White beach at Gumasa, Glan
From ancient finds to endangered wildlife, from rugged coasts
to mythical caves, Sarangani has it all.
Sarangani is a province whose unmatched beauty
has yet to bediscovered. Few places are as splendidly endowed
with natural resources that promise opportunities for development
as this predominantly coastal province in the southernmost tip
of the Philippines. Most of its treasures have remained untapped
to this day including its 230-kilometer coastline strewn with
awe-inspiring coves and rock formations.
Sarangani is full of wondrous surprises. Motoring
across the province is as pleasurable as taking a breeze in
one’s own paradise. A golf course in the valleys of Malungon
offers some of the most challenging fairways in the region.
It is also here where asparagus and tropical fruits are grown
and dried flowers are made for the export market.
A sense of discovery overwhelms one when approaching
the eastern municipalities of Alabel, Malapatan and Glan, which
face the tranquil waters of Sarangani Bay. These towns have
beaches wonderfully preserved by protective coves, and shipwreck
diving sites dating back to Spanish times. The bay is more popularly
known to be the home of the Sarangani Bay bangus (milkfish).
Turn over another stone and one will find that the bay is also
home to simple village folk who have lived their lives carving
and painting their dreams in the boats they build.
While the province is intersected by General
Santos City, the discoveries that await in the three western
municipalities of Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum are as countless
as the golden sunrises of the Celebes Sea. In 1991, anthropomorphic
jars were found in Ayub cave at Maitum which have come to be
known in world history as Maitum Jars. A sanctuary of the largest
bats in the world can also be found in the same site. Endemic
to the Philippines, over 180,000 giant golden-crown flying foxes
can be seen dangling in the branches of forest trees during
daytime.
With its back to the Daguma Range, the lush
mountains of this province hold many of nature’s wonderful
creatures including the tarsier, the smallest monkey in the
world and its predator, the Philippine eagle. From its bosom
also flows the purest freshwater sources and pristine waterfalls
unsettled only by short dips of its native dwellers and a few
daring adventurers.
It is amazing how one can still uncover
treasures of the old world in a place like Sarangani. Let its
limitless wonders unravel before you.
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