Haul-out and long-term storage possibility (subject to the BOC)
• Secure and helpful marina
• Access to the big city of Davao and an airport with many flights
• Pleasant environment on Samal Island.

Alternative Choices

Elsewhere on Samal Island, the local sailing club, Davao Sailing, is considering laying moorings for visiting yachts. Although these are unlikely to make the BOC requirements any easier, they would provide an alternative to the marina in a location that is very convenient for the main town of Samal Island and the ferries to Davao City.

North of Samal and Davao, the next most convenient port of entry or departure continues to be Surigao, where the Mayor and the authorities have made a point of being cruiser-friendly. The anchorage at Surigao is exposed to the north-east, but there are other options not far away once formalities have been completed.

Future Outlook

At the national level, the Philippine Bureau of Customs is in the process of formulating a standard procedure for dealing with private pleasure yachts to be applied consistently across the country, and particularly defining the permitted length of stay before a vessel becomes subject to import duties – which was the issue that created the situation with the BOC officials in Davao. Although this may make the Philippines less free and easy than it has been, the standardization should be a help in preventing rogue interpretations, and is likely to be in-line with many other countries.

The standard procedure could be finalized and adopted later in 2026.

This information was provided by Francis Hawkings of the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation (Pilotage Foundation) and the author of The Pacific Crossing Guide 4th Edition who has recently departed Davao, Philippines on SV Plainsong.