Tuna Country

CEBU, Philippines - General Santos, formerly called Dadiangas and named after General Paulino Santos of the Philippine Constabulary, is the Philippines’ southernmost city. Often times called Gensan, it is  a dense city that is within the south Cotabato province. To its northeast is Davao, a popular destination and considered one of the prettiest southern metropolis.

With domestic carriers such as  Cebu Pacific flying daily from Cebu,  GenSan is slowly becoming a significant tourist destination as it serves as a jump-off point for the agricultural province of Sarangani and idyllic Lake Sebu.

On the invitation of Cebu Pacific Airways and  Microtel which opened very recently, a group of media practitioners spent a weekend in Gensan, learning its history and exploring itsbusy district  and environs.

The city began with only 62 pioneers from the island of Luzon cultivating the lands of Cotabato led by General Paulino Santos. After the settlement was established, several migrants from Luzon and the Visayas also journeyed south. The territory became a municipality in 1948 and achieved  its status as city twenty years later in 1968.

At the  city center are two beautifully landscaped parks, The Freedom Park to the east and Carlos P. Garcia Park to the west with City Hall in between them. There are several shopping centers such as the Gaisano and Robinsons Malls, KCC Mall, Bulaong Public Market and the  just recently opened, SM Mall

The city's economy is primarily anchored on the fishing industry and  is home to many fish processing plants particularly tuna canning factories. Often referred to as "Tuna city", GenSan plays a crucial part in maintaining the Philippines' rank as second largest in the world for tuna catches, as well as the fifth largest in the world in the production of canned tuna. Six out of eight tuna canneries and 12 out of 15 fresh and frozen tuna processing plants are located in GenSan, which only goes to show that much of the approximately 260 million US. dollars in export earnings of these businesses is courtesy of one busy city in the south. Around 100 to 200 metric tons of tuna shipped to the United States, Europe and Japan come from GenSan alone.

Blessed with an abundance of fish, GenSan celebrates every year in August the Tuna Festival which is the biggest and most popular. The highlights of the festivities include culinary competitions, parades, street parties, ceremonial awards, pageants and float competitions. 

The growth of the  agricultural sector is likewise quite strong and that can be attributed to the typhoon-free weather it enjoys. It also has a good rainfall, much to the advantage of local farmers. Among the farm produce that leave the airport and seaport are pineapple, papaya, cassava, coconuts, asparagus, exotic fruits, vegetables  hogs and poultry.

The neighboring towns and municipalities of GenSan  also offers several interesting tourist spots worth visiting. Approximately 20 kilometers north of the city is Polomolok, home to two monasteries. We  visited the Trappistine Monastery of Our Lady of Matutum which offers a magnificent view of Mt. Matutum, after which the monastery was named. The Cistercian nuns, more popularly known as Trappistines,  live a life of prayer, devotion  and solitude. Interestingly they support themselves by selling religious items, postcards and yes delicious cookies perfect for pasalubong.

An article on GenSan would not be complete without  mentioning  the Philippines' greatest boxing hero, Emmanuel "Manny"Dapidran  Pacquio, the first eight-division world champion. We visited his two- storey, seven-bedroom Mediterranean style house that sits on a 2, 300-square meter lot. We also dropped  by the boutique of his wife Maria Geraldine "Jinkee" Jamora and marveled at the dozens upon dozens  of branded bags, shoes and garments on display. Further down the road we briefly made a quick stop at their Roadhaus Economy Hotel where giant pictures of Manny and Jinkee adorn its walls.

Manny Pacquiao from his humble beginnings may not have planned for the success he has today, but no doubt he dedicated  a life of hard work toward achieving his goals.

Our weekend getaway in GenSan was made more enjoyable with our stay at Microtel which is conveniently located within the bustling commercial complex. And let's not forget about the much talked-about chiropractor-approved "healthy for the back" beds that guarantee a good night's rest. And just like all other Microtel properties, the hotel was conceived with convenience in mind. Excellent guest privileges like free Wi-Fi Internet access, and function and meeting rooms are thoughtfully provided to attend to your simple desires and demands.