General Santos City is proud to be the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”. Aside from tunas, the city has also other things to be proud of. The tourist spots and festivals of General Santos City make it a great destination for tourists.
A tourist attraction in General Santos City is a social gathering festival called Kalilangan sa Heneral Santos. Kalilangan is from the word “Kalilang” meaning commemoration or celebration according to the Maguindanaon dialect.
The people of General Santos City gather socially for this festival where they exchange amenities among native leaders, ally, elders, and subordinates. The festival is a pageantry of various colorful ethnic rites, traditions, and rituals such as religious ceremonies, marriage celebrations, anniversaries, enthronement of royal dignitaries, funerals, thanksgiving, and other social activities.
The Kalaja Karsts Area is a wonderful destination for tourists in General Santos City. The area is about 15 kilometers from General Santos City’s northeast side at Barangay Conel. The name Kalaha Karsts Area is derived from the word Kalaha, which means frying pot due to the formation of the karsts made millions of years ago. Waterfalls and caves are abundant in this area.
Tourists can explore the Kalaja Cave in General Santos City. The cave has a pool inside that is about three meters deep and 22 meters wide.
Bunga Spring is found in the center of the Kalaha Karsts Area in General Santos City. The place has a campsite for tourists and stargazing is a great night activity.
Another tourist destination in General Santos City is the Malakong Gorge just about three-and-a-half kilometers away from Kalaja Cave. This is an excellent place for boulder and rock climbing for novices and beginners. Camping for tourists are also allowed.
Just a 30-minute drive from the Kalaha Karsts Area is the Nopol Hills. It is General Santos City’s highest camping ground and gives a good panoramic view of Sarangani Bay and the neighboring towns. Hiking in Nopol Hills in the afternoon will give you a good view of the sunset at the bay.
Since tuna fishing is a major industry, General Santos City has its Tuna Festival every September as part of the city’s charter celebration. The festival is a three-day celebration in General Santos City. It is a thanksgiving festival for the bounty of the sea especially the tuna and tuna-like species. Various tuna cuisine and other culinary competitions can be witnessed. Street dancing and fluvial parades are the main attractions of the festival.
General Santos City is outside the typhoon belt of the Philippines. You can expect good weather condition throughout the year.
Tourists will really enjoy their visit to General Santos City. The sites and celebrations bring local and foreign tourists closer to nature.
Source: Philippine Insider
