Where I live

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I reside in the Socsksargen Area in Mindanao, Philippines. So I'm going to talk about my hometown and its outskirts first of all. I grew up in Gensan, officially known as General Santos City, named after its founder Gen. Paulino Santos. It lies at the southernmost tip of the Philippine map, cradled between mountains and the seas.

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The article below narrating the history of the city is taken from the Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Santos_City#History

HISTORY OF GENERAL SANTOS CITY

On February 27, 1939, General Paulino Santos led the first and largest batch of settlers organized under the National Land Settlement Administration to the shores of Sarangani Bay. The 62 pioneers, who mostly came from Luzon, industriously tilled Cotabato's fertile expanse of land. After this first influx of pioneers, thousands more from Luzon and Visayas migrated into the area. This started the displacement of some of the native B'laan to the mountains and lost their livelihood. The B'laan people are the original settlers of the area once called Dadiangas for thousands of years. They live in a nomadic system in the area, where the names of the places are still recalled. One name is Dadiangas, the native word name of the tree specifically grown in the area. Under Indigenous Peoples Right Act IPRA law RA 8371, now they were protected and it is proven under the Philippine jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. Now the B'laan people live side by side and with harmony to the settlers and other immigrants from small islands in Visayas and Luzon.

In January 1948, by virtue of Republic Act No. 82, Buayan District became a full-fledged municipality whose territorial boundaries included the present municipalities of Sarangani and South Cotabato Provinces, namely Alabel, Glan, Malapatan, Malungon and Polomolok. NLSA Hospital Administrator Irineo I. Santiago became its first mayor.

Six years later, in June 1954, the Municipality of Buayan was renamed General Santos as a tribute to its great pioneer. This was made possible by Republic Act No. 1107 authored by Congressman Luminog Mangelen of Cotabato Province.

From 1963 to 1967, during the incumbency of Mayor Lucio A. Velayo, an upsurge in the municipality's economy was experienced as several large agri-based corporations such as Dole Philippines, General Milling Corporation and UDAGRI expanded into the area. Although it was then qualified to become a fourth class city, the residents rejected a move by Congressman Salipada Pendatun to convert General Santos into a city and to rename it Rajah Buayan.

Finally, on July 8, 1968, upon approval of Republic Act No. 5412, which was authored by then late Congressman James L. Chiongbian, the Municipality of General Santos was converted into a city while keeping its name. It was inaugurated on September 5 of that year. Antonio C. Acharon became its first city mayor. In 1988, two decades after its inauguration, it was declared as a highly urbanized city.(Wikipedia)
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My own family originated from different parts of Luzon. My maternal grandfather was presumably part of the second wave of settlers who hailed from Luzon. He brought his young family over and tilled hectares of lands that were granted to him. Some of the land he sold and a great part was distributed to his eight children.

My father was born in Luzon, in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija. He came to Mindanao in search of a better job and met my mother. To make a long story short, I was born here. and likewise my siblings.

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General Santos City, like Wikipedia says, is a highly urbanized city. To date, it boasts of three large malls (Robinson's, KCC, and Gaisano) and soon to be erected is the famous SM City Gensan Mall. It is also home to several large hotels, cafes, banks, schools (all levels) and various business enterprises (large scale and SMEs).

It has a modern wharf for ocean-bound businesses and an international airport, said to be the largest in Mindanao, that services two major airlines such as the Philippine Air Lines and the Cebu Pacific Airlines.

Gensan, as it is famously called now, is visited by tourists for its delightful seafood delicacies (tuna, dayana and other fish), and for its festivasl--the Kalilangan in February and the Tuna Festival in early September. It is also home to one eco-tourism destinations-- the Kalaja Karsts and the Nopolo Hills.

Gensan is also a very good jumpstart for other destinations such as Polomolok, Koronadal, Lake Sebu, T'boli, and going the opposite way, to Davao City.

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