Geography
General
Santos is the southernmost city in the country. It is less
than 2,000 kms. away from Singapore and is the
nearest point in the Philippines to Australia.
The city
is bounded by the municipalities of Polomolok and T'boli in
South Cotabato Province, and by Alabel,
Malungon and Maasim in Sarangani.
It has a
total land area of 53,606 hectares (536.06 sq. km.), which
is less than two per cent of Region XI's entire
area.
About
23,000 hectares can be used for intensive and specialized
agriculture while 11,564 hectares of sloping land
are for reforestation and grazing.
Minerals
found in the area include limestone, sulfur, copper,
nitrate, luminate, rutile and guano.
Silway,
Siguel and Buayan, three of the city’s six rivers, are rich
sources of sand and gravel for construction. |
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Map of General Santos City |
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Population
(2000): 411,822
Annual growth
rate (1999-2000): 5.1%
Household
population: 410,844
No. of households:
86,595
Average household
size: 4.74
General Santos
City has one of the highest population growth rates in the
Philippines at 5.1%, compared with Southern Mindanao's 2.62% and
the country’s 2.34%. The high growth rate is said to be due to
the influx of migrants from other parts of the country, seeking
better economic opportunities. |
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Language / People
Cebuano is
widely spoken in the Sosksargen area. Many also speak English
which is the language used in school and business.
Cebuano is the
most common dialect because many of the locals are immigrants
from Cebu and Bohol. English is also widely spoken. |
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Economic Status
General Santos
City has an agro-industrial economy. It is home to big agri-based
companies such as Dole Philippines and General Milling Corp. It
accounts for the second largest total daily fish landings in the
Philippines at 300 metric tons. Five tuna canneries operate in
the city.
General Santos
is part of the Sosksargen growth area. In 1994, the Socsargen
Area Development Project was launched, grouping together the
provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani, and General Santos
City. The project was later renamed Socsksargen after it was
expanded to include Sultan Kudarat.
Facilities.
The 3,200-m. runway of General Santos airport can handle Airbus
300, Boeing 747s and other wide-bodied jets. |
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The 561-m. Makar Wharf has the most number of shipcalls in
Sosksargen. It has container handling facilities, and livestock
holding and handling terminal with refrigeration capabilities.
The General Santos City Fish Port can accommodate fishing
vessels, reefer carriers, and refrigeration facilities.
Major products / Industries
Tuna, pineapple,
rice, corn, coconuts, asparagus, copra, livestock, prawn, cut
flowers.
Agriculture, agro-processing, fishing and fish processing. |
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Brief
History |
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The
city was named after the man who led the first batch of
Christian migrants who settled in the area. |
For
several centuries, Cotabato was an enclave of the Muslims. At
the turn of the 15th century, Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuan of
Arabia arrived in the
province to introduce Islam. He founded the first
sultanate in Mindanao. Cotabato was the seat of the Maguindanao
sultanate. |
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General
Santos was then called "Dadiangas" after a thorny shrub that
abounds in the area. Even today, some still refer to the city as
Dadiangas or Dajangas. |
At one time,
the village was renamed Buayan, perhaps referring to the
crocodile-infested river nearby. Buayan was also the name of the
early Muslim ruler of
Koronadal Valley. |
On February
27, 1939, General Paulino Santos led the first and largest batch
of settlers organized by the Commonwealth government opened the
Koronadal
and Allah valleys to the landless. The 69 settlers were
mostly from Luzon. |
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In 1947,
President Manuel A. Roxas made General Santos into a regular
municipality, which became the seat of the provincial
government. |
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General Santos
was conferred chartered city status on July 8, 1968. It belongs
to the First Congressional District of South Cotabato. It has 26
barangays. |
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