General Santos Explained

Translit Lang1:Other
Translit Lang1 Type1:Jawi
Translit Lang1 Info1:جنرل سنتوس
Flag Size:120x80px
Seal Size:100x80px
Image Map1:
Frame-Width:250
Pushpin Map:Philippines
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Philippines
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Province
Named For:General Paulino Santos
Nickname:Tuna Capital of the Philippines[1]
Anthem:Himno ng Heneral Santos
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Lone district of General Santos
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:August 18, 1947
Established Title1:Cityhood
Established Date1:July 8, 1968
Established Title2:Highly urbanized city
Established Date2:September 5, 1988
Parts Type:Barangays
Parts Style:para
P1: (see Barangays)
Leader Name:Lorelie G. Pacquiao
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Leader Name1:Rosalita T. Nuñez
Leader Title2:Representative
Leader Name2:Loreto B. Acharon
Leader Title3:City Council
Leader Title4:Electorate
Leader Name4: voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|)
Elevation Max M:869
Elevation Min M:0
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Households
Population Demonym:Gensanon
Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:+8
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Demographics Type1:Economy
Demographics1 Title1:Gross domestic product (GDP)
Demographics1 Info1:₱129.015 billion (2022)[2]
$2.279 billion (2022)[3]
Demographics1 Title3:Poverty incidence
Demographics1 Info3:%
Demographics1 Title4:Revenue
Demographics1 Title5:Revenue rank
Demographics1 Title6:Assets
Demographics1 Title7:IRA
Demographics1 Title8:Expenditure
Demographics1 Title10:Liabilities
Demographics Type2:Service provider
Demographics2 Title1:Electricity
Demographics2 Title2:Water
Demographics2 Title3:Telecommunications
Demographics2 Title4:Cable TV
Blank1 Name Sec1:Native languages
Blank1 Info Sec1:
Maguindanaon
Blank2 Name Sec1:Crime index
Blank1 Name Sec2:Major religions
Blank2 Name Sec2:Feast date
Blank3 Name Sec2:Catholic diocese
Blank4 Name Sec2:Patron saint

General Santos, officially the City of General Santos, and abbreviated as GenSan, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Soccsksargen, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 697,315 people making it the most populous city in Soccsksargen Region.

It is located on the island of Mindanao, it is the southernmost and 15th-most populous city in the Philippines. It is the regional center for commerce and industry of the Soccsksargen region, and it is also the largest city in the province of South Cotabato wherein it is geographically situated and grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority but administered independently of it.

Etymology

The city was named after Gen. Paulino Santos, a former Commanding General of the Philippine Army and the settlement's leading pioneer.

History

The nomadic B'laan people are the original inhabitants of present-day General Santos, and traces of their early settlements of the area are found in the city's place names, which are derived from their vocabulary. Their name for the city, Dadiangas, is from the Ziziphus spina-christi tree that was once abundant in the area and is now a protected species under Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Right Act of 2007. The B'laan now lives alongside the city's new generation of settlers and other immigrants.

Beforehand, the B'laan would were forced upland into the surrounding hills after the Muslims settle in the area under the rule of the Sultanate of Maguindanao.

After the fall of Maguindanao, Datu Uto of Buayan expanded his domain south towards Sarangani Bay. Dadiangas remained as a port under the Sultanate of Buayan until the American era.

Waves of migration

Organized under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) of the Commonwealth Government headed by President Manuel L. Quezon, General Paulino Santos led the relocation of 62 Christian settlers from Luzon to the shores of Sarangani Bay aboard the steam ship “Basilan” of Compañia Maritima on February 27, 1939. The 62 pioneers, mostly agricultural and trade graduates, were the first large batch of settlers to land in the area with the mission to industriously cultivate the region. After this first influx of pioneers, more Christians from Visayas and Luzon subsequently migrated into the area, gradually driving some of the B'laan residents to the hills and mountains, where they have lost their livelihood and somewhat displaced Maguindanaon living in the area.

In March 1939, the first formal settlement in the city was established in Alagao, which is now known as Barangay Lagao. Lagao was known then as the "Municipal District of Buayan" under the jurisdiction of the deputy governor of the Municipal District of Glan, until it officially became an independent Municipal District of Buayan on October 1, 1940, appointing Datu Sharif Zainal Abedin, an Arab mestizo married to a daughter of a very influential datu of lower Buayan, as the first district municipal mayor.

Second World War

During World War II, the Municipal District of Buayan become one of the last frontiers between the combined American and Filipino forces and troops from the Empire of Japan. Retreating Imperial Japanese forces made Klaja Karsts Land their last ground for defence, constructing round cement bunkers and tunnels. These bunkers can still be seen at Sitio Guadalupe; most of the tunnels, however, have since been damaged and even destroyed by treasure hunters and land developers.

Renaming and elevation to city status

See main article: Cities of the Philippines. A year after the Philippines regained full sovereignty from the United States on July 4, 1946, the Municipality of Buayan became a 4th class regular municipality by virtue of the Executive Order Number 82, dated August 18, 1947, by President Manuel Roxas, absorbing the Municipal District of Glan, whose low income bracket at the time disqualified it for the honour. Dadiangas was the seat of government for the Municipality of Buayan electing Irineo Santiago as its first Municipal Mayor on a local election that was held on November 11, 1947. Mayor Santiago was formally inducted on January 1, 1948.[4]

Six years later, in June 1954, the Municipality of Buayan was renamed General Santos as a tribute to the leading pioneer via Act No. 1107[5] authored by Congressman Luminog Mangelen of Cotabato Province.

From 1963 to 1967, the municipality's economy experienced a boom under Mayor Lucio A. Velayo, as several large agri-based and multinational firms such as Dole Philippines, General Milling Corporation and UDAGRI expanded into the area. Although it was then qualified to become a fourth class city from being a municipality, the residents rejected a move by Congressman Salipada Pendatun to convert the Municipality of Buayan into a city and to rename it ’’Rajah Buayan’’.

On July 8, 1968, the Municipality of General Santos was converted into a city upon the approval of Republic Act No. 5412, authored by Congressman James L. Chiongbian. It was inaugurated on September 5 of that year, with Antonio C. Acharon became the new city's first mayor. On September 5, 1988, a decade after its inauguration as a chartered city, GenSan was declared a highly urbanized city of South Cotabato.

Even after becoming a highly urbanized city independent from South Cotabato in 1988, General Santos remained part of the province's congressional representation. The city only gained a separate representative with the passage of Republic Act No. 11243 on March 11, 2019,[6] which segregated General Santos from the first congressional district of South Cotabato to be its 3rd congressional district. On September 15, 2021, House Bill No. 10021 authored by Representative Ferdinand Hernandez, that officially mandate General Santos as a lone district,[7] separate from South Cotabato was passed on third and final reading.

In April 2001, Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino, an ally of deposed president Joseph Estrada, coordinated with various mayors and governors to bring their respective constituents to Epifanio delos Santos Avenue in Metro Manila to protest the arrest of Estrada.[8]

Geography

General Santos lies at the southern part of the Philippines. The city is southeast of Manila, southeast of Cebu and southwest of Davao.

The city is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province, namely Alabel in the east, and Maasim in the south. General Santos is likewise bounded by the South Cotabato municipality of Polomolok and Sarangani Province municipality of Malungon in the north, and the municipality of T'boli in the west.

General Santos occupies the whole of South Cotabato's coastline.

Climate

General Santos has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification). With an average annual rainfall of less than, it is one of the driest places in the Philippines.

Barangays

General Santos is politically subdivided into 26 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Demographics

There are two major languages spoken in the city, with Cebuano being widely spoken and being used by the local media outlets in the city (television, radio, and newspapers), followed by Hiligaynon, which is used mainly by settlers who came from the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and Maguindanao, as well as immigrants from the provinces of Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Guimaras. Other languages spoken within the city include B'laan, T'boli, Maguindanaon, Ilocano, and Kapampangan.

Religion

The predominant religion in the city is Christianity, with the largest denomination being the Catholic Church, comprising almost 90% of the population. About 9% of the population belongs to Islam, mostly Sunnites.[9]

Economy

The city's major economic activity is primarily anchored in two sectors namely the agro-industry and fishing industry.

General Santos registered 1,365 new medium to large enterprises in 2011. An aggregate investment involved is estimated PHP 1.202 billion. Top industry for new investment in 2011 was as follows: Hotel and Restaurant-31%; Wholesale & Retail Trade-20%; Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal & Household Goods, Real Estate & Renting Business Activities-17%; Other Community, Social & Personal Services-8%; Financial Intermediation-5%; Manufacturing-5%; Fishing-3%; ICT-3 %

As of 2000, there are 59 banks serving the city. This composed of 46 commercial banks, 5 savings banks, 7 rural banks and 1 cooperative bank. Aside from this, there are 48 lending institutions as well as 49 pawnshops providing emergency loan assistance.

Shopping

General Santos is the shopping capital of the Soccksargen region. Residents from nearby towns and provinces visit the city to do shopping and enjoy life and leisure activities. There are several huge shopping malls in the city, notable ones are KCC Mall of Gensan, SM City General Santos, Robinsons Place GenSan, Gaisano Mall of GenSan, RD Plaza (Fitmart), Veranza Mall, and the newest addition to the city which is RD City Mall located at Barangay Mabuhay, Unitop Shopping Mall in Barangay Dadingas West and AllHome (soon in Barangay Katangawan, Circumferential Road). SM Savemore has two branches in the city and another branch will be built within the downtown area. There are also news about building an Ayala Mall and Puregold. These malls are home to both national and international brands of retail merchandises as well as restaurants and cafes. There are many merchandise and large groceries owned by local and foreign Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean businessmen in the city.

Infrastructure

CommunicationModern and state-of-the-art communication facilities at par with global standards are readily available and are provided in General Santos by major telecommunication companies in the country. These include voice, data, internet and network solutions, among others, in both wired and mobile forms.

Transportation

GenSan and the whole of Soccsksargen can be reached by air, land, or sea.

Air transportationThe General Santos International Airport is the largest airport in Mindanao.[10] It has a 3,227-metre concrete runway[11] capable of handling wide-bodied jets like Airbus A340 and Boeing 747. It was also called Rajah Buayan Airport in the 1990s, and Tambler Airport in 2008, before being renamed to its current name. Flights to and from Manila, Iloilo, and Cebu are currently being operated in the airport by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. General Santos International Airport is the second busiest airport in Mindanao and 9th busiest airport in the Philippines.
Sea transportationThe Makar Wharf is the main international sea port of the city and is one of the finest sea ports in the country. It is located in Barangay Labangal, away from the central business district. With a docking length and a width, the wharf can accommodate up to nine ship berthing positions all at the same time.[12] The port is replete with modern facilities such as container yards, storage and weighing bridges.[13] Several shipping companies operate regular inter-island ferry service to and from other major ports in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Negros Navigation, SuperFerry and Sulpicio Lines provide these inter-island shipping routes while numerous Indonesian shipping lines operate international ferry service between General Santos and neighboring ports in Indonesia carrying both passenger and cargo loads.
Land transportationCommuting in and around General Santos is a fast and convenient ride. More than 400 passenger buses, public utility vans and jeepneys wield routes within the city and neighboring provinces like in Koronadal, Cotabato, Davao, Tacurong, Pagadian, Cagayan de Oro and others. Three-wheeled motorized cabs known as tricycles are the city's main mode of public transport and have been on the road since the pioneering times. Air-conditioned taxis also ply the city streets offering commuters a choice of a more comfortable mode of transportation.

Maintained by the City Engineers' Office, the city's major road networks are paved and endowed with safety road marks, signs and signals to ensure a secure and efficient traffic flow within the city. The Pan-Philippine Highway links the city by land to other major cities in Mindanao and to the rest of the country.

The General Santos Terminal—popularly known as Bulaong Terminal; located in Barangay Dadiangas North is the city's main integrated land transport terminal. The terminal serves as the city's gateway for land travelers. Buses and other forms of public mass transportation—to and from various parts of Mindanao such as Koronadal, Tacurong, Cotabato, Davao, Kidapawan, Digos, Pagadian, and Cagayan de Oro.

Utilities

Power: Majority of the city's power supply is being serviced by the second district of South Cotabato Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO-II). The said power distributor acquires the majority of its power needs for the city's consumption from the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) while other sources are drawn from various Independent Power Producers (IPP) from nearby power plants and barges.
Water: Majority of the households and other entities in the city are provided and serviced with clean, safe and potable water supply from deep well sources by General Santos City Water District (GSCWD). Potable water sources in other far flung and remote parts of the city where cannot be reached by the local water utility service are being served by their individual Barangay Water And Sanitation systems.
Waste management: In a bid to achieve an efficient and sustainable management of non-hazardous waste the city produces every single day, the finalization and construction of the city's waste water treatment facility is currently underway at the corner of P. Acharon and I. Santiago Boulevards.[14] The said location is adjacent to the city public market and is the former site of the city's Fish Landing. The facility will include settling ponds and anaerobic reactors, among others.

Likewise is the finalization stage for the construction of a multi-million peso solid waste management and disposal system in Barangay Sinawal. The new and modern solid waste management facility will replace the existing city dumpsite in Barangay Siguel.[15]

Security and civil defense

The Philippine National Police, a military task force has been formed to protect the city from terrorist attacks and other crime. Task Force GenSan is affiliated with the Philippine Army and headed by an army colonel. 8 Police Stations are built on each barangay to keep the safeness and a peaceful order in city. Agencies and Organizations are forming a good and peaceful will to group an order in a city.

Health services

The average life expectancy of Gensanon is 70 for females and 65 for males. There are 19 hospitals, with more than 2,200 beds in the city including General Santos Doctors Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, SOCSARGEN County Hospital, Mindanao Medical Center, R.O Diagan Cooperative Hospital, GenSan Medical Center, Sarangani Bay Specialists Medical Center, General Santos City District Hospital and the newly inaugurated Dadiangas Medical Center servicing a care for the people. In addition, there is an ongoing construction of ACE Medical Center to add more hospital bed capacity and medical services in the city.

Education

Aside from more than 50 Private Schools, such as The Quantum Academy, and the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, and more than 100 public schools, General Santos hosts three universities. These are the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, Mindanao State University – General Santos City, New Era University – General Santos Branch. It also houses colleges such as the Doña Lourdes Institute of Technology.

The General Santos campus of the country's oldest academic institution, University of Santo Tomas, located in Barangay Ligaya, will officially open its first operations in school year 2024-2025.

Notre Dame of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Notre Dame of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (NDST; formerly Canonico Antonio Institute, Inc.) is a private educational institution. It offers primary education, junior high school and senior high school, in adherence to the K-12 education system as implemented in the Philippines. The school is administered by the Disciples of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (DST), a Catholic religious congregation. The school's campus is located along Purok Nopol Road, Sitio Nupol, Barangay Conel in General Santos.

In 1992, Jovita Onez, a devout Catholic Christian from General Santos donated one hectare of land to the DST congregation. The Mother General at that time, accepted the donation and decided to establish a convent and school in the said place. The construction of the new convent started in 1999. Both buildings were finally established in 2001 with all its furnishings and were officially blessed and opened on January 3, 2001. By the following months, the DST Sisters were accepting enrollees for preschool and primary education. The school had officially set into operation on the opening of the academic year of the same year.

Media

Notable media publications in the city are the SusStar General Santos, Periodiko Banat, Sapol, and other local newspapers. Brigada Newspaper General Santos is the most popular newspaper company in the city.

There are several television stations in the city that are owned and operated by broadcasting networks—ABS-CBN 3 Soccsksargen, GMA 8 Soccsksargen, TV5 Channel 12 Gensan, GMA News TV 26, ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel 36, Brigada News TV 39. Most of these television networks reaches as far as Davao Region and Northern Mindanao; and caters the whole Soccsksargen Region. Major and other minor cable and satellite television companies are also operating in the city. Most of the FM and AM radio stations are operating in the city 24 hours a day such as MOR 92.7 General Santos, 89.5 Brigada News FM, iFM 91.9, 94.3 Yes! FM General Santos, Radyo5 97.5 News FM, K101.5 Love Radio GenSan, Barangay 102.3 GenSan and others.

There are three local newscasts programs in General Santos: TV Patrol Socsksargen (ABS-CBN 3 Soccsksargen), GMA Soccsksargen Flash Bulletin (GMA 8 Soccsksargen) now part as One Mindanao Flagship Newscast, Balita38 (EGTV Channel 46) and Ronda Brigada (Brigada News TV channel 39).

Notable personalities

Sister cities

Local

International

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: DTI features 'best of the seas' at the IFEX PH 2018 . April 17, 2019 . Philippine Information Agency. DTI/PIA-NCR . May 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180526040813/https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1008284 . May 26, 2018 . en.
  2. Web site: City of General Santos Posts the Fastest Growth Among Economies in SOCCSKSARGEN in 2022.
  3. Web site: PH₱56.598 per dollar (per International Monetary Fund on Representative Exchange Rates for Selected Currencies for December 2022). 2023-12-09. IMF.
  4. Web site: History of General Santos City . December 10, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110711082830/http://www.generalsantosboard.com/history.php . July 11, 2011 . dead .
  5. Web site: An Act Changing the Name of the Municipality of Buayan, in the Province of Cotabato, to General Santos . https://archive.today/20120714205021/http://lawph.com/statutes/ra1107-renaming-buayan,-cotabato-to-general-santos.html . dead . July 14, 2012 . LawPH.com . April 11, 2011.
  6. Web site: Republic Act No. 11243 - An Act Reapportioning the First Legislative District of the Province of South Cotabato, thereby creating the Lone Legislative District of General Santos City. March 11, 2019. May 6, 2019. Congress of the Philippines.
  7. Web site: Archived copy . September 18, 2021 . September 15, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210915182737/https://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/third_18/HBT10021.pdf . dead.
  8. News: Gloria. Glenda M.. Remembering the Iglesia-led EDSA 3. March 7, 2024. Rappler. Rappler Inc.. August 29, 2015. Newsbreak (magazine). This story on 'EDSA 3'[...] was first published by Newsbreak in May 2001..
  9. Web site: Muslim Population in Mindanao (based on POPCEN 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180831174924/http://rssoarmm.psa.gov.ph/release/54739/factsheet/muslim-population-in-mindanao-%28based-on-popcen-2015 . live . August 31, 2018 . Philippine Statistics Authority . August 31, 2018 . July 26, 2017.
  10. News: Demos in South get ugly; Ramos unfazed: Mindanao Council is good formula, FVR insists . Fel V. Maragay . Manila Standard. Philippines . July 4, 1996 . October 9, 2011.
  11. Web site: General Santos International Airport . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100919142820/http://www.caap.gov.ph/web/airportsTambler.htm . September 19, 2010 .
  12. Web site: International Container Terminal Services, Inc . February 27, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003182515/http://www.ictsi.com/operations.aspx?p_id=3&catg_id=&operation_id=132&id=152 . October 3, 2011 . dead .
  13. Web site: Archived copy . February 27, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716015112/http://www.scipsi.com/equip.html . July 16, 2011 . dead .
  14. Web site: Construction of Waste Treatment Facility, P. Acharon BLVD. Corner Santiago BLVD., General Santos City | General Santos City . March 4, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726142040/http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/2010/05/construction-of-waste-treatment-facility-p-acharon-blvd-corner-santiago-blvd-general-santos-city/ . July 26, 2011 . dead .
  15. Web site: 11CS-GSC-001 – Contract to Design, Build and Operate a Sanitary Solid Waste Management and Disposal Project at Barangay Sinawal, City of General Santos, Philippines. | General Santos City . March 4, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110308044036/http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/2011/02/11cs-gsc-001-contract-to-design-build-and-operate-a-sanitary-solid-waste-management-and-disposal-project-at-barangay-sinawal-city-of-general-santos-philippines/ . March 8, 2011 . dead .
  16. Web site: Sister Cities . The Local Government of Quezon City . April 9, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171001010801/http://quezoncity.gov.ph/index.php/quezon-city-business-district/350-sister-cities . October 1, 2017.
  17. News: Tayona . Glenda . Silubrico . Ruby . Iloilo to showcase culture to 'sister cities' tonight . April 9, 2019 . Panay News . August 25, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190409192355/https://www.panaynews.net/iloilo-to-showcase-culture-to-sister-cities-tonight/ . April 9, 2019.
  18. News: RESOLUTION RENEWING AND REVITALIZING THE EXISTING SISTER CITY TIES OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF GENERAL SANTOS WITH THE CITY OF NAGA, CAMARINES SUR. April 17, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190417083615/http://www.spgensantos.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PR181801827.pdf. April 17, 2019.
  19. Web site: Resolution Sisterhood Cities in Region12. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/1490359257650276/2528916660461192. February 26, 2022. limited. Facebook.
  20. Web site: DIRECTORY OF AUSTRALIAN SISTER CITY AFFILIATIONS 2018 . Sister Cities Australia . April 17, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180713192607/http://www.sistercitiesaustralia.com/images/images_media/Documents/Aust_SCA_Affiliations.pdf . July 13, 2018.
  21. News: GENSAN and JERSEY CITY to Sign SISTER CITY Agreement AUGUST 14 . April 17, 2019 . Gensan Magazine . August 2, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190112082705/https://gensan-magazine.com/2018/08/02/gensan-and-jersey-city-to-sign-sister-city-agreement-august-14/ . January 12, 2019 . en . Come August 14, Jersey City will become Gensan's third international sister city (after Monterrey, Mexico and Hadano City, Japan), while Gensan becomes Jersey's second Philippine sister city (after Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental)..
  22. News: Jersey City and GenSan now "sister cities" . April 17, 2019 . Philippine Daily Inquirer. INQUIRER.net US Bureau . August 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180829213837/https://usa.inquirer.net/15141/jersey-city-gensan-now-sister-cities . August 29, 2018 . en.