Tuna Capital General Santos City and its 43rd Anniversary

I have been in General Santos City many, many times. I love to stay there, especially while I experiencing the 43rd anniversary with the tuna festival.

The two week affair aimed to further strengthen the city's claim to being the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines" with an assortment of sport tournaments, entertainment and celebrity shows, and specia-interest events.

A brand new slogan the city wants to develop is "General Beyound the Bay: From the metropolis to the Hills", because of the many must-see places. Among these the Sansapan Cave Falls, the Nopol Hills overlooking the city and adjoining areas, and the Kalah Karst, which is being developed bu the department of Tourism to become the country's eco-parks.

General Santos City is also being promoted as "Land of the champions" being the hometown of boxing champ Manny P_acquiao, among others.

Here are some important links: visit http://www.gensantos.gov.ph for details or like them on Facebook.

My warm regards to GenSan Mayor Darlene Antonio-Custodio.

Filipino Cuisine and Tuna

Filipino cuisine is indeed a uniquely delicious smorgasbord of flavours resulting from an adventurous mix of indigenous ingredients and liberal sprinklings of culinary influences of contact with East and West. 

Food plays really a major role in promoting the Philippines' national identity and culture. Filipino food is so very varied and in some cases, unique , such as "adobo, batchoy, sisig, kalamay, and many others. Believe, I love Philippine cuisine. And, I also love Tuna, or Sashimi.

During my last stay in General Santos City a few days ago I learned that the tuna supply in Mindanao has reached a critical level and a further study is needed on how to make the supply sustainable. A two-year fishing ban has been declared starting this year, on fishing boats like tuna purse seiners to allow the dwindling tuna stocks to regenerate. I am pretty sure we have to believe, that the tuna resources are in a critical stage now. 

By the way: Region XII of Mindanao has exported 34 million kilograms of frozen whole round tuna, pouched and canned tuna products to the European Union markets from January to June 2010 alone... .

Tuna Fish Ban Affects Local Industry

The tuna fish fishing ban in the Pacific Ocean will indeed directly affect some 500 workers in the country's local fishing industry, as one could learn from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The fishing ban will also affect more then 50 fishing companies in Sarangani and General Santos City. 13 of which have licenses to fish in the high seas covered by the ourse seine ban. The two year ban on fishing in the Pacific ocean will of course an impact on the workers in the fishing industry. Measures have to set in to mitigate the impact of the ban.

I love tuna. How about you? Is the fishing ban a boon?