GenSan sizzles with Tuna Festival

MANILA, Philippines - The colorful Tuna Festival takes place from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5 in General Santos City to mark the city’s 43rd charter anniversary.

The two-week affair will strengthen the city’s claim as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines” with sports tournaments, entertainment and celebrity shows, and special interest events.

The highlight will be on Sept. 5 with a parade of floats and dancers with tuna-inspired regalia.

Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said this year’s festivity bears the theme “Exploring New Depths, Conquering New Challenges” to focus on the city’s other potentials such as ecotourism and trade and commerce.

A slogan the city wants to develop is “Gensan Beyond the Bay: From the Metropolis to the Hills” because of its many little-known wonders.

These include the Sansapan Cave Falls, Nopol Hills and the Kalajah Karst Forest.

Meanwhile, historic spots worth seeing are the World War II Japanese bunkers, Gen. Paulino Santos Museum, and the MSU Museum.

Custodio added GenSan is also being promoted as the “Land of the Champions” being the hometown of eight-time world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and 2011 Binibining Pilipinas Universe Chamcey Supsup.

Formerly known as Dadiangas town, the city was named after Gen. Paulino Santos of Tarlac who started a resettlement project for the landless upon the instruction of then President Manuel L. Quezon. It was converted into a city on Sept. 5, 1968.