General Santos City in South Cotabato, celebrates its 6th Tuna Festival with various events showcasing the city’s “wealth of waters” which are sand (beaches), swim (dive sites), and sashimi (tuna).
Department of Tourism-Region XII Director Sohura Dimaampao said the ongoing Tuna Festival focuses on the city’s “wealth of waters” which has propelled GenSan’s economic success from being a small coastal settlement area in the 1930s to a major seaport.
Highlights of the week-long event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5, are the Sashimi Night and Luau Party at the East Asia Royal Hotel’s parking lot, the Tuna Revolution Float Parade from Gaisano Mall to the Oval Plaza, and the Parada ng Dagat Street Dancing Competition at the Acharon Sports Complex. A Tuna Congress will also be held on Sept. 2-3, addressing the sustainability of the city’s tuna resources, new policies affecting the tuna industry and opportunities both here and abroad.
Other activities include a Tunafest Fluvial Parade, Lutuna Culinary Competition, Kulay Dagat On-the-Spot Painting Contest, Bangkarera Competition, Plantuna Garden Show, Tuna Trade Fair, and Search for Ms. Gensan.
Outgoing Tourism Secretary Obet Pagdanganan cited the organizers of the Tuna festival for making the event a socioeconomic, cultural and tourism trademark in the region in just six years.
“The scenario in Gensan is what we are promoting for the DoT’s Ganda ng Pilipinas, Galing ng Pilipino (GP2) campaign. Through this campaign, we present to the whole world the beauty of Gensan as well as the talent, ingenuity, industry, resilience and natural warmth of the people here,” he said.
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