In the cedar forest before me, the cinnamon mountain resolved into a sow grizzly.

So perfectly did the bruin’s fur blend with leaf fall and bark, if her cubs have not stirred, I could have blundered on top of her as she nosed under the logs. I’m downwind too, so she failed to catch my scent.

Anyway, I never imagined I’ll stumble on my first grizzlies beside Lake Louise, the most photographed lake on earth, a stone’s throw from five-star Fairmont Chateau, Alberta’s “Castle in the Wilderness”.

 I froze where I stood, 10 feet from the family. Too close. Rangers urged hikers to keep a safe distance from bears, at least 360 feet – the length of a football field. No use running if she attacks now. Grizzlies clock 66 kilometers per hour. The fastest Olympic sprinters only manage 45.

The sow lifted her head and faced me squarely. Our eyes met – hers, curious and intelligent. I tried not to stare without looking away.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” I uttered the worlds calmly, reassuringly. It seems the most natural thing to do. I can’t help adding, “You’re so beautiful. You and your babies.”

Her ears flicked forward. Good sign. If she pins them back and makes chomping sounds, I’m done for. But her cubs reared up on their hind legs, assessing whether I’m a toy or a threat. If they run to me, the fiercely protective mom might panic and tear me to shreds.

Just then, something crashed behind her – a dead branch falling or worse, another bear. Rangers say at least three grizzly families prowl around the lake.  The sow took off like a shot, the cubs at her heels.

“She could have killed you,” my guide gasped when I told him about the encounter afterwards.

Wardens already cordoned off nearby Deer Lodge due to grizzly sightings. The sow I surprised turned out to be a four-year old first-time mom, a resident of Lake Louise. “Lake of Little Fishes”, natives called it because its 300-foot-deep glacial waters only sustain dwarf trout and stunted mountain white fish.

Still, it’s Banff’s wildlife corridor, cradled among the snow-capped Rockies, feeding from the meltwaters of Victoria Glacier above it and creating a scene so picturesque I felt like I’ve stepped inside a postcard.

Year-round, millions of tourists descend on the lake and its hamlet – despite grizzlies, wolves and cougars being part of the landscape.

Grizzlies even kill black bears for the right to feed in the premises. For several days, an immature male sparred with an adult black bear near the hotel. Another time, a wolf attempting to bring down an elk calf attracted a grizzly who took over the chase.

Outside Banff National Park, hunting is still allowed, so prey animals retreat inside the refuge during hunting season and calve there. The predators follow.

While Banff grizzlies are smaller than their West Coast cousins who gorge on salmon and reach 1,500 pounds, they’re still formidable at over half a ton – voracious too, being virtual eating machines packing 10,000 calories a day for their winter sleep.

Massive as they are, these omnivores on top of the food chain don’t live long, 12-14 years, depending on the condition of their teeth. Bears love sweets and buffalo berries rot their enamel fast. A toothless grizzly is a dead grizzly. Once they lose their last set of dentures, they starve to death.

That is, if people and vehicles don’t kill them first. If they manage to elude trophy hunters, they run into trucks and cars when crossing highways. When they feed on grain spilled on railway tracks, they collide with trains.

One train which mowed down a sow doomed her twin yearlings outright. The first perished on the highway while a male grizzly slaughtered the other. Recently, a train killed another sow with three-year old cubs. One lived through the winter, denned up near the hotel, but his brother vanished. Cubs normally stay with their moms for four years before striking out on their own.

Rangers simply shoot aggressive “problem bears”, like the six-year old male who charged hikers at the Fairview Mountain trail which I’m tackling today.

Climbing the over 9,000-foot high Fairview, I looked out for grizzlies as I surveyed the panorama of forest, glaciers and emerald lake. Once sure the coast is clear, I hurried further up, past avalanche paths and snow-buried switchbacks to the peak.

Scrambling down, I heeded the sign warning hikers not to negotiate the rock bands where so many had been stranded overnight and had to be rescued the next morning, earning Fairview the nickname “Overtime Mountain”.

As if that’s not enough, I went up another peak to soothe my aching limbs in Canada’s highest hot springs in the aptly-named Sulphur Mountain.

For centuries, rain and snow have seeped in the lopsided slopes of neighbouring Mount Rundle and accumulated in rock sediments 6,000 feet below. There, they dissolved minerals and simmered in the heat of the earth’s crust before gushing out of gaps in Sulphur Mountain’s flanks.

As I lay back in the steaming waters of Banff’s Upper Hot Springs, I scanned the Bow Valley below and opposite us, Mount Rundle, which according to our guide, inspired the Paramount Pictures logo.

Aloud, I wondered if I’ll scramble up its Dragon’s Back limestone crags tomorrow and track wolverines – the elusive cousins of the weasel who are often mistaken for small bears. Or do I explore Minnewanka, the native people’s “Water of the Spirits” which early Europeans branded as Devil’s Lake?

My fellow bathers expressed more concern  about fainting in the 40-degree Celsius pool we’re immersed in than in my itinerary. Being acclimatized to heat, I wasn’t affected.  But one giddy guy spluttered, “Just do the three-hour Discover Banff tour, it covers everything.”

Hence, I returned to Sulphur Mountain the next day and hopped into the gondola which deposited me 8,000 feet up Sanson’s Peak observation deck.

Whiskey Jays and Nutcrackers escorted me, flitting on the railings, begging for food, as I ambled up and down the board walk. Underneath, bighorn sheep dozed, unmindful of chipmunks chattering and golden mantled ground squirrels scurrying about.

As I climbed, the terrain changed from the spruce and cedars of the moraine to the towering pines and firs of sub-alpine forests and finally, barren rock and ice.

Nothing loomed above me now but snowy skies, the flyway of 6,000 Golden Eagles. High winds raked my exposed flesh, so cold it burned like coals. Raptors must love it though. They ride updrafts that slam the Rockies’ spine to reach their breeding grounds in the Yukon, Yellowstone and Colorado.

For me, what followed was another gondola ride down the valley, a bus journey to Cave and Basin Museum and a stopover at Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

Alas, there’s no time to see its ghost bellman and phantom bride. I’ve to catch the boat to Lake Minnewanka though it’s too cold to dive there and explore the village and dam drowned beneath its waters when they built the current dam 70 years ago.

Yet, I managed a side trip at Tunnel Mountain to inspect Banff’s mysterious hoodoos – eroded  rock fins which folk legend says were people turned to stone for the evil they did.

It was still light when the tour bus dropped me off near downtown, where I rejoined throngs of locals and tourists on foot. You don’t need cars here, anyway. Banff is a ski resort town less than 500 hectares in size nestled 5,000 feet high on Bow Valley, within the confines of the national park.

At Lynx Street, I came across a historic log building which turned out to be the Park Museum. It’s still open so I browsed its collection of 5,000 natural history specimens, wandering among shelves of birds’ eggs, rocks and wood from Banff’s forests in olden days.

Taxidermists mounted hundreds of native fowl who perished after smashing on the museum’s glass windows. Along with stuffed eagles, wolves, foxes, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, cougars, black bears and grizzlies who once resided in the valley, they populated an eerie menagerie.

Upstairs, the founder’s office looked like he just took a break and could walk in any minute. A stuffed owl rotated slowly from his ceiling while specimens waited to be classified on his desk, among dusty letters and his journal, opened to a date over a hundred years ago.

Back outside, I strolled down Banff Avenue which runs straight into the Cascade massif. However, cruising past the tourist shops, I confronted the grim duality of conservation and commerce.

Alongside dream catchers decked with beads, feathers and amulets, turquoise and silver jewels, carved cottonwood replicas of native masked spirits – “Kachinas,” locals peddled the skins of lynx, bobcat, beaver, coyote and fox.

Saddened, I asked my guide about it. He simply shrugged. “I told you. Hunting is still legal outside the national parks.”

(TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK)

(For questions, comments, suggestions, etc. please contact the author at emmieabadilla@yahoo.com.)

Posted: February 27th, 2013 under Philippines.
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The province of Basilan in Mindanao has often been overshadowed by the negative images attributed to it. Basilan, after all, is a place more popular for its notoriety rather than being an actual tourist destination.

But what most people don’t actually know is that Basilan is a paradise amidst the turmoil. The island province is, in fact, a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

“True, there’s disorder here, but isn’t it the same with any other place?” said Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) First Lady and Anak-Mindanao nominee Princess Sitti Djaliah Hataman.

Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of the Zamboanga Peninsula. The island is a 30-minute boat ride from Zamboanga City. Mostly popular for chaos, peace and order problems, and negative news, Basilan is actually a paradise just waiting to be explored.

The island boasts of beautiful and unspoiled beaches like the White Beach of Malamawi Island in Isabela. “We are happy that tourism is at its peak during summer time,”  Hataman said.

With the genuinely serene and rustic environment, tourists used to living in the hectic and fast-paced lifestyle of the metropolis would surely get the peace and relaxation they are longing for in this paradise. Another scenic beach in Basilan is the Hami Beach of Baluno in Isabela. Hami Beach, although not as spectacular as Malamawi white beach, is an awesome picturesque beach that is definitely worth visiting in the island.

Besides its prized beaches, Basilan also takes pride in its must-visit historical landmarks. These historical sites include the Datu Kalun Shrine and Museo ng Lamitan in Lamitan, one of the ARMM’s fastest growing cities.

According to Lamitan First Lady Rose Furigay, the city is predominantly composed of Chabacano speaking tribes. She vowed to improve, develop and promote existing tourist spots in Basilan in the coming years.

But a trip to Basilan, particularly to the city of Lamitan, would not be complete without taking a peek at the breath-taking view of the Bullingan Falls. Tourists are welcome to stay and eat in the cottages right beside the falls and even bathe in the cold and clear stream of water that the Bullingan Falls offers.

Furigay said that the city government is now working to further develop the tourist spot while maintaining its natural beauty and the flora and fauna surrounding it.

Meanwhile, a couple of miles away from Lamitan is Basilan’s capital, Isabela City. In Isabela City are found some of Basilan’s historical sites like the Basilan Provincial Capitol and the Isabela City Plaza. Isabela is a city on the rise, thriving amidst the adversities. The presence of Jollibee, perhaps the country’s most popular fastfood brand, is a sign that the city has progressed. A beautiful yet affordable place to stay in Isabela is Anchong Tan’s homey minimalist residence which provides a panoramic view of the entire city. In addition, the place also serves the best and freshest seafood that the city has to offer.

“The cost of living here is less than a fifth compared to the metro,” Princess Hataman said.   Negative news on Basilan may still continue to prevent tourists from coming in but to those who dare, it might come as a surprise to know that a visit to Basilan would actually be a peaceful experience that will allow them to recharge and be rejuvenated.

Basilan hopes to turn things around in terms of how people perceive Mindanao by showing that in the middle of the chaos lies a paradise waiting to be noticed and explored.

Posted: February 25th, 2013 under Philippines.
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You have to say goodbye to a stressful life once in a while and exert extra effort in doing so. My family’s mantra every year is this – “Bye, bye stress; hello peace and relaxation.” This is because my husband, son, and I are separated geographically. I work in Manila while both of them work in the Middle East. So, once a year, they come home and the three of us go on vacation. We decided this year to try two places and one of them was Boracay, the world’s number one resort.

EASY FLIGHT

Located in the Visayas, Boracay is just an hour’s plane ride from Manila. There are daily flights to Caticlan and Kalibo and pump boats leave every 10 minutes to bring guests to the island.  Getting there is light and easy.

BORACAY REGENCY HOTEL – Best Bet, Good Deals

My family has learned the value of choosing a good hotel that offers more than good value.  Twice, we stayed at Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center.  Excellently serving for 15 years, this five-star hotel of the prestigious Henry Chusuey Hennan Resorts, aims to give its guests something more than a soft pillow to rest on. Regency answers best all the questions and essential needs of a traveler on where to stay, what to eat and how to enjoy.  Dindo Salazar, Regency Resort Manager, graciously assisted us and delivered satisfactorily our expectations. Pools are just steps away from our room, and every day, we are greeted by birds on our balcony as the sun shines until it sets. Delectable dishes are served at the Sea Breeze Restaurant. Waiters danced the K-pop –hit GangNam style to the delight of the beach folk and of course the Koreans on the island.  All the details add up to the feeling of wellness and physical contentment spaholics would crave for at the KAI Spa.  It offers a variety of rejuvenating and reinvigorating treatments.

SPLASHIN’ FUN IN THE SUN

Kick off your flip-flops, take the soothing walk along the shores. Try henna tattoos, everyone in the island is doing it.  Hairstylists will create hair braids. Wear shirts with your desired designs executed by the painters along the shore.  And nothing beats being pampered with relaxing signature massages amidst the stunning view of the sea. There are varied water activities to choose from.

PULSATING NIGHTLIFE

When the day ends, excitement begins. Nightlife in Boracay is as vibrant as it is during the day, people dance, sing, and eat a lot.  There is so much to do. It is never boring in the island, and never a dull moment.

Yes! It’s more fun in the Philippines! And with this vacation of ours, we also proved that it is more romantic in Boracay.

Posted: February 24th, 2013 under Philippines.
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The gang meats up at the Hapchang Restaurant on the West Avenue, rush through platters of food. Everyone gulps down Bonamine as insurance against motion sickness on the overnight ride up to Tuguegarao, jump off point for a weekend communing with nature.

We board the bus. A pleasant surprise- two aisles and three rows of seat. One on each side by the window and one in the middle. No seatmates! Each seat reclines to an almost horizontal position, much like a dentist’s chair.

Pulling off the noisy and bustling North Expressway, we pass towns quiet in sleep and soon enter stretches of empty roads. The full moon throws the mountains in stark relief and bathes with silver fields and clouds. You almost forget it’s a warm, tropical country; the view looks like New England fall, steeped in the season’s first frost.

Halfway, up in the mountains after Dalton Pass in Nueva Viscaya, the bus stops. We step out into the night’s chill. Pitstop is a storefront selling vegetables and other sundries. A huge iron pot of arroz caldo simmering on a stove. For R40, I get a respectable bowl of steaming comfort food with a piece of chicken and topped with fragrant toasted garlic and chives. The carbo rush lulls me back to sleep.

Dawn breaks as we arrive in Tuguegarao. Anton Carag, bossman of Adventures and Expeditions Philippines Inc., takes us to his family’s ancestral home in the heart of the town. Wood panels display citations, awards and historic old photos that belonged to his grandfather, who was the Governor of Cagayan in the 1950s.

In the spacious open-air living room, where his grandfather must have conducted his political affairs, a buffet table is laid out with a breakfast spread that warms my heart.

Browned dried squid, generous tomato and onion omelettes and the local garlicky Tuguegarao longganisa, fried until all the fat had drained off filled several platters. Hot pandesal, fragrantly steaming garlic rice, coffee, tea, and THICK native chocolate.

We wobble to an oversized jeepney and settle our royally stuffed bodies for the ride to Pinacanauan River. We spill out onto a broad riverbank covered in round stones. Colorful kayaks are breached. We listen attentively to the short but thorough instructions given by Anton and his crew on how to get on the kayak and how to maneuver it through the rapids up river.

After doing a half-hour of skills practice, we pile back into the motorized bancas and in a convoy, motor up river to our starting point.

Mist covers the cliffs. From the broad riverbank, thick jungle rises. Dragonflies flit just above the water’s surface, the sun glinting off their wings.

We pull on our vests, strap on helmets and are off. In the beginning, we maneuver our boats into the calm stretches of water. Gaining more confidence as time goes by, we start looking for whitewater.

We zip along until we see smoke coming from a camp pitched by a beach. At the smell of cooking meat, we all steer for shore.

Anton, with beer in hand and a cooking fork in the other, flips pink pork ribs and chicken on a hot grill. A ravenous group falls on the steaming rice and pinakbet and paksiw na pla-pla that complement Chef Anton’s culinary efforts. Sated and drowsy, we struggle to listen to a short lesson on rappelling, our next activity.

Two lines are laid out for us. One is about three stories high, the other 10. We have to climb to the starting point so I opt for the shorter rope and watch the others disappear into the jungle canopy high above my head.

Back at the house. Crackers, a cheese and salami spread, with red wine greet us. By the time we finish our warm showers, dinner is served. A steaming black bean soup followed by Fried Garlic Chicken, Crispy Catfish, Lumpiang Shanghai, with Leche Flan and fresh fruit for dessert.

Our rooms are the same ones Anton and his family use. Three of our female companions share his parents’ huge bed. The rest crash around the house. We wake up to the cheerful smells of a happy kitchen-tapa, smoked Salinas sardines, potato omelette and the requisite carbohydrates.

I doze on the jeepney and miss the grandeur unfolding. Companions later rhapsodize about the peaks and valleys that greeted them at every bend.

Two hours later we are on the banks of the Chico River. We fill the rafts with air, batten down all lose bags and boxes and start down the waterway. The Chico is a broad river, with virgin forests guarding each side. We float down for the most part, a lazy river. Then we hit a stretch of whitewater and paddle like mad to the barked commands of our navigators in the back. Anyone who doesn’t pull his weight gets a whack on top of the head.

One section of the river has a rapid known as God’s Playground, and one of the rafts manages to go through it backwards. The others did go through correctly, but buck off two paddlers first!

Lunchtime finds us tethered beside a small waterfall. The coolers reveal cold beers, soft drinks and tuna and chicken sandwiches. Long runs of quiet water provide some horseplay as we take turns dunking each other in. The giant jeepney come for us around 4 p.m. We all pitch in to pack the gear and fall asleep against each other on the ride back.

We hurry through showers to catch our bus. Anton fed us one last time, a pork rib soup with a succulent young vegetable I have yet to find in Manila, lumpiang gulay, piping hot lechon kawali, and steamed pla-pla in a light soy based sauce. I make sure I have three kilos of the delectable longganisa and a bag of carabao milk candy in my bag.

Posted: February 22nd, 2013 under Philippines.
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When one is getting tired just thinking of doing the same thing on a regular basis, or being suffocated by the thought of daily commutes and horrendous traffic (and not to mention the ever present work-related pressures), we cannot help but dream of having a break of a day or two just walking slowly, eating slowly or just to take some moment to catch our breath. In the quiet town of Coron in Palawan, we got those and more.

It took about an hour from Manila getting to Busuanga Airport, and another hour to reach our resort of choice, El Rio Y Mar. One hour may sound long and boring but if the first 30 minutes were spent on land travelling over scenic greeneries with no mall or even a convenience store in sight and the next half hour in a boat in the middle of a seemingly endless mangrove forest, who are we to complain? And in no time, leis, refreshing drinks and a welcome song by the resort’s staff greeted us and a colorful school of fish can be seen swimming happily on the side of the wharf, giving us a glimpse of what Coron has to offer. This amazement continued in the afternoon as we availed of a tour on an inhabited island and in there, monitor lizards thrive, birds of different varieties squawk and fly, and snorkeled until our muscles complained. With barely a day of stay, it seems our lungs have been cleared and we never uttered “wow” this much.

An island hopping tour of Coron Island should be the highlight of this travel and boy, it never disappoints! The Coron town proper may look the same as any other fishing town or barrio in the Philippines but this one has a huge cross on top of a mountain, Mt. Tapyas, which can be climbed and where you can have a panoramic view of the town and nearby islands. A few meters from the shore and while on the boat, as noise from the public market and the port died down, your eyes would be focused on what appears to be a set of dark islands, and from that far, it does not hold any promise. But, I learned that it’s very cruel and unfair to think that way because as you get closer, you are slowly being transported to another world. And what an amazing, breathtakingly beautiful and stunningly different world it is!

Twin Lagoon

Our first stop was the Twin Lagoon. As our boat navigates on a highway of crystal clear waters, our eyes panicked from not knowing where to look: Huge coral reefs visible from the boat, towering limestone formations that surround us, fish and jellyfish swimming on the brackish water, oh, it was so unreal that the view is just too much for the word beautiful. It was high tide that time and our boat docked near the “entrance” and we were told that we need to swim our way through a small opening to enter the lagoon. And who are we to say no? With our life jackets, fins and snorkel masks, we swam into the hole, entered and were greeted by even taller limestone formations on the lagoon! Fish were very few but there are a lot of jellyfish, the stingless kind, enjoying the water. The lagoon was huge but we got to swim its entirety twice.

Kayangan Lake

The Twin Lagoon raised the level of expectation and we wondered how it is going to be topped as we went along with the tour. We came to Coron knowing that Kayangan Lake is considered as the cleanest lake in the country.  It is a protected area and the Tagbanuan tribe maintained and owned it, and the number of tourists coming here is controlled so as to maintain its pristine surroundings. Going there involves a little bit of hiking, but a stop-over at the top of a mountain before going down to the lake itself will reveal the most photographed area of the island, an iconic symbol for the lake though it is not the lake. As we head down, bluish to greenish water greeted us and as we came closer, it was unbelievably clear! Sparing no time, we jumped into the lake and a pleasant feel of the water can never be matched by any spa that offers relaxation packages. As we swim, we can feel, not just see, how pristine the lake is. I can imagine myself spending a day there just floating on the water, staring at the sky and listening to the whisper of the wind. It gave us the feeling of not leaving the area, as if a spell was cast on us. It was an enchanting experience.

Siete Pecados

We ate our lunch of seafoods in a hut near the lake while talking how unbelievable the lake was, and we all shared the same feeling of wanting to live there and hoping that the lake will stay pristine forever. After the siesta, the tour brought us to the legendary Siete Pecados, a premiere snorkeling area in Palawan. Legend has it that seven children ran away from their mother and drowned in the area, and from where they drowned, seven islands surfaced. I enjoyed snorkeling in Boracay and Mindoro but those were just ordinary compared to Siete Pecados because in there, all sorts of imaginable colors can be seen; you just stay where you are and an underwater parade of corals and thousands of fishes will organize themselves right in front of your eyes. Save for the strong current that time, which was actually dangerous, Siete Pecados zoomed to the top of the list for the best snorkeling site.

Maquinit Hot Spring

With all the swimming, climbing and snorkeling that we did, our bodies could only do so much, and a trip to Maquinit Hot Spring was the most fitting way to end the tour. Though some parts are scalding, the hot and salty water relaxes the body and closing our eyes while sitting on the side of a man-made pool and holding hands with my wife was the perfect way to remember how long and eventful the day was.

We went to Coron for an escape from the busy metropolis, to live a day or two at a slower pace, to stay away from the smoke and the crowded mega city. Little did we know that in Coron, we would also be busy and suffocated by the grandness of nature, that the traffic of colorful fishes never stops, the sky scraper of karst limestone formations dominate the skyline, and the busy highway of crystal clear waters can be very addicting. This is the kind of busyness that is very easy to take. And willingly too.

Posted: February 18th, 2013 under Philippines.
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The country’s tuna capital, Gen. Santos City, unveils its artistic side as it celebrates the multi-awarded Kalilangan Festival as part of its 74th founding day.

The month-long festivity kicks off on Feb. 10 with an assortment of sports tournaments, native Flipino games, cultural shows, barangay gatherings, tourism-oriented activities, and special interest events.

Major events include the Grand Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 22, the Sayaw ng Lahi tilt on Feb. 24, and the Salubungan Parada ng Lahi on Feb. 27 which reenacts the arrival of Gen. Paulino Santos in 1939 to organize the coastal town of Dadiangas.

The month-long fete culminates with the Kadsagayan or street dance parade and showdown which will display the dances of the city’s tri-people.

Gen. Santos City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said that this year’s theme “Tri-People in Unity, Excellence in Harmony” will bring to the fore once more the convergence of the lowland Christian population, the Muslim tribes and the indigenous peoples who have made Gen. Santos their home.

“The cultural extravaganza is a pageantry of unique and colorful ethnic rites, rituals and traditions like marriage celebrations, religious ceremonies, anniversaries, royal enthronements, and other social activities,” she said.

The festival is derived from the word “Kalilang” which means celebration in the Maguindanaoan dialect. Indeed, it is a social gathering marked by the exchange of amenities among ethnic leaders, elders, and townsfolk.

Custodio added that Kalilangan Festival focuses on the cultural diversity that will enable its people and visitors to revisit and appreciate the city’s richness of native songs, dances, sports, games, as well as its local agro-industrial produce.

The festival has bagged the Best Tourism Event (Culture and Arts Catergory, City Level) of the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (ATOP) in 2011 and 2012, and is eyeing a slot in the tourism body’s Hall of Fame this year.

The Hall of Fame is an award given by ATOP to a winner under the same category for three consecutive years.

Formerly known as Dadiangas town of the Empire Province of Cotabato, the city was established in 1939 by Gen. Paulino Santos, administrator of the National Land Settlement Administration, upon the instruction of President Manuel Quezon. It was converted into a city on September 5, 1968 and was named after him.

Custodio pointed out that aside from being the country’s hub of the tuna industry, the city is also being developed as an ecotourism spot because of its natural wonders, such as the Klaja Karsts. Overlooking the city, Mt. Matutum and Sarangani Bay, it is a splendid location for nature camping, canyoneering, bird watching, and other close-to-nature adventure activities. For adrenaline junkies, it has a 500 and a 300-meter zipline, as well as a cable car.

The city’s also boasts of mountain resorts, as well as historic spots such as the World War II Japanese bunkers, Gen. Paulino Santos Museum, and the Mindanao State University Museum.

For more information, add Kalilangan Festival on Facebook or log on to www.gensantos.gov.ph.

Posted: February 15th, 2013 under Philippines.
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Posted: February 13th, 2013 under Philippines.
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