#MINDANAO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY –Arriving at this bustling city of almost 700,000 people for the first time since 2019, I sensed that things are not only really getting back to normal, but actually looking up.
Driving down the highway from Davao to General Santos (Gensan) brings one first to Digos City and then turns to the municipality of Sulop in Davao del Sur. I drove up to the Baluyan passage which gave an impressive view of Malalag Bay in the Davao Gulf. This signaled my entry into the highlands of Malungon in Sarangani province, and the SOCKSARGEN region. The first thing I noticed at this point was the wide and smooth, six-lane highway that winds through this corridor.
Moving along the highway, I passed fields planted to various crops leading to scenic rolling hills. At this point came the view of the majestic Mount Matutum, a massive volcano watching over the rolling hills and verdant fields with the highway leading to the General Santos City border district of Lagao.
As I entered Gensan City proper, I felt its urban sprawl, which I noted has expanded with a new airport terminal and diversion road to the northwest which will allow a visitor to avoid city traffic while following the route to South Cotabato’s northern location, such as Koronadal.
In these parts, the sun is often up all day with some rain pouring now and then.
Continuing my drive, I realized how much of the history of this place needs to be understood, from the prehispanic kingdoms that ruled over parts of what is today Indonesia to the Lagao settlements during the American period. Once called Dadiangas, “General Santos” was named after the pioneering general Paulino Santos who led in organizing the settlements in the place that is now the country's southernmost city, known for food production such as tuna and livestock and pineapples.
After World War II, the communities were populated with more migrants which resulted in the diverse cultures we see today. I realize that there is much more to a road than its physical or structural attributes. There is history and culture, collective memory and the socioeconomic significance of these events.
I hope that in the coming years, we will all know more about local history, especially that of Mindanao’s cities and provinces, as their development through the centuries show very interesting highlights that shaped the present.
The same elements, when understood as part of history and analyzed well, will help us understand lessons, to include the pitfalls to avoid, and the gains to integrate – to help us forge the path to the future.
Launch of Avia Estate
I would like to congratulate Mindanao based Alsons land on the successful launch of its Avia Estate project in Alabel, Sarangani, a masterplanned mixed-use development that will surely attract many buyers who are seeking a well-planned vibrant community. This will have the Narra Park residences and the Abbas Orchard school. Avia Estate is significant as it is the region’s first full township development.