Story and photos By Bernard L. Supetran / Special to the BusinessMirror
WHEN the province of Sarangani was carved out of the southern coastal municipalities of South Cotabato, skeptics pinned little hope on the good future of the fledging province. I was expected to undergo birth pains.
Composed of the Third Legislative District, which locals say were largely neglected by provincial authorities due to political differences, Sarangani was created in 1992 to become the country’s 75th province.
Named after Sarangani Bay, one of among the archipelago’s richest fishing grounds, it was created by virtue of Republic Act 7228 authored by Rep. James L. Chiongbian. His spouse, Priscilla L. Chiongbian, was elected the first governor in the first local elections in 1995.
Its territory has the peculiar characteristic of being noncontiguous and dissected by General Santos City, creating a cluster of towns called the “east” and “west” coasts.
A quarter of a century later, the province is like a fully grown-up adult looking back to its silver years as it celebrates this month the 15th MunaTo Festival to mark its founding day.
Coined from a B’laan term meaning “first people,” MunaTo is a cultural themed festivity that pays tribute to the earliest inhabitants of Sarangani long before the political boundaries were drawn.
But beyond the typical pomp and circumstance that goes with such an event, what is perhaps more important are the milestones it has attained as it marks its coming of age.
Competitive province
LISTED among the country’s 10 poorest provinces, Sarangani was recently named the country’s sixth most competitive province in the recent Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI), an annual ranking of local governments whose framework focuses on the idea of productivity.
Provinces are ranked based on population and income weighted average of the overall scores of the cities and municipalities under it.
The towns of Malungon and Alabel landed on the top 50 in the first- and second-class municipalities category at 26th and 41st place, respectively, out of the 486 participating towns.
Maasim, Glan, Maitum, Kiamba and Malapatan towns also improved their rankings at 94th, 111th, 156th, 160th and 169th, respectively. The province leapt 18 notches higher from its 23rd position last year.
Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon said it is worthy to note that all municipalities have highly improved in economic dynamism, which means that local government units performed well in terms of business expansion and jobs creation.
Organized by the National Competitiveness Council with the Regional Competitiveness Committees and the United States Agency for International Development, CMCI ranks cities and municipalities based on their scores on economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency.
The governor said the province’s improvement in standing was credited to its leadership’s governance system based on God-centered prosperity.
He added the provincial government’s flagship program, Sulong Sarangani, merged all initiatives delivering basic services to bring in a holistic impact to its communities in the areas of infrastructure, health, indigenous peoples’ welfare, and economic and social services.
Agricultural excellence
IN October Sarangani was recognized by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol as the most successful Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) project of the Department of Agriculture because of its fast process and implementation.
During his recent visit to the upland barangay of Upo in Maitum town, the DA chief lauded Solon and the stakeholders, composed mostly of T’boli indigenous peoples, for their productive yield of organic brown rice.
Piñol also handed over the P75-million check for the SAAD program and committed a package of postharvest facilities to help modernize agriculture in the area.
With the initial P25-million fund the DA downloaded last year, Sarangani has picked seven of its poorest barangays identified by the Community-Based Monitoring System and Social Welfare Indicators covering 436 hectares and 190 hectares of upland rice and white corn, respectively.
As of the end of October, four municipalities have already produced 111 metric tons of rice, expected to increase when the yield from the other three towns are accounted for by December.
“While the other provinces are still making their purchase requests for the SAAD, Sarangani was the first to implement the project and had already their first harvest in seven barangays,” Solon proudly beamed.
He noted that SAAD opens new opportunities to meet the necessities of the upland farmers with the goal of food sufficiency and supporting the necessities of the farmers to help them out of poverty.
Nature, adventure and culture tourism
TOURISM is another bright spot in the local economy, with Sarangani being watched as an emerging destination. Last year the province attracted 980,972 day visitors and 107,730 overnight guests.
The province is acknowledged as the country’s paragliding capital, as it is flyable 300 days a year because of good winds and fair weather.
Located in the mountains of Maasim town, Safi Ranch Fly Site has been identified by aerosports aficionados as among the best fly sites and has hosted the International Paragliding Accuracy Competition in 2014, and the Philippine leg in the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup (PGAWC) in 2015, which drew 65 pilots from seven countries.
Early this year, the province was declared by the Department of Tourism as the scuba diving haven of Soccsksargen, or Region 12, after a dive safari participated in by the country’s top dive tour operators and underwater photographers.
An unheralded body of water, Sarangani Bay is a protected seascape, and listed as one of the Marine Key Biodiversity Areas by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
With an area of 215,950 hectares with a 226.4-kilometer (km) coastline, its coral resources cover more than 2,293 hectares spread over 20 coral-reef areas with about 60 important live hard-coral genera, 411 reef species in 46 families. Seagrass cover is placed at 912 hectares, with 11 species in the coastal towns.
Another adventure activity is the 2-km white-water tube ride at Pangi River in Maitum town, where one can get an adrenaline rush as he negotiates the chest-deep rapids.
For a dash of culture, visitors can immerse with the B’laan communities at the Lamlifew Community Village Museum in Malungon, the first of its kind in the country. It chronicles the tribe’s culture, especially its exquisite mabal tabih weaving.
A novel way of reaching the area is an 11-km ATV or buggy ride passing through the town’s interiors from the 3Doe Park.
A new tourist drawer is Upper Lasang in Malapatan, which is home to master weaver of B’laan igem mat Estelita Bantilan, recipient of the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasure accolade.
Islamic culture is vibrant in the town known for inaul fabric of the regal Maguindanaoan tribe. The fabric is handwoven by local women.
Beach bums can bask in the glow of Gumasa White Beach in Glan, monikered as the “Boracay of Mindanao” for its mile-long powdery sand and crystalline water minus the madding crowd.
Another beach getaway is Tuka Marine Park in Kiamba, which teems with marine life ideal for snorkeling.
But, perhaps, Sarangani’s main bragging right is being the cradle of ancient civilization evident in the 2,000-year-old anthropomorphic burial jars discovered in a remote cave system in Maitum. Now on display at the National Museum, the jars are described as “exceptional archaeological assemblage and unparalleled in Southeast Asia.”
A diorama of the archaeological site is on display at the municipal hall museum to give you an idea of one of the country’s oldest settlements.
Image credits: Bernard L. Supetran