Visiting the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines” isn’t
complete unless you get to experience how its most sought-after commodity is
being traded. And the best place to catch where the action is...where else but none other than
the General Santos Fish Fort Complex in the village of Tambler, facing
Sarangani Bay.
I’ve been there twice a few years back but never got the
chance to catch a glimpse of how the fish trading was done. For this recent
sojourn, I made sure I’d get to explore the fish port anew, going there as
early as 6:30 in the morning after learning that I’d get to see the prized
catch at that hour.
 |
| GenSan pays homage to its most popular produce through the annual Tuna Festival |
 |
| Entrance to the GenSan fish port |
Being an early bird paid off. I witnessed firsthand how
tons of yellow-fin tuna got weighed, graded, sold and shipped to local and
international markets, particularly Japan and the U.S. It‘s exciting to watch
how fishermen, stevedores, inspectors, buyers and haulers do their thing
there. Now, that’s no fish tale, eh?
GenSan’s fish port maintains a high standard of safety
and cleanliness in compliance with international requirements for
export-quality tuna. Tourists are welcome inside the complex provided they wear
the prescribed safety gear. It’s best to go there in pants and boots; shorts
and slippers are a no-no.
I relished every moment of my stay at the facility,
taking pictures of anything I fancied. So did the other visitors who were there
that day. People working at the fish port are used to having tourists around so
they don’t mind being shot. Some even gamely flashed their smiles with their
catch.
 |
| One of GenSan's must-see and must-try food strips |
After that, I was craving for fresh seafood so I asked
around for the best eats and all fingers pointed to Tiongson Arcade in the
village of Lagao, a must-see, must-try foodies’ paradise. Frequented by locals,
the chain of food stalls treats food lovers to a wide variety of dishes made
from fish, squid, shrimp, prawns, etc.
Diners get to choose which seafood they’d like to be
cooked. Those who prefer meat need not
despair since the stalls there have bulalo
(beef shank soup), pork barbecue, grilled liempo
(pork belly) and other meat dishes. But when you’re in Tuna Country, it’s best
to forgo the meat and go for the seafood.
After visiting one of Congressman Manny Pacquiao’s
mansions in the vicinity, I went to Tiongson Arcade where I ended up feasting
on kinilaw na malasugue (blue marlin
ceviche), sinigang na hipon (shrimp
in sour soup) and ensaladang lato
(seaweed salad). Geez, I was sweating all the time I was eating!
 |
| Kinilaw (tuna ceviche) |
The verdict? Two thumbs up for KuyaKoy’s! That’s the name
of the food stall where I had my dinner. The dining experience there will
probably go down in this foodie’s history as one of the simplest yet most
spectacular gastronomic events he’s ever had in Tuna Country!
 |
| A participating float during the annual Tuna Festival |
GenSan is not only synonymous with tuna but also with
boxing. Most Pinoys tend to associate the city with its most notable son—Manny
“PacMan” Pacquiao. Like other visitors, I’ve been raring to go to the legendary
champ’s palatial home so I visited it before heading for Tiongson Arcade.
From what I’ve gathered, he has two mansions, one of which is in the
village of Lagao where he grew up. I visited Pacquiao’s Mansion 1 because I was
able to find its exact location through Google® Maps. Sitting on a one-hectare
property, the stately residence is just a few blocks away from where I had
dinner.
 |
| Pacman's Mansion No. 1 |
En route to Mansion 1, I hesitated at first about
proceeding since I might be mistaken for a private eye, a stalker or a
paparazzo, with camera, tripod and all. Still, I forged ahead. Arriving at the
mansion, I was surprised to learn that Pacquiao allows his fans to go inside
for a look-see and picture taking.
How I wanted to see PacMan and have a photo op with him.
Too bad, the incumbent representative of Sarangani Province no longer lives
there, according to the guard on duty. That didn’t ruin my moment because I’ve
already met the People’s Champ in person during one of my sorties in the past.
In 2008, I attended an island-wide sports event among
Mindanao-based utilities that took place in GenSan. The affair, which my
ten-man team and I covered, not only enabled me to take a much-needed respite
from the daily grind but also offered the chance to visit my friends and
relatives.
Little did I know it would also offer an unexpected
encounter with the boxing icon. We caught up with Pacquiao—he wasn’t as famous
that time as he is now—live in the flesh, up close and personal at that while
he was busy preparing for his bout against David Diaz for the World Boxing
Council’s lightweight division.
Instead of practicing his punches within the confines of
a luxurious fitness studio, he preferred to sweat it out in a makeshift gym
which, to our delight, happens to be just a stone’s throw away from our hotel.
Star-struck, we waited patiently for our chance to snap ourselves with the
famous pug.
PacMan didn’t disappoint us. It was definitely well worth
the wait. Tired as he was from his routine, he still found time to accommodate
us, gamely posing before the cameras even if he was so drained. A humble man,
he shook hands with all of us who were gathered in that gym that afternoon.
 |
| Manny Pacquiao during one of his practices |
Awed as I was, I managed to take some shots of the
People’s Champ—rare pics which count among the precious treasures I’ll cherish
forever. Good thing, our idol’s stellar presence didn’t knock down my worn-out
camera. Whew, that encounter was truly the icing on the cake of my GenSan
escapade that time!
For years, Manny Pacquiao ruled the international boxing
arena until Timothy Bradley toppled him during a highly controversial fight a
few years ago. Many boxing experts and aficionados believe he should have won
that bout. Later on, he also lost to Juan Manuel Marquez during their fourth
rematch.
 |
| The People's Champ |
 |
Pacquiao prepared for his fight against Rios
in this three-storey boxing and fitness gym
|
After those two defeats, I thought his boxing career was
over. Good thing, he was able to redeem himself recently against Brandon Rios.
Win or lose, I still take my hat off to the People’s Champ who’ll probably go
down in history as the greatest boxer of this generation and one of the
Philippines’ pride.
All told, my vicarious “encounter” with PacMan in his
home count as the most memorable episode of my recent sojourn to GenSan. Now,
as he faces one of his biggest challenges, that is, fighting the country’s
publicans, I can only wish him all the best. Fear not, Manny, you’ll rise above this one. :D
I’ve been there twice a few years back but never got the
chance to catch a glimpse of how the fish trading was done. For this recent
sojourn, I made sure I’d get to explore the fish port anew, going there as
early as 6:30 in the morning after learning that I’d get to see the prized
catch at that hour. 
GenSan’s fish port maintains a high standard of safety
and cleanliness in compliance with international requirements for
export-quality tuna. Tourists are welcome inside the complex provided they wear
the prescribed safety gear. It’s best to go there in pants and boots; shorts
and slippers are a no-no.
I had no idea about those rules beforehand so I came in
sandals. I thought I wouldn’t make it inside the complex. Good thing, the people
there guided me. There’s a tourism center inside where I was able to rent a
pair of boots for only Php20. Wearing the proper attire, I was then allowed to
roam around.
After visiting one of Congressman Manny Pacquiao’s
mansions in the vicinity, I went to Tiongson Arcade where I ended up feasting
on kinilaw na malasugue (blue marlin
ceviche), sinigang na hipon (shrimp
in sour soup) and ensaladang lato
(seaweed salad). Geez, I was sweating all the time I was eating!
The verdict? Two thumbs up for KuyaKoy’s! That’s the name
of the food stall where I had my dinner. The dining experience there will
probably go down in this foodie’s history as one of the simplest yet most
spectacular gastronomic events he’s ever had in Tuna Country!
How I wanted to see PacMan and have a photo op with him.
Too bad, the incumbent representative of Sarangani Province no longer lives
there, according to the guard on duty. That didn’t ruin my moment because I’ve
already met the People’s Champ in person during one of my sorties in the past.
In 2008, I attended an island-wide sports event among
Mindanao-based utilities that took place in GenSan. The affair, which my
ten-man team and I covered, not only enabled me to take a much-needed respite
from the daily grind but also offered the chance to visit my friends and
relatives.
Little did I know it would also offer an unexpected
encounter with the boxing icon. We caught up with Pacquiao—he wasn’t as famous
that time as he is now—live in the flesh, up close and personal at that while
he was busy preparing for his bout against David Diaz for the World Boxing
Council’s lightweight division. 
Instead of practicing his punches within the confines of
a luxurious fitness studio, he preferred to sweat it out in a makeshift gym
which, to our delight, happens to be just a stone’s throw away from our hotel.
Star-struck, we waited patiently for our chance to snap ourselves with the
famous pug.
PacMan didn’t disappoint us. It was definitely well worth
the wait. Tired as he was from his routine, he still found time to accommodate
us, gamely posing before the cameras even if he was so drained. A humble man,
he shook hands with all of us who were gathered in that gym that afternoon.
For years, Manny Pacquiao ruled the international boxing
arena until Timothy Bradley toppled him during a highly controversial fight a
few years ago. Many boxing experts and aficionados believe he should have won
that bout. Later on, he also lost to Juan Manuel Marquez during their fourth
rematch.
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