An Introductory Guide to the Tuna Festival in GenSan
General Santos City or GenSan, the Philippines’ premier producer of fresh tuna, is currently holding its 19th Tuna Festival with the theme “A PEACEtival of Fun” until September 15.
Tunas make a colorful spectacle on land. /IMAGE Gensan Tuna Festival Facebook page
A lot of activities have been laid out since August 15, with the highlights happening from September 1 to 5. The main events include a tuna float parade, Tunaman triathlon, Bancarera, dragon boat race, and Sugbahan sa Dalan (grilling on the street).
During Sugbahan sa Dalan, people set up a long stretch of connecting grills on the street where they grill hundreds of kilos of tuna, which are given to the public for free.
Men exhibit their paddling power in unison during the dragon boat race. /IMAGE Gensan Tuna Festival Facebook page
Bancarera and dragon boat race meanwhile are all-out race competitions among motorized fishing boats and human-powered boats respectively.
Watch cute performers in tuna-inspired costumes! /IMAGE Gensan Tuna Festival Facebook page
You can still catch other events and activities like the tuna tricycle decorating contest (September 7), National Tuna Congress (September 6-8), and a garden show exhibit and flea market (until September 15).
You can still catch other activities until September 15. /IMAGE Gensan Tuna Festival Facebook page
Tuna Festival serves as the community’s celebration of the abundance of tuna and other marine life, which has greatly contributed to the local economy. GenSan has been holding Tuna Festival in the first week of September every year since 1998.
With a daily catch of tuna that exceed other fish ports in the country, GenSan has been hailed as the country’s tuna capital. The General Santos Fishport, which is accredited with US FDA and EU FDA Standards, is the most modern fish port facility in the country.
GenSan is less than two hours away from Manila by air.
Sources: GenSan News Online Mag, GenSan Tuna Festival Facebook page
Images grabbed from GenSan Tuna Festival Facebook page
