Gensan and the good life

While most of my trips within the country are to the bigger cities, the most recent was one I can describe as truly invigorating and simply fantastic! What made it truly amazing is the fact that I visited a city I never imagined I had business going to. I am talking about the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”, General Santos. As the tag connotes, I feasted on fresh tuna like there was no tomorrow! Thank you to our most gracious host, a dear friend, Ryan Rivera. The Riveras play a major role in the country’s leading fishing industry, not to mention their 28 companies (RD Group of Companies), that have provided for their employees’ families here and abroad, more specifically in one of the world’s least explored Papua, New Guinea.

Along with my brother Boobi Kintanar, my sister Karla Kintanar-Fernandez and her hubby Ramon Fernandez, we were billeted in the Riveras’ family-owned Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel, a sister hotel of the equally-popular Dolores Hotel, Dolores Anchor Hotel and the Dolores Farm Resort. The red carpet treatment that the cordial hotel staff accorded us made our stay more relaxing; not to mention our whole day Saranggani Bay cruise on-board the family yacht, MY Dolores with wonderful couple Peppard and Jen Mato and their son, Lucky. In Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel, known for their annual “Bikini Open” events, one of the city’s summer highlight events, I had the pleasure of sitting as one of their judges along with my sister, Karla. Boy, I realized how truly endowed General Santos is…with fantastic sights, natural resources and yes, with gorgeous ladies and gentlemen! 

Gensan, as it is commonly abbreviated, has stamped its name globally, courtesy of the World’s Greatest Boxer, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Talking about Manny, we were invited to the big birthday bash of the very vivacious “Pacmom”, Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao. Though we couldn’t make it to the party as we had to fly back to Cebu, we had the honor of chit-chatting with the most famous mom in her home in the morning of her special day. I must say, it was one meeting so full of life!

No doubt, I will soon be a permanent fixture in that “neck of the woods”! To Ryan, Councilor Ronnel Rivera (who I learned is a force to be reckoned with in Gensan’s political arena) and to the beautiful people of Gensan, A BIG THANK YOU!