A HIDDEN NATURE OF GENSAN

I was able to visit the secluded Barangay Conel of General Santos City during my vacation to my hometown... I tried to reach this Barangay using our Honda 100cc motorcycle vehicle. Barangay Conel is located 15 kilometers from the town proper. During my stay in Gensan my wife called me and must try to visit the place that have falls and cave to explore... Instead of going to Maitum in Sarangani, I decided to packed my things and grabbed my camera then start to travel to Brgy. Conel under the scorching heat of the sun on that day... 

We under estimated the location, i thought the fore said falls and caves is just a minute distance away from our jump off point... What had happened to us were really an amazing adventure, we met our tour guide Toto Galngan a native of Gensan (Bla-an tribe) who leaves on that area, his father is one of the remaining chieftain MOKAM GALNGAN lumad datu of the Bla-an tribe, they are very accommodating people with his cousin Darwin San whom we rented his motorcycle going to the Klaja Cave and Masikong or 7 Falls. They told me that it's a 2 hours travel if we are to use motorcycle or 4 hours if we travel by foot... To make the story short, we use motorcycle traversing the moderate to heavy rocky road going to the area.

Klaja Eco-tourism Destination

This is situated 15 km to the northeast of General Santos City, at Barangay Conel. The Kalaja Karsts Land’s name is derived from “Kalaha” or frying pot because of the surrounding towers of  the karsts formation made millions of years ago. These karsts produce waterfalls and caves. Across this place is a camping ground. The place offers a wide view of Gensan, Sarangani Bay and some parts of South Cotabato and Sarangani Province. It is a large natural reserve that is a camper’s delight. One can also go climbing and hiking in this rugged environment. A day trip from Gensan is enough to see all that this beautiful place has to offer. World66

Overview:

"Safety Soundness"- Brgy. Conel is a peaceful Barangay, most of their tour guides are Brgy. workers and tanods and a very well trained in tour guiding. This eco-tourism destinations tour guiding is a livelihood program supported and spare headed by the local government tourism of Gensan City to support eco-tourism destinations of the said place...

Road going to Klaja cave and Masikong or 7 falls, by foot you can hike for about 4hrs. Up there you can go spelunking to the cave of Klaja or go bath to the cold and clear water of Masikong falls. You can pitch a tent on the camp site and spend for an over night adventure. Make sure you have to register in the Baragay hall and get a tour guide, there's a lot of trail going there and you might get lost.

Make sure to bring plenty of water during your hiking adventure, it is also advisable to wear sandals with strap, shoes won't work it might get wet and make's you uncomfortable to walk... Always follow what the guides tell you, natives (Bla-an tribe) are very knowledgeable to the trails, be a responsible adventurer to keep away from any danger.

THE ENTRANCE

This is how they discribed the entry point going to the Masikong (7 Falls), the opening is about 4 meters in width and a 10 meters height cliff walls on both sides that naturally carved by nature... It's about 5pm we reached this area, but we decided not to push through with our plan to continue going to Masikong Falls for fear that we can't be able to go back to the jump off point before dark, it was night fall already... I am so very Unfortunate I wasn't be able to see the pride of Brgy. Conel. 

Took some pictures of the entrance before going back, at first I thought this is a part of Masikong falls, this is just a welcome scene, it says WELCOME and there's a lot MORE! Some other time I will surely go back to this place.

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KAWAS BEACH

If you happen to visit the place of Sarangani province, Kawas is among the beautiful beaches located along the area. This beach is a cove in shape that waves are calm and gently touches the shoreline. It is a private owned land with abundant mangroves along its both sides end of the beach, preserved and duly taken cared of with the joined forces of local government of Sarangani and private owners of the lands. Agriculture, fishing and handicrafts are their main livelihood.

If you want to experience something different. Well, this beach is perfectly good and suitable to everyone's budget... Incomparable to the white sand beaches, sand here is fine and grayish silver dark in color. Enjoy the shallow deep water that you can walk ample of meters away from the shoreline but still the water level is very low.

MANGROVES (BAKAWAN)

Ecological balance of nature, mangroves played a major role of our ecosystem. It  helps our fishes to produce and lay eggs, adapted major different species able to thrive in their habitat. The ecosystem that these trees create provides a home for a great variety of other organisms.

BLUE SUNSET

I was so fortunate to catch the beautiful sunset of this beach, as fortunate as my experience during my stay here in Kawas. T'was a long long years have passed since i was in college days i've been here, doing our surveying in engineering subject, dating with a friends and special someone. As of this time age have changed but not this beautiful nature have change, it remains as FOREVER YOUNG...

Kawas is located in Ladol, Alabel, Sarangani province a 20 to 25 mins away ride from the town proper of Gensan. You can reach this area by commuter type van, jeep or a tricycle, try to catch the ride at the public market of Brgy. Lagao, Gensan City. This beach is a private owned land with an entrance fee of P10.00, you can also rent a cottage, suitable for a family outing or a company excursions.

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MAN VERSUS WILD

Everytime i visit my hometown Gensan, my day is empty without tasting our local delicacies made of tuna which we called "SITOKIL" a shorten word from a delicacies of "Sinugba, Tola or Tinola and Kinilaw" Sinugba- a grilled cook procedure from some part of tuna specifically Tuna jaw or "Panga" and Belly or "Tiyan".  Tola- it is simply favorite local dish soup from tuna meat or tuna head combined with selected ingredients and vegetables, and ginger or lemon grass gives broth tasty and  flavorful. Kinilaw- it is a fresh and raw dish preparation of Tuna meat, mixed with vinegar and other ingredients with ginger, cucumber and other spices.

A HAPPY FACE

A diligent laborer carrying a 220 pounds of tuna still managed to smile and pose.

Moon fish Tuna

I HAVE WEIGHTED YOU FOR SO LONG

This tuna weights 209 pounds or 95 kilograms... There are diffirent varieties of tunas freshly hauled out from the boats to the port of Gensan such as; Little tunny (Euthynnus Alletteratus) known as mackerel tuna, skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus Pelamis), yellow fin tuna (thunnus Albacares), blue fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), big eye tuna (Thunnus obesus), Tuna Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans) and the seasonal catch tuna moon fish or Diana.

As early as 1970, General Santos City has been tagged as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”. The total daily catch of adult and juvenile tuna unloaded in the city can surpass that of any other fishport or even the entire unloadings of all other fish ports in the country combined (Aprieto, 1995). The daily catch is easily disposed for foreign and local buyers. The city, being the sanctuary of seven (7) tuna canning factories with an average daily capacity of 750 MT per day and employs around 7,800 plant workers (GEM) the volume of catch on a per day basis is even insignificant as to the distribution of the market.

As of September of the previous year alone, the total catch has reached a voluminous 5,031, 866 kilos where ‘sashimi” grade adult tuna comprises 35 % or about 1,774,922 kilos. The locally distributed adult tuna for local consumption ate the largely 65% chunk and distributed to neighboring cities of Davao, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, South Cotabato and as far Japan and the U.S., skipjack for canned markets in Europe and North America.Gensan Website

My official photo entry for the Human Activity Category topped as First Place-Gold Medal... Thank you very much for the Admin officials and General Manager of Gensan Fish port Complex for granting me to conduct photo shooting inside the Fishport.

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

General Santos City is known for this kind of tuna. The seas are abundant with this and serve as the main source of income of the city and the reason for its reputation. Around 280 metric tons of tuna a day was captured and landed on the General Santos Fish port, with an annual production volume of 2.4 million metric tons of fish, it directly provides livelihood and employment to over one million Filipinos. Tuna is among the 200 or so species of fish found in the country that have high commercial value. The Philippines ranks 7th among the top tuna producing countries in the world, both in terms of fresh/frozen tuna and canned tuna.

From fishport to the market. this merchant bid for a price of tuna and sell it to the public market of Gensan.

Security wise? Fish port is a highly secured area, you are not allowed to enter on their premises wearing a slippers, it should be properly attire with shoes even the workers inside, and if you are about to enter into the activity areas you will be required to wear a boots, if you don't have one there's a rental you can ask with for a P20.00.  Fish port now forbids somebody to take some photos inside without the permission from the Admin office, to avoid and prevent further usage of photos in social networks which have negative feed backs and also for security and safety purposes of the place as well.

Gensan Fish port is a must to visit destination in Gensan, from the city proper you can go with a taxi, more or less they might charge you P300.00. There's a jeep in the town proper with a signboard going to Tambler will cost P15.00 or less or a "Habal-habal" a single motorcycle kind of transportation, passenger is at the back ride for P100.00 it depends on how you are good to haggle the price. 

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Our second destination from Banaue is to Sagada, while on our way i had noticed some landslides, i feared that chances of getting to the other side of the road will result of longer waiting time... But thanks to the fast and quick response team of DPWH on that area they were able to get the obstructions from the road.

We saw clouds is almost on our level we have enjoyed a lot, mountain side on the right and cliff on the left, full of beautiful scenery.. "Safety Soundness"? Nothing to be feared of, road was properly planned and engineered... It is SAFE.

Lunch time, t'was 12:30PM... The sun is already scorching but you can feel the cool breeze of Sagada. We ate our lunch  at SALT AND PEPPER DINER, varieties of foods you can order with.

BURIAL CAVE

BOMOD-OK FALLS (Big Falls)

BELL OF ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH

HANGING COFFINS IN ECHO VALLEY

ST. MATTHEW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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CARVED MANUALLY

It's a tiring 9 hours journey through a zigzag road of mountain province from manila via NLEX. We departed from Trinoma parking lot at 10:00pm, and we scale the moderately traffic in expressway.  Most of us were fall asleep, maybe it's tired because some of us were came from offices just to maximize the day to spend the long holiday vacation. We did never even counted the hours have passed, as we felt excited to see the  famous historical landscape in the Philippines, carved by the diligent ancient tribe of Ifugao yet still preserved for the next generations of Filipinos.

Breaking dawn: Along the way we were sharing some stories of our previous trips, hiking and adventures. While in the middle of our conversations we have noticed the beautiful sunrise, so unfortunate that we had no time to stop and take some shoot of the scene, we were riding also with the other group of travellers... it was past 7:00am we arrived at Banaue...

This is my first blog ever made, I've been a traveller, mountaineer, adventurer and an amateur photographer as well,  but never had time to make a blogsite before, until such time that i have decided to document all my experiences to share it to the others and show the wonderful natures that God have gifted us.

Trivia:

Ifugao and other tribal Austronesians have lived in the region for over 6000 years, building a rice-centered farming culture with a complex kinship system. They built their rice terraces using only their hands and simple tools, an astounding feat of ancient engineering.

The name Banaue derives from the call of the local bird, which sounded like "Bannawor". The pronunciation evolved into "Banaue" after tears of successive Spanish, American, and Japanese occupation.

Banaue was designated a municipality in 1963 and has since become one of Luzon's prime destinations. www.global-nomad.com

7TH WONDER OF THE WORLD


The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras is an outstanding example of an evolved, living cultural landscape that
can be traced as far back as two millennia ago in the pre-colonial Philippines. The terraces are located in the remote
areas of the Philippine Cordillera mountain range on the northern island of Luzon, Philippine archipelago. While the historic terraces cover an extensive area, the inscribed property consists of five clusters of the most intact and impressive terraces, located in four municipalities.  They are all the product of the Ifugao ethnic group, a minority community that has occupied these mountains for thousands of years. Unesco

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

WINE MADE OF RICE

Rice wine or locals call it "Tapuy" is made of from rice. "Tapuy" wine is considered by the locals as a ceremonial wine served during special occasions. "Tapuy" is originated in batad, ifugao it is locally prepared and produced from a fermented rice.

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