Forever summer in General Santos City: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary

General Santos City is known as the hometown of many Filipinos who made a name abroad, including professional boxers Nonito Donaire and Rolando Navarrette, Miss Universe 2011 third runner up Shamcey Supsup, and of course “Pambansang Kamao” Manny Pacquiao.

 

But the city has more things distinct to itself that it should be proud of, including their seafood delicacies, warm weather, and rich culture that is unlike any other in the country. And did we forget to mention that this is the Tuna Capital of the Philippines? General Santos City is the biggest producer of tuna in the country, supplying over 22 metric tons of this fish each day!

 

How to get there

 

General Santos City can consider itself fortunate for its geographical location outside the typhoon belt. There are also daily flights from Manila and Cebu to the city so you can book a trip any time you want. Plane rides from Manila normally lasts less than two hours while Cebu flights will normally take around 1 hour.

 

Where to stay

 

Roadhaus Hotel

Aparante St., General Santos City

 

A trip to General Santos wouldn’t be complete without dropping by Roadhaus Hotel, the stay-in accommodation owned by  Manny Pacquiao where a lot of memorabilia such as photos and trophies from his boxing matches are displayed.

 

If you’re coming in a group of four, you can check in for only P4,000.

 

When here, you should also check out the hotel’s Kee’s Cafe. Here, you can order their famous giant burger for P288 and join their food challenge where you have to consume the entire burger in 288 seconds. You don’t only come home with a full stomach when you win this challenge, you also get to go home with some bragging rights!

 

5th Mountain Adventure Park

Purok B'lakayo, Barangay Olympo

 

This adventure park is located in one of the highest points in General Santos City. If you’re coming in pairs, you can check in for only P800. The room already has its own comfort room too.

 

If you a thrillseeker, you’ll love 5th Mountain Adventure Park’s 800-meter zipline. It’s the fastest zipline in the city as you can go from point A to point B in just 27 seconds. But if you want to just relax, you can ride their cable cars and enjoy the great scenery of the city.

 

Where to go and what to do

 

Tuna Festival

 

General Santos City holds their famous Tuna Festival every first week of September. Here, they give thanks to their world-famous tuna by holding festivities such as street parades and competitions.

 

In the city’s main fish port, the fishermen also host their own events including a contest among themselves where they have to capture the biggest tuna that they could get from the sea.

 

After this, they conduct the Karga-Tuna challenge where the contestants are tasked to carry a 40-kg. tuna for as long they can. Whoever carries the tuna for the longest period of time shall be declared the winner.

 

The defending champion for this challenge holds an impressive one minute and twenty three second record.

 

Our biyahero Drew wouldn’t pass up for this challenge of course… but he only lasted a couple of seconds. Still kudos to him for even trying!

 

Amiskong Falls

Bgy. Conel, General Santos City

 

General Santos City is also gifted with natural wonders. One of these is Amiskong Falls. To get here, you need to ride a motorcycle to reach the starting point where you have to cross through rivers and rocky roads. From there, you start your three-hour trek going up, and another three-hour trek going back to the starting point.

 

“Amiskong” means “Hard to pass” in the local dialect, a name worthy of the difficult endeavor. But the trek here is worth it. Before you reach the actual falls, you’ll pass by seven waterfalls first. It’s only in the seventh waterfalls where you can swim. 

 

When trekking to Amiskong, remember: Safety first, Biyaheros! Many tourists have already been injured here in the past. 

 

What and where to eat

 

Tuna

 

It’s no longer a secret among Biyaheros that we have already featured tuna in our various trips. But of course, the freshest ones come from General Santos City, the biggest supplier of tuna in the world. So when here in this city, you should definitely try out their tuna offerings such as tuna belly, tuna steak, grilled tuna, and fresh tuna.

 

Tiongson Arcade

 

If you’re craving for unlimited grilled dishes and fresh seafood, Tiongson Arcade is the place to go. Of course, their bestseller is the city’s famous tuna.

 

There are other food servings too that are just affordable. They sell barbecue that costs only P6 per stick. If in Manila you have to spend around P500 for a full-coarse meal, here at Tiongson Arcade, you can already order many food varieties for only around P100.

 

Aweng’s Balbacuahan

 

Though General Santos is famous for its tuna, it’s not the only dish that the city has the offer. At Aweng’s Balbacuahan, you shouldn’t miss their balbacua that tourists keep on coming back for.

 

When you’re here, you should definitely try out their bulalo that you can order for just P35. “One of the best bulalo na natikman ko,” Drew Arellano said. “Kasi natikman ko na ‘yung sa Tagaytay which has a row of stores na nagse-serve ng bulalo. ‘Yung bulalo nila lahat masarap at malambot. Pero ito ang may kakaibang lasa!”

 

Of course you should also taste their balbacua. If bulalo is made up of beef soup and meat, balbacua is made up of beef skin in soup.—Kimberlie Refuerzo/BMS, GMA Public Affairs

 

"Biyahe ni Drew" airs every Friday, 8:00 PM, on GMA News TV. For more information, follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For updates on your favorite documentaries, follow also the official Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram account of GMA Public Affairs.