Braving Rapids of Pangi River

Maitum, Sarangani (September 14, 2010) - Sports Unlimited hosts Dyan Castillejo and Marc Nelson and other guests stop at mid-stream while negotiating the 1.6-kilometer whitewater river tubing at Pangi River, Barangay New La Union during the weekend. Sports Unlimited, a sports program of ABS-CBN, features different kinds of sports, as well as ordinary and prominent sports figures. 
Lying on the west coast part of the Sarangani Province, Maitum is one of the six municipalities that share the 230-kilometer coastline of Sarangani Bay. From General Santos City, the gateway to the Province, Maitum is 127 kilometers away and can be reached in two hours.   

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4ML Beach Resort

4 ML Beach, simple but has pristine water and white sand. At quiet place of Maasim, near from Seaguil Bridge and from General Santos City, there is a place to relax & swimming together with your family. 4ML Beach resort is amazing and another beach to explore from Mindanao. A lot of bacawan where small fishes grow. Virgin Corals are in place where you can see variety of fishes.

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Lemlunay South Point Dive Resort

The Tinoto Wall, a 10-kilometer coral formation off the Lemlunay South Point Dive Resort in Maasim, along the coast of Sarangani Province, is famous among diving aficionados for its diversity. This giant squid is among the larger species–including Napoleon wrasse, bump head parrotfish, and manta rays—which throng the “wall.” The Sarangani Tourism Industry Association, Inc. (SARTIA), the provincial government and USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program are working together to expand diving tourism  in Sarangani, where dive spots like this are  30 to 40 kilometers from General Santos City. The GEM Program is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council. 

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IML Ecopark in Maasim

MAASIM, SARANGANI province’s newest resort rising on a peak in Lumasal village is IML(short for Irineo Miguel Lopez) Ecopark. It is located in an old hacienda now owned by former mayor Aniceto Lopez, Jr. and family. Ecopark is 20 kilometers from the Maasim proper which is 45 kilometers from General Santos City. IML Ecopark is an all-adventure destination, recreation, and a place for vacation. Located on the right side of the 33-hectare banana plantation is a shooting range. There’s a 580-meter long zip-line overlooking two swimming pools (one for adults, the other for kids), a garden, playground, a conference room and private cottages over on the left.There is a restaurant, a display center and parking space for up to 25 vehicles. A bigger conference hall will soon be constructed at the back portion for 300 business guests. The parking lot has five open cottages offering a view of the national highway, coconut trees and the seashore.

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Tuka Marine Park

A Marine Park in Kiamba, Sarangani which variety of fishes will be found. The pristine waters make visitors enjoy this snorkeling haven's vast coral gardens located in coves near the town proper.

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GenSan Tuna Festival

One of the more interesting fiestas in the Philippines is the Tuna Festival in General Santos City. Most probably, this celebration was inspired by the fact that this particular city is referred to as the country’s Tuna Capital. The city’s contribution to the overall revenues of the government deserves to be honored as it operates a prosperous tuna industry. The tuna trade is responsible for generating at least 100,000 employment opportunities, either direct or indirect for its local populace including the nearby vicinities.

A parade normally opens the festivity to begin this fiesta. The students in General Santos, from elementary to high school levels, energetically perform dancing to upbeat music. The floats displayed during the parade are giant replicas of tuna together with its fellow creatures from the sea. After enjoying the visual delights, you should then try to satisfy your taste buds with the various tuna delicacies prepared by the people there.
The Tuna Festival is something you would find pleasure participating as there are many activities designed to make sure that everyone has a memorable time. You can attend the parties, join in the contests and watch the free shows that the committee in charge of this fiesta has planned for its numerous visitors.

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South Cotabato

South Cotabato (Filipino:Timog Kotabato) is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal City, and it bordersSultan Kudarat to the north and west, Sarangani to the south and east, and Davao del Sur to the east. To the southeast lies Sarangani Bay.

General Santos City, on the shores of Sarangani Bay, is the largest and most important city in the region, and is a major seaport. The province of Sarangani used to be part of South Cotabato until it was made an independent province in 1992.

The people of South Cotabato are multilingual, able to communicate in T'boli, as well as in Hiligaynon and/or Cebuano, as well as in both Tagalog and English. Other languages spoken are Ilocano and Ilonggo. The indigenous tribes, in addition, use their own tribal dialects. A situation wherein several people, each speaking solely in his own dialect and are still able to communicate with the others, is not unheard of. However, the provinical government is encouraging the people to learn and speak T'boli as a mother tongue and/or working language

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Sarangani Province

Sarangani is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region inMindanao. Its capital is Alabel and borders South Cotabato to the north and Davao del Sur to the east.

Sarangani is part of the South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-Gen. Santos City (Soccsksargen) development cluster, and is linked by paved roads to the international airport and world-class fish port of Gen. Santos City. Good roads and regular flights through Gen. Santos City allow the province easy access to Manila, Cebu, Davao City, as well as the rest of the Soccsksargen areas. Gen. Santos City’s airport has one of the country’s longest runways.

The province is situated as the country’s major gateway to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines - East Asean Growth Area. With its proximity to its regional counterparts, Sarangani is in a unique position to marshal its resources, entice tourists and investors, and compete in an international market under a borderless trade regime.

Strategically located at the southernmost tip of Mindanao, the province is protected by the resource-rich Sarangani Bay. Beyond this is the Celebes Sea, which is the province’s access to the rest of the world.

Bordered by over 230 km of unspoiled coastline, Sarangani offers more than 4,400 sq. km. of typhoon-free land and marine resources, largely untapped tourism potentials, and vast investment possibilities.

The province is divided into two parts, separated by the Sarangani Bay and General Santos City, and it used to be part of South Cotabato until it was made an independent province in 1992.

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General Santos City

The City of General Santos (abbreviated G.S.C. or GenSan.; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa General Santos) 

is the southernmost port city of the Philippines. It is one of the most populous urban centres in the country with a population of 529,542 as per data of 2007 census. GenSan is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. The city is likewise bounded by South Cotabato municipality of Polomolok and Sarangani Province municipality of Malungon in the North, and the municipality of T'boli in the West of the city. General Santos City is a component of province South Cotabato.
Organized under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) of the Commonwealth Government headed by President Manuel L. Quezon, General Paulino Santos led the relocation of 62 Christian settlers from Luzon to the shores of Sarangani Bay aboard the steam ship “Basilan” of Compania Maritima on February 27, 1939. The 62 pioneers (mostly agricultural and trade graduates) were the first big batch of settlers to land in GenSan with the mission to industriously cultivate GenSan's fertile expanse of land. After this first influx of pioneers, thousands more from Luzon and the Visayas have subsequently migrated into the area. This started the displacement of some native B'laan tribe to the mountains and lost their livelihood.

The B'laan people are the original settlers of GenSan which they called Dadiangas during the time. The B’laans live a nomadic way of life in and around GenSan. Evidence of their early occupancy are the names of the places in the city which were derived from their native terms. One significant name is Dadiangas, their native call for a tree which has thorns on its trunk and stems that abundantly thrive in GenSan during the time. Under Indigenous Peoples Right Act IPRA law RA 8371, these Dadiangas trees are now protected and it is proven under the Philippine jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. In the present time, the B'laan tribe live side by side in harmony with the new generation of settlers and other immigrants.

In March 1939, the first formal settlement in the city was established in ’’Alagao’’ which is now known as Barangay Lagao. Lagao district was known then as the “Municipal District of Buayan” under the jurisdiction of the deputy governor of the Municipal District of Glan. Until it officially became an independent Municipal District of Buayan on October 1, 1940 appointing Datu Sharif Zainal Abedin—an Arab mestizo married to a daughter of a very influential datu of lower Buayan—as the first district municipal mayor.

One year after the mark of Philippine Independence from the Americans on July 4, 1946, the Municipality of Buayan became a 4th class regular municipality by virtue of the Executive Order Number 82, dated August 18, 1947 by President Manuel Roxas, absorbing the Municipal District of Glan whose low income bracket at the time disqualified it for the honor. Dadiangas was the seat of government for the Municipality of Buayan electing Ireneo Santiago as its first Municipal Mayor on a local election that was held on November 11, 1947. Mayor Santiago was formally inducted on January 1, 1948.^[3]

Six years later, in June 1954, the Municipality of Buayan was renamed General Santos as a tribute to its great pioneer. This was made possible by Republic Act No. 1107^[4] authored by Congressman Luminog Mangelen of Cotabato Province.

From 1963 to 1967, during the incumbency of Mayor Lucio A. Velayo, an upsurge in the municipality's economy was experienced as several large agri-based and multi-national corporations such as Dole Philippines, General Milling Corporation and UDAGRI have expanded into the area. Although it was then qualified to become a fourth class city from being a municipality, the residents rejected a move by Congressman Salipada Pendatun to convert the Municipality of Buayan into a city and to rename it ’’Rajah Buayan’’.

Finally, on July 8, 1968, upon the approval of Republic Act No. 5412, which was authored by the late Congressman James L. Chiongbian, the Municipality of General Santos was converted into a city while keeping its name. It was inaugurated on September 5 of that year. Antonio C. Acharon became its first city mayor. In 1988, two decades after its inauguration, it was declared as a highly urbanized city of South Cotabato.

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Sultan Kudarat Place

Sultan Kudarat is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region inMindanao. Its capital is Isulan and borders Maguindanao and Cotabato to the north,South Cotabato and Sarangani to the south, and Davao del Sur to the east, and theCelebes Sea to the west.

People

As of the 2000 census, Sultan Kudarat has a total population of 586,505. The province formerly had a Muslim majority, but Christian migrants now outnumber Muslims and highlanders.

Maguindanaons live in the coastal towns of the province. Tribal groups with settlements in the province include the Blaan, Iranons, Tirurays and Manobo.

The most dominant language is Tiruray, though Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Ilocano andCebuano are spoken in some municipalities. Maguindanao is the local language of the Muslim population.

Economy

The economy of Sultan Kudarat is predominantly agricultural. With vast agricultural potential, the output consists of practically all types of crops grown in the country, including rice, corn, beef, coffee, and vegetables. The province is self-sufficient in poultry, swine, and root crops. The province is one of the few producers of Irish potatoes in the Philippines. The southern Philippines Grain Complex in Tacurong is the largest grains-processing complex in the country. There are more than 200 ricemills in the province.

Fishing is a fast growing industry. Tuna caught along the coasts along the Celebes Seaare of high quality, and are exported to Japan and Europe.

Another significant economic activities include the cottage industry, which includes crafts made of rattan and other types of wood.

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