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Tag >> Sarangani Bay
Who said there is no wind around Sarangani Bay? On the contrary there is enough wind! The big plus is the awesome limestone mountain terrain in Sarangani. SAFI Ranch in Maasim is located right after Siguel river. It a property made of mountains of hard rock and limestone. The awesome part of the place it has cliffs for paragliding and big flat land perfect for landing... I got invited to see the sport. Initially I was seeing Ian Tan and their gang taking lessons with Buko Raymundo (President, Paragliding Association of the Philippines) and Jason Luengo. It looked tough for those training to be pilots. As they lifted their chutes, and begin working with the wind, you sense the adrenelin rush! The group was kind enough to show me what its like. So we headed up the mountain and got ready to jump off the cliff. The moment we got the winds right, on a tandem, we ran and jumped off the mountain to the vast expanse of air. That jump was so good, because the wind lifted us high above the ranges of Maasim and viewing the entire Sarangani Bay from the sky. It was a high- adrenalin, amazing experience! We flew for about 15 minutes that day. If you are interested to paraglide, the introductory rate is P2,500 for tandem ride. Its definitely worth the try.
 Sarangani is a definite destination for the summer. Its time to plan out your route to Sarangani. For more information about tours and accommodation bookings call Go Sarangani Travel(083) 552-8015... 
Pinky de Jesus writes about how she fell in love with Sarangani. In her moments of enjoying the view of the Sarangani Bay, she did say aloud, "I'm serious, I would like to move here." Sarangani Province is a young province and has so much potential. 
Sarangani is your adventure. It has a bit of paradise for every individual. The high-adrenalin types to even the mellow and relaxed ones. See more about Sarangani in Asian Traveller Magazine. Buy one from your nearest bookstore or airport shops!
Posted by: wwwgosa in vacation, Tuka Marine Reserve, Sarangani Bay, resort, Maitum, Kiamba, Isla Jardin, Gumasa, Go Sarangani Travel, dive, beach, adventure on
Mar 09, 2010
Enjoy a cold drink while laying out under the shade of the coconut tree on wonderful white sand beaches of Gumasa. There are several resorts to choose from... Brod Louie Resort, Davak Beach Resort, Crystal Beach Resort and Pool, White Haven Beach Resort, Rosal Beach Resort, Coco Beach & Isla Jardin del Mar. Take a dip in the pristine waters of Sarangani Bay. If you like underwater adventure, you should take your snorkel or dive gear to Lemlunay Dive Resort... The marine sanctuary boasts of a biodiverse underwater experience. Known for their sumptuous burgers and buffalo wings... its a great place to unwind this summer. You may also take a boat ride and snorkel Tuka Marine Reserve in Kiamba and see the wonderful table corals and when lucky see turtles, squids, and other tropical fishes. If you want to get wet in fresh cold river water -- we invite you to try the River Tubing of New La Union Maitum. Its simply an awesome and addicting ride. Definitely worthy the trip and experience. So for this summer, don't look anywhere else... Visit Sarangani! There's so much to experience! Contact Go Sarangani Travel for reservations of accommodations and tours at (083) 552-8015 or email at gosaranganitravel@gmail.com
Posted by: wwwgosa in zipline, vacation, south cotabato, Sarangani Bay, Sarangani, Lake Sebu, Gumasa, Go Sarangani Travel, Glan, dive, beach, adventure, 7 falls on
Dec 10, 2009
1. Hit the Beach - This time of the year is perfect to go to the beach. It is sunny but also it is a cooler season than summer. Its great to swim, snorkel, build sand castles or be lazy on a hammock reading a good book. The sound of water crashing the shore is so relaxing, we suggest you do it in GUMASA in GLAN. (For more information on where to stay, click hotel and resorts on our website... better yet book through Go Sarangani Travel office.) 
2. Take a Dive or learn diving - The beautiful Sarangani bay invites you to take a dip and see the beauty of the live corals and the abundant fish of the bay. Turtles, snappers, jacks are one of the common ones we see when diving Tampuan Wall and the Sand Bar. If you have never done this before, its time to try it in Lemlunay Dive Resort. (For more information on where to stay, click hotel and resorts on our website... better yet book through Go Sarangani Travel office.)  ((Photo by Jojo Carpio)
3. Try new adventures - For those who have never tried taking a river adventure, its high time you try the River Tubing of New La Union, in Maitum. Going through a shallow but wide river on its dips and twists is definitely exciting! You may also want to trek and zip the 7 Falls of Lake Sebu and experience nature at its best. 
For more information about your trips and needing special packages for your family, just call (083) 552-8015 or email gosaranganitravel1@gmail.com. We will be more than happy to help you get the best vacation this Christmas season!
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  | | Jams’ Malasugi Kinilaw. | I am, like all Filipinos, a certified Manny Pacquiao fan. And since writing about food has no connection whatsoever to boxing, I had to think of a way to pay my respects to the man who has, of late, done nothing but make the Philippines bask in glory. Let Summerscape, along with Michelle Solon, wife of Sarangani Governor Steve Solon, guide you through the gustatory delights of Pacman Land. Michelle is president of the Sarangani Tourism Industry Association and Go Sarangani Travel, a blogger (www.gosarangani.com), and Socksargen tourism, culture and arts advocate. In Socksargen, the main industries are aquaculture and agriculture. Sarangani and General Santos City, endowed with Sarangani Bay and the Celebes Sea, are fishing grounds for tuna and opah (Diana fish). Pampano, sea bass and prawns thrive in abundance, too, and our Sarangani Bay bangus is, goes without saying, world famous! Fish is a must-order when visiting our province; it is just so fresh, so delicious, that it melts in your mouth. Another option is to take the taste of Socksargen home with you; the catch of the day packed and frozen fresh, safe for travel within six hours. We also produce sweet and delicious asparagus and the Dole plantation in Socksargen, which means an abundance of pineapple, papaya and banana all year round. It’s safe to say that whatever is indigenous to a locale becomes its specialty. Sarangani and GenSan’s dining destinations Sarangani Highlands—This restaurant is on a hill overlooking the breathtaking Sarangani Bay. Doctors Tranquilino Ruiz and Bella Abella’s passion for food and landscaping ignited the creation of Sarangani Highlands. This restaurant has a romantic and intimate ambiance filled with beautiful driftwood, bonsai and other selections of garden flora. Sarangani Highlands’ must-order dishes are: crispy hito with mango salsa, crispy with sweet and sour flavour of deep-fried catfish with an overlay of shredded green mango, little bit of sweet shrimp paste (bagoong), salted egg and roasted peanuts; watsai soup, nice Asian stew made of dried seaweed with quail eggs and various seafood; crispy pata, the best deep-fried pork knuckles is a definite must-try; dadiangas salad, a good dessert should be healthy, and this salad is a mix of tropical fruit (pineapple, guava, mango, pomelo, turnip) with honey and mustard sauce. Call (083) 3040752; located at Barangay (village) Tambler in General Santos City. Grab a Crab—One of the most ideal places for comfort Chinese food. The ambiance is cozy and suitable for dining with friends and family. Grab a Crab is known for its fresh seafood. One can pick out fresh and live pampano and crab cooked in many ways. Try their version of the Singaporean-style crabs that are just perfectly delicious. This is what my husband loves, and it is cooked in garlic and hot chili sauce and peppers. You may also try fillet fish with tausi sauce and their wonderful rendition of Chinese-style mixed vegetables—Garlic Asparagus and mixed vegetables with assorted seafood. For dessert, cream puff. It remains to be their bestseller. Call (083) 3010555. Steamed ‘pampano’ Lemlunay Dive Resort— Lemlunay means “paradise” in Blaan and is a definite description of this resort situated on a cliff overlooking the marine sanctuary of Tinoto, Maasim. Besides the great diving, you can’t miss out the homey feel of Lemlunay. My favourites include: gindara steak with barbecue grilled chicken—codfish that melts in your mouth and grilled chicken is a great combination; pork with mushroom gravy—specially made for the hungry, served at almost an inch thick of pork cuts; steamed pampano—nothing fresher than eating the pampano at Lemlunay. It is steamed and sauce sautéed with onions, tomatoes, garlic and olives; man-sized cheeseburger with potato wedges—if you want a cheeseburger, the most generous kind of serving may be found in Lemlunay Dive Resort. It sure hits the spot for those who have big appetites. Call Paul Partridge at 0920-9149259. Isla Parilla—Come to Alabel, Sarangani, and be in a very relaxing spot where you can take a breather from city life. Isla Parilla gives you a unique setting with an array of Filipino-inspired cottages on stilts above fishponds. This place is a good getaway and must be part of your dining expedition. My favourite dishes are their soup starters—Hototay dazzled with wonderful seaweed and seafood. They also have good-tasting bangus sinigang and they also serve one of the best sizzling Diana. You may try their wonderful version of steamed pampano with soy sauce and ginger and onion leaves. Call (083) 5085388. Malasugi ‘kinilaw’ Jam’s Restaurant—Jam’s new cozy al fresco restaurant invites all those who are seafood lovers to their dining place. Sol Manangquil is Jam’s owner. She began this venture to entertain friends and guests. Today it is the secret place to dine with friends and enjoy sumptuous seafood dishes. Her signature dishes are: sizzling tuna tendons—spicy tuna entrails marinated and cooked in a special spicy barbecue sauce; sizzling bagaybay—specially cooked tuna fish roe with nice garlic flavour and malasugi kinilaw. Call (083) 5532763. |
The Sarangani Bay Festival celebrates the Ocean month by pitching in an awareness program to local fisherfolk about the effects of the Crown of Thorns otherwise known as "Dap-ag". Over 36 Fishermen attended the forum and several of them joined the Dap-ag collection at Lago, Glan.  (Photo by Jesus Tinapay of Davao Camera Club)
Crown of thorns are predatory starfishes that eat corals. Many studies have been made on why there is such an outbreak of crown of thorns. One theory states that more human activity affecting the ocean could possibly cause plankton growth, increasing the CoTs viability to live and reproduce. There is indeed a need for CoTs to be controlled, and one of the measures is to remove them from the ocean. The Sarangani Bayfest activity done in Lago harvested a total of 272 Crown of Thorns for just a one-hour collection period. Each fisherman was given P5.00 incentive per CoT. The youngest one who joined is an 8 year old boy from Glan, named John. SMART Foundation who was very happy with the outcome, gave him an additional P500.00 to encourage him and other youth to participate in saving our eco-system. 
(Photo by Jesus Tinapay of Davao Camera Club) Sarangani Bay still needs more of this kind of activity. Chris Dearne from Tuna City Divers also participated and suggested to continue with the program. Support from the General Santos City Environment & Natural Resource Office (CENRO), MSU students, from ECPC (Environmental Conservation and Protection Center), SMART Foundation, Alcantara Foundation, Rotary Club, Sumajit Family, and Go Sarangani Travel, made this activity possible.  (In Photo is Chris Dearne with his CoT's. Photo taken by Jesus Tinapay of Camera Club Davao) The Provincial Environment & Natural Resource Office (PENRO) together with ECPC, and the with support of other NGO's committed to do this activity in other parts of Sarangani.
Proclamation No.1481 dated April 10, 2008 and Proclamation No. 57 dated January 9, 1999, declares April 22 of every year as the Philippine’s Earth Day, and the Month of May as the Month of the Ocean in the Philippines, respectively. This year May 11-14, 2009 many marine scientists will converge to the World Ocean Conference in Manado, Indonesia to discuss the pressing environmental issues that affect the ocean today. Simultaneous to this event is the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) where heads of states, including the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, commit to implementing proactive programs together with the private sector, international agencies, and NGO partners in safeguarding and supporting sustainable growth of the marine environment of the BIMP EAGA countries. However, not everybody can go to Manado for this big event. But each one of us can make a significant difference today. Change is stimulated by the small and big inputs of each individual... For instance the following can be done by us individually. 1. Proper disposal of garbage - segregating garbage will make it easier for us to recycle the non-biodegrable garbage. Meanwhile, biodegrable garbage can be used for compost which can be used for organic farming. 2. Conservation of Energy - There is no doubt that the increase in industry also means an increase need for power. However, the conservation of energy just by closing lights, unplugging electric appliances from sockets can reduce the energy consumption. 3. Joining local environmental activities - Local governments and civic organizations want individuals to get involved. Coastal clean-ups, planting of mangroves, tree planting activities, are just one of the few activities we can participate in. This year, the Sarangani Bay Festival invites you to learn together with other local fisherfolk of Glan about the world wide problem of the reef. The Crown of Thorns (CoT) is a variety of starfish (acanthasther planci) that preys on coral polyps and kill the corals. An outbreak of CoTs will endanger the natural habitat of reef fish which in turn will highly affect the livelihood of our fishermen.  Crown of Thorns have natural predators such as the Giant Triton, Harlequin shrimp and bumphead wrasse. Its such a pity that Giant Triton's shell are so lucrative to sell, that instead of keeping them in the ocean they are picked out of the sea. The Napolean wrasse is sited in the Sarangani Bay's Marine sanctuary in Maasim. It is a pre-historic fish that remains to be an endangered specie today. But if we can protect them and their environment we will be able to control the Crown of Thorns. The Provincial Environment & Natural Resource Office (PENRO) will be launching their program to help educate fishermen and start a sustainable program of removing Crown of Thorns in the Sarangani Bay. These efforts will help the development of coral reefs of the Sarangani Bay. The sustainability in the eco-system will translate to economic benefits for the fishermen of the Bay. If you are interested to learn more about Crown of Thorns and how to participate in saving our ocean, please join us this May 29, 2009 at Tango, Glan this Sarangani Bay Fest.
To celebrate the treasures of Sarangani Bay, it is best to capture and share to the world the wonderful marine life and developing underwater coral reef of Maasim. Any scuba diving enthusiast who has an open-water license can participate. Come and see the next best diving destination in the Philippines. 
WE DEFINITELY CANT WAIT FOR THE SARANGANI BAY FEST 2009. It is dated on May 28-30. More details of this biggest summer event in Mindanao to come! Get ready to join the extreme adventure activities -- 1. Swim Across The Bay 2. Sarangani Bike Adventure 3. Underwater Photography Competition 4. Scuba Fest 5. Lumba Bugsay 6. Beach Volleyball 7. Beach Football 8. Sand Sculpture 9. Skim Boarding Clinic 10. Jet Ski and Wakeboarding clinic 11. Club DJ Party 12. San Miguel Beach Party This is just the beginning... we invite you to start booking for this upcoming event! SEE YOU AT THE SARANGANI BAY FEST - MAY28-30-2009
This courageous project has been the main study of the marine biologists here in this area. Progressive coral growth in sanctuary areas such as Tinoto is beginning to reap its objectives. In just 2 years, the rewards we see are wonderful growth of coral on artificial reefs, and protection of existing coral beds. Mind you, even the quality and quantity of fish is increasing. Its just exciting to dive and see what new each time! Sarangani diving has a bit of adventure for those who thirst for a bit of current. You know currents often bring the bigger fishes! Last dive I had this January I had a blast -- School of Bumphead emperors about 2 1/2 ft in size and yellow striped goat fishes. Of course , there were a lot of tropical reef fish just doing their thing. The other dive I had last weekend awed me with the Napolean Wrasse just swimming freely the size about 3 1/2 ft long! Black snappers and yellow striped Sweet lips are just great to see in Maasim. In Rocky beach, there is a resident baracuda that watches the open mouth mackarels just having their midday snack. What a treat! So for dive enthusiasts -- its time to take a visit to Sarangani! You wonder how to get here, just book with Go Sarangani Travel at gosaranganitravel@gmail.com and they will give you all the information you need. Plan a trip now and like me, you may just love diving in Sarangani Bay!
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