Gensan’s 6th Tuna Festival

A City Honors Its Most Precious Marine Resource
Situated on the northern fringes of the picturesque, ring-shaped Sarangani bay in South Cotabato, the boom city of General Santos looks like a diamond sparkling in Southern Mindanao.

Unlike most cities in the country, General Santos was well planned. They say the city was patterned after Washington D.C; that’s why it has wide streets radiating towards the scenic bay, giving its almost 350,000 residents a lot of breathing space and almost traffic-free environment. Called Dadiangas in the olden days, the city has world-class infrastructures and facilities that support its robust economy.

Located in what is popularly called SOCSKSSARGEN (South Cotabato/Sultan Kudarat / Sarangani/General Santos), GenSan (as General Santos is popularly called in Mindanao) is the center of a bustling economic growth area in Southern Mindanao that are interconnected by well-paved highways. Complementing its good roads is its brand-new international airport overlooking the picturesque bay whose runway could accommodate even the big, double-decker passenger jets of the future. But its most vital facility is its ultra-modern fish port.

With more than 1,000 tons of fish offloaded daily, GenSan ranks second after Manila for fish production, the prize catch being the giant yellow-fin tuna caught by its fishermen from as far as the Celebes Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Because of this huge volume of tuna catch, the city has seven major tuna canneries that produce 27 million cases – that’s 238,443 metric tons of canned tuna in 2002!

Because of this marine bounty whose gross exports reach more than US$150 million annually, a foundation aptly called Tuna Festival Foundation, Inc. was formed and, in cooperation with the city government, organized, the first tuna festival during its week-long city charter day celebration on September 1 to 5, 1999. Now in its sixth year, its bigger and grander than ever.

So, if you are a tuna lover, you should go to GenSan’s fish port on September 4 for this year’s version of a pelagic fun Olympics. There will be a search for the biggest and heaviest tuna-which means more than 30 kilos in weight! Also included are the fastest tuna handling and preparation, and the karga tuna (carrying the heaviest fish) contests. Capping the tuna games are water sports like bilis langoy, karera ng Banka, balik bugsay, tuna relay, huli hito, and how to dress up a huge tuna!

Starting last Friday, August 27, up to September 5, there will be a “Tuna Fiesta” every night at the Oval Plaza where everyone’s invited to join in street parties with live bands playing onstage. For visitors who’d like to bring home tuna pasalubong they can buy a wide array of prime cuts – panga, belly, buntot and of course, the freshest sashimi in this part of the world at the “WOW (wealth of waters) Tuna Trade Fair” in the same venue.

Another culinary event that’s not to be missed is the “Lutuna Culinary Competition” on August 31, where GenSan’s noted chefs” TV show on how to prepare the most delectable tuna dishes. Spectators can pamper their palates even by just ogling (and smelling) at the mouthwatering tuna dishes.

The tummy- filling Tuna Festival will not be complete though, without experiencing the extraordinary “Sashimi Night” on September 4 at the city’s Anchor Driving Range. Its organizers promised the event to be a gastronomic evening for people who love this prime raw dish while popular bands play onstage.

Like all festivals, there will also be a lot of amazing events all week-long like the “Tuna Revolution Float Parade” competition, one of the 39 events lined-up, where folks from all barangays of the city, including people engaged in fish-related businesses, will join hands to come out with their respective giant floats. This will be a treat because big tuna canning companies will outdo each other in coming out with the biggest and the most outlandish tuna themed floats.

The highlight of the 10-day tuna festival is the annual Tuna Congress on September 2 at the Family Convention Center. There, major industry players will plan the sustainability of their prime marine resource. The business sector will also be updated on new policies affecting the tuna industry and its other opportunities here and abroad.

So, come to GenSan and discover its “wealth of wonders” – visually and gastronomically!

Randy V. Urlanda, August 29,2004,Philippine Panorama Manila Bulletin

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