By Berniemack Arellano, on July 23rd, 2011%
It was serendipity that brought me back to South Cotabato this July, as the province celebrates its 45th year as a province through street dance, merry making and other activities in the T’nalak Festival. Good thing that Enrico Dee of Byahilo gave me that idea of attending T’nalak, since it’ll be my first Mindanaoan festival to attend with. Of course, the main event was held on the 18th of July, the province’s founding anniversary and I was expecting the street dance competition which showcases the best of the great three cultures of Mindanao: the Kristyanos (Christian migrant settlers), the Moros (the Muslims), and the Lumads (the animist indigenous peoples). The festival was named after T’nalak, the famed cloth of the T’boli women made from abaca. Strong yet durable and light, its designs were believed to have come from the dreams of the weavers, seemingly a communication between the living world and their ancestors. It became one of South Cotabato’s immortal icons.
Continue reading T’nalak Festival: Celebrating 45 Years of Great Cultures and Dreams
By Berniemack Arellano, on July 14th, 2011%
Yes to Gensan Manong Kargador! Mabuhay ka! (Long Live!) If it is yellow-fin tuna, it’s got to be Gensan (General Santos City)! The fifty billion peso tuna industry has been synonymous to General Santos City, the boom town sitting beside the deep harbor of Sarangani Bay. Ever since 1970s, armadas of both small and commercial fishing boats have been disembarking the “chicken of the sea” in Gensan or Dadiangas, from the bounties of The Pacific and Celebes Sea. Because of this, it has attracted a lot of investors in setting up tuna canneries, processing plants and other investors—along with workers, generating thousands of jobs in a highly-industrialized city. Because of the growing demand, General Santos City was in need of better facilities for trading yellow-fin tuna. In 1999, the General Santos Fish Port Complex was opened. It wouldn’t be “The Tuna Capital of the Philippines” for nothing, right?
The prized catch from the sea--Yellowfin Tuna General Santos Fish Port is located at Barangay Tambler, some 15 kilometers south from downtown Gensan—quite far if you’re not used to the distance. But no traffic here, so it’ll be just a quick ride in the industrial districts of Labangal, Calumpang, and Tambler.
Continue reading The Pulsating Gensan Fish Port
By Berniemack Arellano, on June 9th, 2011%
Starstruck: Me, Marc of ExploreIloilo and Manny Pacquiao It was nearing midnight in General Santos City. We just had some dinner and shots at Piyesta at Robinsons Place Gensan in Lagao District together with the SOX Bloggers. Avel, Marz, Marc and I were heading to Horizon Spa, just a few miles north east from the resto. While we were on our way, we passed by J Mix Bar and Pacman Sports Bar and Grill—of course owned by Gensan’s pride boxer Manny Pacquiao. At first we were like, “ah ok, kay Pacman pala yan” and carry on. However, our fellow blogger Marz noticed a black Hummer parked in front of the bar and uttered, “andyan si Manny! Andyan yung Hummer nya eh.” (Manny is there! The Hummer is there)
Continue reading The Pacquiao Serendipity
By Berniemack Arellano, on June 7th, 2011%
In the mid-1990s, the General Santos City experienced boom in investments, most especially in infrastructure. Foreign-aid multi-million dollar projects such as the road network, a world class container port and fish port were just some of the infrastructures that were given to the southernmost city of the Philippines. General Santos City International Airport has been one of the largest projects that were made in south-central Mindanao. It has the longest runway in entire Mindanao, third longest in the country—with a span of 3.2 kilometers. It can accommodate large aircraft such as Boeing 747 or Airbus A380.
Continue reading How to Get In and Out of Gensan Airport On Tight Budget?
By Berniemack Arellano, on May 27th, 2011%
Kulintang--distinctly Mindanao (from MSU-Gensan Museum) I grew up in Greater Manila for most of my childhood life. Eat, sleep, talk and think as a city boy. Although I frequently visit the provinces because my parents are provincianos and my dad has a lot of out-of-town projects, which is a nature of his work. However, when I stepped into college, have chosen myself as Ilonggo and hometown at Iloilo, it was the time that I was reintroduced and reoriented with my parent’s birthplace…the “Land of Promise” down south, Mindanao. The fascination and the sojourns have changed my life forever.
Continue reading The Mindanao Saga Reminisced
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