Kiamba: Sarangani’s sleeping beauty

KIAMBA, Sarangani Province — A small town in Sarangani has hundreds of couples walking the streets every Valentine’s Day. A festive mood breathes over Kiamba every year during the heart’s day where one could find kiosks, carnival, tribal shows and a myriad of exciting activities in their short, narrow old roads.

But they are not only celebrating Valentine’s Day. It is the town’s foundation anniversary and the Timpuyog festival they are most excited about.

Timpuyog is an Ilocano word for unity, a term very appropriate in a town whose populace is a mixture of Ilocanos, Cebuanos, Maguindanaos, B’laans and T’bolis.

During the festival, guests could witness tribal shows as T’boli families make their way to the town proper from far-flung barangays.

It is also during this day when the locals show their unity for the peace and development of their town.

Established in 1947 as a municipality, Kiamba is an idyllic town whose sleepiness will remind you of scenes from Tagalog romantic movies. But its relaxed atmosphere is complemented by its exciting landscape and friendly townsfolk.

Visitors have a wide array of adventures to choose from in this town bordered by the Celebes Sea and lush rainforests. Take a peek:

l A short trek from the highway will lead you to majestic waterfalls where the water is so clear it may just quench your thirst.

l A quick walk along its famed short, narrow roads littered with Japanese era houses will lead tourists to a wonderful view of the Celebes sunset.

l If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the people’s champ Manny Pacquaio whose wife grew up in Kiamba. Pacquiao frequents Kiamba to visit friends and relatives and watch cockfights.

l Taking an early morning stroll in Kiamba will lead to some pleasant surprises. One could catch a glimpse of the famed Kiamba sunrise where colors of the spectrum explodes in the sky to usher a brand new day as fishermen leave for their boats.

l A short boat ride will take you to Tuka Marine Park, a protected area where fishing is banned.

It has four protected coves and only one (Tuka 2) is open to the public. The site has awesome coral formations and you will be literally swimming with schools of fish once you decide to snorkel.

l When you hit the beach of Kiamba, you will enjoy the pleasure of having it all to yourself and your friends because it does not have bothersome vendors and hawkers.

Declared once as the cleanest and greenest municipality in the Philippines, Kiamba is also at the forefront of a child–friendly movement together with its neighboring town Maitum. Both municipalities have won several national awards for their child-friendly programs and are being promoted by the provincial government as two of the most promising tourist destinations in Region XII.