GenSan’s Tuna Festival 2010

Alright alright, its high festival time down south again and I haven't even blogged about my experience last year! Anyway, got info from a friend and here goes...
The 2010 Tuna Festival Month of September put together by the Tuna Festival Council headed by Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio and the GenSan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (GSCCCII) started on a high note last week.

Guided by the theme "Go Global GenSan: We Are Ready for the World", the jampacked month-long GTx (GenSan Tunafest experience) kicked off on September 2-4, 2010 with the conduct of the 12th National Tuna Congress which broke records in terms of the number of attendees and exhibitors at its Tuna Congress Exhibit held at Family Country Convention Center.

On September 3, 2010, former Senator Mar Roxas came in behalf of Keynote Speaker President Noynoy Aquino to inspire the participants consisting of local and international tuna and fishing industry leaders and stakeholders.

The annual Karagatan Awards that honored the year’s outstanding handline fishmermen were given to the awardees at the Closing Dinner that same night at the Isla Parilla Resort in Alabel, Sarangani.

Then on Sunday, the whole city commemorated the 42nd Charter Day Anniversary with a mass at the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish Church and an Ecumenical Prayer and short program at the Gen. Paulino Santos Shrine inside the Plaza Heneral Santos. This was attended by the city’s business and socio-civic leaders, government workers and officials led by Congressman Jun Acharon, Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, Sarangani Vice-Governor Steve Chiongbian-Solon, the city councilors, among other personages.

An "Almusal Alay sa Kapwa" followed afterwards which offered free breakfast to the city's local folks.

For the 2nd weekend of the month, on September 10, 2010, the much-awaited concert of the ASAP Sessionistas will happen at Mindanao's largest indoor air-conditioned gymnasium, the GenSan Gym in Barangay Lagao. This is one of the city's biggest gathering of famous performers from Manila and tickets are selling briskly especially now that the concert date is getting near.

The major highlights of the GTx will occur during the week of September 18-26, 2010.

Expect these crowd-drawing beauty and talent search events to dazzle the generals and visitors alike:
• Search for Ginang Bariles on Sept 22
• Search for Ms. GenSan 2010 on Sept 25
• Searh for Mr. GenSan 2010 (new event!) on Sept 25
• Gaisano Mall's Search for Munting Mutya ng GenSan 2010 on Sept 26

Then there are these youth-powered dance and singing competitions:
• Pasiklaban Cheer Dance Competition on Sept 18
• Campus Radio's Sayaw Sa Baybay-Kids Edition Sept 21
• Search for GenSan Pop Idol Year 6 on Sept 22
• GenSan Pop Star Kids Competiion on Sept 23
• Fishdance Hip-Hop Dance Competition on Sept 24
• Search for GenSan Band Idol on Sept 24

The GTx Month is also filled with exciting sports competitions:
• Tuna Motorbike Competition
• Beach Volleyball Competition
• Robinsons' 1st TunaBodis Body-Building Competition
• National Skim Boarding Competition
• HRM Mini-Skills Competition
• Robinsons' Inter-Tribe Tuna Cookfest
• Bombo Radyo's Bancarera

On its own, the FishFest sa Fishport will also have its own set of events for the fishermen on September 22nd:
• Langoy-Bugsay Marathon Challenge
• 1st Lawihan Street Dancing Competition

To enliven the GTx more, there are the parties and concerts!
• Kapamilya Caravan featuring ABS-CBN stars @ KCC on Sept 18 (new!)
• Kapuso Night featuring GMA stars @ KCC on Sept 24 (new!)
• Robinsons' Praize Xtreme Concert on Sept 19
• Foam Parties @ East Asia Royale Hotel Arcade Parking Lot on Sept 24-25
• Robinsons' Al Fresco Sashimi Night featuring the Best of GenSan Bands on Sept 25
• SMART Communications Concert @ Oval Plaza Stage on Sept 25
• GLOBE Telecoms Concert @ Oval Plaza Stage on Sept 26
• San Miguel Beer Concert @ the Junction on Sept 26

And not to forget the must-see Major Highlights on Culmination Day (Sept 26, 2010):
• Tuna Float Parade Competition @ 9am
• GTX Mardi-Gras Competition (Street Dancing) @ 9m
• Splash in the Sky Fireworks Display @ 7pm

And for three weeks, these attractions will be featured at the City Oval Plaza, the main activity center:
• Tinda-Tinda sa GTx (Flea Market)
• Tuna Food Plaza
• Tuna Fiesta Carnival
• Plantuna Garden Show
• San Miguel Beer Barkada Zone

For this year's Tuna Festival Month celebration, a new Tuna Festival Theme song will be launched. Entitled "WHOA GENSAN!", this catchy and lively festival theme song commissioned by TunaFest Director and GSCCCII VP Orman Manansala, is composed by GenSan's very own "Centerpoint Band" who will first perform it LIVE to the public during the "ASAP Sessionistas Live in Concert" on September 10, 2001 where they will serve as the front act.

With all these events, activities and new attractions in store for GTX festival revelers, expect the Tuna Festival Celebration to upgrade its reputation as the 2nd Best Festival in the Philippines, an award given to the Tuna Capital by the the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) in 2009.

Because for sure, this will be the best GenSan Tuna Festival Experience for the generals and their visitors ever making the city truly MAGANDANG GENSAN!

What a load of activities eh?! And I can't wait to go GenSan again and see the generals perform their best. BTW, for those unaware, folks from General Santos are called "Generals" much like folks from Manila are called Manilenyo! Now now, if you are not from GenSan you cannot possibly see all of the said activities but choose the best ones that suits your leanings.

As for me, I am ultra-confused if I will jet in on the 17th, 21st or 25th. Why? Cuz I also want to see the motocross, mountain bike, beach volleyball, cheerdance and skimboarding events! The Notre Dame University's cheerdance troop is a perennial winner and even competes at national level. The fishdance is unique too. Its hip-hop alright, but the music must incorporate at least a part of the festival's theme song and boy, you have got to see Mindanao's hip-hop generation do their thing... back and skull breaking! Oh the Mr. and Miss Gensan are a fairly expected brain and body glamour events, right? But I itch to watch the "Ginang Bariles" (Mrs. Tuna) pageant. Curious!

Hey, the grand fish fest at the fish port is one marvelous and wacky event too! I hear there will be a streetdance contest amongst the fish companies and port workers! Yes, early as now am already smiling... that should be a fantastic event - what with all them grown up men and women wriggling their bodies in festival dances hehehe! There is also the ala-Amazing Race event and the usual 'search for the largest tuna', 'carry the giant tuna', 'clean the tuna' plus the banca and swimming races. And its not everyday you can get into that fishport itself bigger than many towns in this country! Oh yes, just in case they don't make exceptions even on festival day... remember to wear long pants and closed footwear as shorts and sandals (however skimpy or expensive) are not allowed in that sterile clean facility!

Of course the 26th is the highlight day, and aside from the street dance and final performance, watch out for the floats. Ah they are not only colorful but elaborate humongous artworks you'd wish they don't knock them off after the competition. click here for the entire schedule of events or this and this for pics from last year's festivities.

C ya all there!