General Santos City in Mindanao

General Santos City is bounded by three municipalities of Sarangani Province and two municipalities of South Cotabato, namely Alabel, Malungon, Maasim, Polomolok and T'boli. The city's economy is primarily agro-industrial. As a component of the SOCCSKSARGEN growth area, it has contributed much to the area's emergence as the country's leading producer of major commodities. Due to its rich soil, good rainfall and typhoon-free climate, the area is the largest producer of corn, coconuts, copra, pineapples, asparagus and rice. The area also produces other high value crops such as exotic fruits, potatoes, vegetables, cut flowers and okra. It accounts for the largest daily total of fish landings in the country and is the leading producer of sashimi grade tuna. Residents boast that fish and seafood do not come fresher than in their city.





History
On February 27, 1939, General Paulino Santos led the first and largest batch of settlers organized under the National Land Settlement Administration to the shores of Sarangani Bay. The 62 pioneers, who mostly came from Luzon, industriously tilled Cotabato's fertile expanse of land. After this first influx of pioneers, thousands more from Luzon and Visayas migrated into the area. This started the displacement of some of the native B'laan to the mountains and lost their livelihood. The B'laan people are the original settlers of the area once called Dadiangas for thousands of years. They live in a nomadic system in the area, where the names of the places are still recalled. One name is Dadiangas, the native word name of the tree specifically grown in the area. Under Indigenous Peoples Right Act IPRA law RA 8371, now they were protected and it is proven under the Philippine jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. Now the B'laan people live side by side and with harmony to the settlers and other immigrants from small islands in Visayas and Luzon.

(According to my office mates and friends in Gensan, they said I have a strong resemblance to General Paulino Santos the founder of Gensan. Actually my maternal grandfather Melchor Santos is a native of Bulacan, and Tarlac Province the hometown of General Santos is just nearby. Perhaps the General was a relative of my late grandfather, a Filipino-Spanish mestizo and a lieutenant in the Katipunan during the Philippine revolution against Spain.)

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Friday, September 18, 2009
Cebu Pacific Airways Flight at NAIA Terminal 3 to and from General Santos City
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/photos-of-naia-terminal-3.html


Saturday, September 19, 2009
Cebu Pacific Airways Flight to and from General Santos City International Airport
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/cebu-pacifics-flight-to-general-santos.html


Sunday, September 20, 2009
Photos of Gensan's Barangay Tambler and Barangay Calumpang
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/photos-of-gensans-barangay-tambler-and.html


Monday, September 21, 2009
The road to Maasim, Sarangani Province from Barangay Tambler, General Santos City
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/road-to-maasim-sarangani-province-from.html


Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Photo Journal of my road trip to Koronadal City
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/koronadal-city.html


Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Polomolok, South Cotobato
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/polomolok-south-cotobato.html


Sunday, September 27, 2009
The road to Alabel the capitol of Sarangani Province
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/09/road-to-alabel-capitol-of-sarangani.html