The General Santos City

May 1st of this year 2008 was my sked of flight to Gensan. I wanted to experience a different culture in a place I’d never been… I’m always excited by that. From the window pane I looked down, there it is; a huge area of green meadows from birds’ eye view. The General Santos Airport located in a center of a great savannah. Good thing there’s someone who’ll pick me at the airport. Jay Borja, brother of a friend (Joeven) who’s now in Titay, Zamboaga Sibugay. It would cost you 300 to 500 pesos from airport to mainland when you ride via taxi or habal-habal (a ‘single’ motorcycle used for commercial purposes- particularly common in Mindanao area). Gensan is a home of our boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. I reside near their resident home in Lagao. Only, I never got the chance to make a visit or is it allowed to do so for ordinary individuals. Cannot even make a glance, the fence is too high. Can barely see the window located on their second floor from the outside. It is widely known too for pineapple and tuna. They have a sandy soil even kilometers away from shore. A typical place as it may be, only there’s plenty of commercial factories and processing for canned foods. We’ve visited houses of friends and as expected, they offer us to drink tuba served with sugba and kilawin. It’s a common thing when having such time to visit every once in a while and a chance to do lots of conversation.

We’ve also visited Saranggani Province. Not too far from Gensan, a place of local fisherman and along the national highway you can see fishes and seashells on talipapa.
Some individuals simply display their catch for the travelers too see. A meter long octopus cost only a hundred (Php) and fish that are served only in big restaurants in Manila are for sale just along the road.

Moved forward. Kiamba. And there we go, another kin’s place to stay. They have a rice farm and their problem is an opposite problem in my province. In the field, the water don’t stop from emerging on surface even crops are about to harvest. And we, in Mindoro Occidental- water won’t emerge and it will never be. Rainfall is the only hope for most of the local farmers. We have this NIA (National Irrigations Association) but the water supply won’t suffice the hundreds of hectares farmland. So, I just shrugged in awe.

The opposite of Saranggani bay is Glan, located on the eastern side of its shore. Glan, they said is a mountainous area filled with breathtaking view from the top. A friend was inviting us to go to Glan but we don’t have enough time and budget. Hmmnnn… next time.

Summer Heat
Children Take a Dive at Local Shore
Tukuran, Zamboanga Del Sur

• The next morning, we find ourselves in van terminal going Pagadian City. Last trip is 10 in the morning. Travel lasts seven hours without any misfortune in our vehicle. Thank God. You can see different places reminding of what culture they have along every municipality. National Highway is cemented all across the region. Only the newly opened road in Cotabato is under construction. Van traveled via Polomolok, Koronadal, Tacurong, Midsayap, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Lanao Del Norte, South Cotabato. drillö