GenSan News Online Mag

A lot have been written about the new branch of National Book Store which just had a soft opening last May 9, 2008 at the Gaisano Mall of GenSan.

First, my good friend Gilbert blogged about it months back, followed by a few more bloggers. Now, it’s as if everyone who has a blog or a Multiply account and is based here has talked about it.

The Tuna Capital is actually the third city in Mindanao where National Book Store (that’s three words) now exists, after Davao and Cagayan de Oro. Surprisingly though, the NBS Corporate Website has not updated its list & nowhere there could you find any mention of their GenSan branch.

Well, anyway, we are still glad that it’s here and discover that it is everything that we in Soccsksargen have ever imagined. I try to drop by at least thrice a week and it amazes me at no end that on every visit, new things are always in store for me.

If you just search every nook and cranny, you will discover some priceless literary gems waiting for you.

Other than its exhaustive merchandise (well, if you ask for it and it’s not available, they’ll order it from their main office for you) is its well-illuminated and tastefully done interiors which does not assault the eyes.

Much of this has got to do with its location at Gaisano’s upper level just beside the main entrance. It allows it to have its own display window parallel to the mall’s main road (see picture below). Thus with it directly facing the east, just imagine how bright it is inside when the sun’s rays shines through. Only downside to this is the observation that the area near the window is quite warm and would need more air-conditioning.

National Book Store in Gaisano Mall is right beside the main access road of the Mall and can be seen through a floor-to-ceiling display window.

Once you get inside the main doors of the mall, you won’t miss National’s entrance because it’s located to the right of the main doors of the new atrium.

Although its floor area is smaller than its branches at the Gaisanao Mall of Davao and SM Davao, it makes up for it by having a mezzanine for its bestsellers, which can be accessed by two winding stairs, one of which is shown below.

The rest of the pictures below are taken from the mezzanine and will show you views of the ground area.

This one is shot from the back end of the mezzanine.

This picture was taken from the other end of the mezzanine, just above the display window.

Lastly is this picture of the mezzanine, which is wide enough for only two averaged-built people to stand shoulder to shoulder but could get quite difficult for chubs like me. This area could use their own airconditioners too because it is quite stuffy making it uncomfortable for browsers like me.

But we don’t have time to fret about that, don’t we?

With National’s trust in the economy of GenSan, and the confirmation from the City Mayor’s Office that Robinson’s has just presented their “Commence to Construct” (or whatever you call it) directive from the Gokongwei‘s for their Mall and Hotel at their 8-hectare lot along the Lagao Road, then it’s only a matter of time when all the big players for literary junkies like me (Powerbooks, A Different Bookstore, etc.) will come up lining the doors of the Tuna Capital.

And that deserves another series of posts here, of course.

Promise. 

General Santos City once again adds another feather to its cap by topping the Mindanao Qualifying Games for the 2008 Philippine Olympic Festival held at Mindanao Civic Center, Tubod, Lanao del Norte on May 21-25, 2008.

The young “generals” took home 110 golds, 60 silvers and 45 bronze medals for a total haul of 215. They grabbed the lead from the zamboangueños (last year’s champions) who got 101 golds, 63 silvers and 50 bronzes, all totalling 214 medals.

Rounding out the top 5 are Cagayan de Oro City, Koronadal City and Misamis Oriental (last year’s host).

The Tuna Capital cornered most of the loot from medal-rich Gymnastics and Aquatics earning 89 golds from both disciplines.

Regina Astrid Quesada, an incoming freshman at the GenSan’s New Era College won a total of 7 golds in swimming to emerge as the POF’s Most Outstanding Female Athlete.

Here is the medal tally.

For the medal haul per Sports event of the Gen. Santos City players, here is the tally sheet:

For the list of medalists from GenSan, click HERE.

The Philippine Olympic Festival (POF) which is organized by Philippine Olympic Committee president Robert Aventajado, is a week-long search for national pool prospects, who could represent the Philippines in the 2012 London Olympics.

Mabuhay ang mga batang Gensan! Mabuhay ang mga generals!!

SOURCE: Philippine Olympic Festival Website

When Edgino “Chito” Bogayong asked his estranged wife Junith to join him in managing his fledgling food cart business in 2001, he didn’t realize it was the start of better things for them and their relationship.

Kuya Chito (as we his brothers & sisters at the PREX Church Ministry call him) was selling Takuyaki (a Japanese delicacy formed in a ball with vegetable fillings drizzled with chicken or fish flakes and topped with mayo) in food carts at leading shopping centers in General Santos City and South Cotabato.

From a mere initial capitalization of P40,000 borrowed from friends in 1996, he has expanded his business from one to three outlets by 2001.

Although sales was quite good, he felt something was amiss.

“Sales of my takuyaki balls have somehow plateaued,” he recalls. “I knew that my balls could perform better than this. Repeat orders were not that frequent as before. Finally, I tried asking around.”

He got a common reply. Most of those who have tried it liked it knowing it was healthy for them but were not so taken by the taste.

“Somehow I had to adjust the flavor to suit the Pinoy taste,” he explains.

This was when he remembered that his wife who was then running her own Video Rental business in the nearby municipality of Polomolok is a good cook who used to prepare savory dishes for them when they were still together. Maybe she could help him out in this aspect.

Luckily, Junith at that time was also thinking of giving up her shop in view of the entry of big newcomers from Manila. When Chito appeared at her doorstep with a peace offering and the request to help him out, she agreed albeit cautiously.

She laughs at the memory. “My husband has tried venturing into a couple of business, all of which failed in the end. But by some means, I couldn’t refuse him on this one even though we were on trial separation. I felt just then that the takuyaki holds a lot of promise. I just had to look for the correct blend of flavors, which was my forte being trained to cook since my childhood by my Waray parents.”

Finally, after a series of experiments in the kitchen of Chito’s rented room along downtown Papaya Street, and numerous taste tests conducted among the lodgers in the same compound, she finally came up with the right mix.

This eventually turned the tables for Kuya Chito’s Takuyaki.

Word got around that the new Takuyaki was tastier, sweeter and tangier somehow getting the approval of more people.

This enabled Chito to open up another branch at the Gaisano Mall OF GenSan and then another one in Koronadal. The balls were really hitting their mark.

Ultimately, franchise inquiries from interested parties started pouring in.

In 2003, their first franchise outlet in Cagayan de Oro opened at the Lim Ket Kai Center.

At around this time, Chito and Junith have moved back in again, together with their two daughters.

The couple’s foray into franchising was another lucky stroke.

“In 2004, months after we opened our first franchise in CDO, we still held off adding more. We first evaluated our situation and although the franchise was doing great as expected, we stopped and asked this question- could we do it ourselves?” recalls Junith.

Sensing that expansion was really inevitable but with their hands full, they turned to an expert, the Rudolph Kotik Franchise Consultancy.

This is when the balls really started rolling non-stop.

From only 3 outlets in 2001, the couple now has 36 outlets scattered all over the country, including 13 in Metro Manila and 5 in Cebu, all franchises.

Chito says, “My goal is that within 2 ½ years, I should have opened 80 outlets in Luzon. That’s an average of 3 outlets a month.”

Not a far-fetched idea considering that he is about to open 20 more outlets in the Metro Manila alone not including the rest of Luzon (Baguio, etc.) till end of this year in addition to the ones recently opened at Robinson’s Galleria, Market! Market! and SM North, among others.

Currently, Junith takes charge of Production overseeing things at their commissaries in Gen. Santos and in Metro Manila. A few years back, she opened “Kakanin Atbp.” putting into good use her fondness for cooking native delicacies which used to help tide them over during the early days of their marriage.

Chito for his part handles the Marketing, Planning and Research and Development.

Their two teenage daughters have also joined the fray, helping their parents during their free time. Eldest daughter Ehlaiza, 20 who just graduated in Marketing at the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University enjoys her supervisory role to the hilt, checking their outlets within the Socsargen Area.

Younger daughter Eugeremi prefers to help out in the operation of their stall at the KCC Mall of Gensan while entertaining customers waiting for their orders.

“The fact that this business have helped reconcile their mother and I and have greatly improved our lives together is not lost on our children. That is the very reason why they value it so much and have learned to operate it themselves when my wife and I have to go on a trip,” Chito proudly says.

Indeed, Chito owes much of the success of his business to the support his family have given him.

“Apart from them, I couldn’t have done it. They have inspired me to do all these things but not without their approval.”

As Chito further explains, he holds regular meetings with his family, briefing them on business updates, seeking their comment on various issues and constantly brain-stormed on better ways to serve their customers..

At the recent Tuna Festival, he rolled out his Takuyaki-On-Wheels and parked it at the middle of the Gensan Oval Plaza, the center of the festival’s celebrations. It was such a sensation that even at two o’clock in the morning, his 4-man staff was still serving his delicious balls to lines of tired revelers…. a sight which keeps on repeating itself in his various outlets in the whole country.

Chito explains this phenomenon with a chuckle. “What happened to my takuyaki was simply what happened to Jollibee. When it was just starting, it came up with a burger that was truly Pinoy. The burger per se is an American invention. What Jollibee did was to adapt it to suit our liking.”

“In our case, we just “filipinized” the takuyaki,” he adds.

In October of 2007, things came into full circle for Chito and Junith when they won as “Innovator of the Year” and the top plum of “Entrepreneur of the Year” at the Yaman Gensan Awards 2007, besting all over SMEs, given by the Gen. Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. and the local government of Gen. Santos City. Along with the trophies were cash prizes worth P160,000.

Even at this point in their lives, Chito and Junith feel that they have not exhausted all the possibilities in improving their business even farther.

“We are looking into more economical ways of manufacturing the takuyaki without scrimping on its ingredients. We were immediately patronized early on not only because we offered a healthy, delicious snack alternative but because we were very much affordable. We want to hold on to that strength,” Chito says.

Right now, the couple spends most of their time shuttling back and forth between Manila and Gen. Santos. Would that mean relocating to the big city soon?

The couple replies, “Gensan will always be our home. This is where we had our initial taste of success before replicating it in other cities. These are the people who challenge us to improve even further.”

In fact, adds Chito, “I have always explained this thing to whoever cares to know about the history of our balls: ‘Kuya Chito’s Takuyaki is proudly Gensan’s gift to the rest of the country and hopefully, the world.’ ”

BARILES NOTE: I tried other Taku’s I could find here and outside the country, even testing the ones I saw at Midvalley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last month but nothing really beats Kuya Chito’s balls. As of this writing, franchising inquiries have come as far as Australia, Hongkong, and the US of A.

Summer is still definitely not over in Gen. Santos City as another Bikini Open competition is set to happen on May 31, 2008, Saturday at 6:00pm.

Dubbed as the Bikini Grind 2008, this one is sponsored by the owners of Isla Parilla Hotel, the event venue at Alabel, Sarangani Province and downtown Gensan’s Sydney Hotel. The staging of another bikini competition last April, the Bikini Open Competition 2008 was also sponsored by a member of a hotel chain (Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel) in the city owned by the RD Group.

What make this one different is the presence of a live band, the Kuerdas Band and Boracay Fire Dancers. What is a Boracay dancer? Well here is a picture I took of one during my Holy Week sojourn at that island last year. Cool huh?

I just wished this staging will be more fast-paced and livelier this time compared to the earlier one at Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel. Then people would still feel like partying after the event itself which will be staged at the swimming pool of Isla Parilla.

See you there!  And yes, watch out for more summer-themed posts in the near future as I feature Sarangani Province’s Tuka Marine Sanctuary and my island hopping adventure on Balut, Olaniban and Marurot Islands.

In the latest Population Census conducted last year by the National Statistics Office, I took note of some interesting facts I gathered about Gen. Santos City in particular and SOCCSKSARGEN in general.

Here goes:

GROWTH RATE

1. General Santos City’s population ballooned from 411,822 in 2000 to 529,542 in 2007 or an additional 117,720 persons or +30%.
2. The Tuna Capital with an annual growth rate from 2000 to 2007 of 3.53%, is the 7th Fastest-Growing City in the Philippines, after Cotabato (6.5), Lapu-lapu (4.2%), Taguig (3.82%), Puerto Princesa (3.68%), Zamboanga (3.54%) and Tacurong (3.6%).
3. Manny Pacquiao’s Home City’s growth rate of 3.53% is larger than the country’s 2.04%, whose population went up from 76,506,928 in 2000 to 88,574,614 in 2007.
4. This rate of 3.53% is however slower than its annual growth rate in 1995 of 5.05%.
5. Two cities in South Central Mindanao are growth rate topnotchers: Cotabato (#1) and Tacurong (#6).

POPULATION STATS

1. General Santos City is the most heavily populated (529,5420) among the cities in Region XII or South Central Mindanao or SOCCSKSARGEN, followed by Cotabato (259,153), Koronadal (149,622), Kidapawan (117,610) and Tacurong (82,546).
2. North Cotabato is the region’s most heavily peopled province (1,121,974). Next is South Cotabato (767,254), followed by Sultan Kudarat (675,644) and Sarangani (475,514).
3. At the local level, among Gen. Santos City’s 26 Barangays, the TOP 10 ranked in terms of population are: 1) Calumpang- 67,382; 2) Fatima- 67,309; 3) Labangal- 57,769; 4) Lagao- 47,953; 5) Apopong- 43,596; 6) San Isidro- 38,980; 7) Bula- 34,697; 8.) City Heights- 23,503; 9) Dadiangas West- 18,253; and, 10) Mabuhay- 14,159.

So far, these are what I have deduced from the NSO’s figures. Do you want to add more of your observations? Please feel free to comment.

SOURCE: National Statistics Office

Late afternoon yesterday, May 19, 2008, I joined more than 500 other “generals” (as citizens of Gen. Santos call themselves) in mounting the 2008 GenSan Candlelight Memorial Commemoration in honor of the memory of those lives lost to HIV/AIDS and to those living with the disease.

Although it was not the Tuna Capital’s first time in joining the rest of the world in this simultaneous endeavor now on its 25th year, yesterday was made more significant with the participation of a very important personage in the fight against HIV/AIDS – Dr. Aye Aye Thwin, Chief of the Office of Health of USAID Philippines.

Dr. Thwin, who was invited by the local government of General Santos for the occasion to drumbeat its continuing support of HIV/AIDS programs, is of Burmese origins. During her speech before the crowd of volunteers at the Oval Plaza, she spoke eloquently of the need of countries to reach out to each other in their collective fight against this worldwide scourge. She also thanked City Mayor Jun Acharon and expressed her admiration for his administration’s relentless drive to educate and inform the locals about the disease.

After a response from Mayor Acharon and the ceremonial lighting of candles of virtues which he led, together with Congresswoman Darlene Custodio’s representative, Bebei Gonzales and Dr. Thwin, I then walked towards the center of the area fronting the stage. There, together with other like-minded individuals carrying lighted candles, we formed a human RED RIBBON, the international symbol for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

And while simultaneously singing along with Michael Jackson’s HEAL THE WORLD being played in the backgroud, we all raised our candles in the air, signifying our intentions to “NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER FORGET” to fight in this war versus a creeping silent killer in our midst.

I was privileged to get a vantage position in front of the stage when ABS-CBN prized star performer Sarah Geronimo performed at the Lagao Gym here in Gen. Santos City last month. Being part of the volunteer group of ushers and usherettes who was helping the Manila-based producers secure the VIP area that night, I made sure that a few of the front row seats were reserved for Mayor Jun Acharon and his family.

A few minutes before showtime though, I got word that the father of the city couldn’t make it. That gave me the signal to give their seats to people at the 2nd row. During the process however, the band started playing, all the stage lights were turned on and the capacity crowd began cheering…… which could only mean one thing, the concert has begun!

This gave me no choice but to stay at where I am and sat on the floor in front of the front row seats.

So that was how I got these pictures:

….from the 1st Act where she appeared solo followed by fellow champion and Cagayan de Oro‘s very own Mark Bautista’s solo numbers, too….

… to the Second Act where she appeared in a sexier black outfit (“but with stockings(!)”, she jokingly quipped to the audience), and Mark in another all-white ensemble…

At this point, I realized that there was no question about it – Sarah is truly the POP Princess that she is, and by the 3rd act where she had us all at the palm of her hands, she wowed GenSan in a slinky gold dress which made her even strikingly “superstar-like”.

She and Mark then segued into their duets, bringing the house down with their soulful renditions. Sarah again left Mark to tease the audience with his sexy dance numbers…

Before their final numbers, I turned my attention to the people in the audience and saw Jinky, Super Featherweight Champion & GenSan’s own Manny Pacquiao’s wife a few feet from where I was and took her picture…

… and then those of the people inside the Lagao Gym.

For her finale, when everybody was on their feet and cheering in wild abandon (including moi), Sarah Geronimo sang her signature songs as only she amazingly can and enthralled the usually “hard-to-please” generals again…. showing everyone the very reasons why she is definitely the “POP PRINCESS” of Pinoy Showbiz. (*goosebumps*)

A few minutes after, as people all lined up for the exits, one nagging thought kept ringing in my mind. Sarah Geronimo reminded me of someone…… oh God, yes!

She reminds me so much of another Pinoy idol- the one and only Superstar, Miss Nora Aunor, my Ate Guy! Gosh!!!

Although quite belatedly, am posting here the pictures which my partner took of the Bikini Open 2008 held last April 19, 2008 at the Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel, a subsidiary of the RD Group at Barangay Tambler, here in Gen. Santos City.

I would have loved to take shots myself of the 16 or so candidates while doing their thing but I had my hands full as the Chairman of the Board of Judges that evening. The competition was divided into three parts but surprisingly, the criteria were the same for all the categories. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do and so I just sat back, started to diligently perform my job and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Still, for a bikini affair (at the beach at that), I found the pacing of the whole thing sooooo slow that it was difficult trying to keep myself awake at times. The concept however, by director Al-nezzar Ali was something not to be sneezed at and maybe with a more conscious effort to speed up stagings of events like this and some tweaks here or there, he will definitely soon turn out to be Socsksargen’s most acclaimed director.

There were no exceptional standouts from among the male candidates this year and most were lanky, had underdeveloped bods and lacked the prerequisite hunk factor. They looked like little boys standing side by side last year’s Bikini Hunk Winner.

But the girls were another thing though. Anybody could be a runaway winner among them at first glance and am sure, just like myself, the other judges had a hard time choosing the sexiest from among this batch.

Eventually, we all unanimously agreed that this year’s 2008 Bikini Babe had to be Ms. Joy Gumanay who had the best physical attributes, spunk and winningest personality among them. The Bikini Hunk 2008 Title went to Jolo Garcia of Davao, he who had a strong stage presence and was the tallest.

Now the photos (click on each one for a larger view please)….

Below are Bikini Babe and Hunk 3rd Runners-up Aeza Faeldona and Michael Roda.

Next are Bikini Babe and Hunk 2nd Runners-up Winners Marissa Laura Ramos and Michael Jabiles.

1st Runners-up Bikini Babe and Hunk Leah Avelino and Wilson Bernasor below…

The 2008 Bikini Hunk Jolo Garcia and Bikini Babe Joy Gumanay!!!

The 2008 Bikini Hunk & Babe with their court below.

Thanks to RD Hotels VP Tata Mondido for the invitation and her staff for warm welcome they afforded me and my posse that evening. I was with Tata during the 1st incarnation of this competition 8 years ago (as a member of NBC’s Anna 97.5‘s event team) and I must say, their Bikini Open which started with just a small budget and minimal fanfare has now grown into the summer institution that it is right now, eagerly awaited and anticipated all across Socsksargen.

Nine barangays from General Santos City’s 26 joined the Summerkadahan’s Cheerdance Competition this afternoon of May 12, 2008 at the Oval Plaza Covered Court. The contest is a featured activity of the 2008 Summerkadahan Sportsfest which saw various youth groups from General Santos City’s Barangays vying for the top berths in the basketball and volleyball tournaments.

Based on records, this year’s incarnation of this annual summer youth sports camp drew the most number of participants and is the most heavily-attended so far, thanks mostly to the work of the staff of the Office of the Representative of the First District of South Cotabato, Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio, the SK Federation under Chairman Jane Calunsag and that of the Sports Development Division under the City Mayor’s Office.

Below are the pictures of the four top winners, courtesy of PESO worker MAVI of the City Public Info Office. (Click on them for a larger view.)

Barangay Apopong, doing a routine from their act which gave them the Championship Trophy and P15,000 cash!

Red-uniformed cheerdancers of 1st runner-up placer Barangay Mabuhay strut their stuff, getting P10,000 in the process!

2nd runners-up Barangay San Isidro cheerdancers whoop it up! They went home with P5,000.

Headspins from 3rd Runners-up Barangay Labangal. Sadly, they only got P5000 for this stunt.

I have great news for everyone, especially to all my subscribers!!!!

Bariles Republic has just been rated 8.8 (out of a possible 10) by Blogged, a site which reviews blogs submitted to it and ranks them accordingly by category.

According to the Blogged’s info page:

Blogged.com is all about blog discovery. It’s a place for readers to discover interesting blogs and for authors to discover who their readers are. Blogged goes beyond being a traditional blog directory. We focus on providing tools for bloggers and readers alike. Through our database of over 200,000 blogs, readers can discover and explore new blogs. Through our user community, blog authors and their readers can communicate and interact directly with each other.

Our blogs are reviewed, rated, and categorized by our editors, so you won’t have to experience the frustration of filtering through blogs that are either spam, outdated, or irrelevant. You’ll be able to find quality blogs that you would have unlikely found through a traditional blog search.

Blogged doesn’t require anyone to own a blog to sign up. In fact, most of our tools are geared towards readers. We offer bookmarking, sharing, and feedback functions. Anyone can review and rate a blog and help it rise in the rankings. Blogged is a great place for readers looking to start out their day with a fresh list of unread postings from their favorite blogs.

Blog authors can benefit from knowing how their site is perceived. With easy access to reader comments and ratings, authors may see opinions, suggestions, praises and even criticisms. By being listed on Blogged, owners may increase their traffic and attract more audience to their blogs. Aside from a title, description and rating, screen shots are made available to attract readers.

We’ve gotten some great support so far and hope to continue to grow. Again, welcome and we hope you find the site not only useful, but fun as well.

Our headquarters are located in Southern California.

I submitted Bariles Republic last April 2008 under the category RECREATION/TRAVEL and did not notice until recently that of all the blogs from the Philippines, mine got the highest rating at 8.8! The next blog trails it at 8.5. This is out of 18 blogs on the Recreation Category reviewed by the site owner.

Wow! I must really be doing something good to deserve this! Yipeeeee!!!!!

This is the screenshot of the ratings page. Click on the image for a larger view.

TOYOTA GENSAN INAUGURATION. GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon strike a pose with Toyota Gen. Santos, Inc. President Jose A. Lim right after the mayor arrived for the formal inauguration of the car dealer’s P120 million showroom and service center along the national highway of the Tuna Capital, late afternoon of May 2, 2008. The project has been enjoying brisk business from owners of Toyota vehicles in Region 12 including those in Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat since it opened last year. Also in attendance at the occasion were Mr. Hiroshi Ito, President of Toyota Motor Philippines, Inc. and Mr. Francis Castillo Laurel, President of the Toyota Dealers Association of the Philippines.

GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon delivering his speech before the movers and shakers of the city.

One of General Santos City’s best-kept secrets is this simple, nondescript eatery well-hidden inside a family compound along the main road going to Barangay Bula.

If you’re the type who craves goat dishes but abhors the “smell” that some locals go for, then “KAMBINGAN SA DEPOT” is right for you.

As it name says in Tagalog, “KSD” is located right across the fuel depot of a major oil player. It has already attracted a sizeable number of loyal clients that according to Its owners, Joel and Emma Sarenas, all their cooked dishes are usually sold out before 2pm. (Joel prepares the dishes himself.)

On weekdays when offices within their vicinity are open, they slaughter 3 goats at the least. Compared to other restaurants in GenSan which also offer goat fare, KSD serves out more variety.

Consider these:

Kaldereta (goatmeat cooked in tomato sauce & pineapple juice with potatoes), Sinampalukan (broth with goatmeat tenderized & flavored with sampalok fruit), Sisig (a spicy Pampango dish of mixed goat meat & facial parts & soft tendons), Papait (bitter soup with healthy serving of entrails), Adobo (the traditional pinoy dish panfried with barely any sauce), Kilawin (chopped grilled goatmeat mixed with onions, radish, cucumber and dashed with hot hot chili).

On certain days, Joel even serves natural viagra dish, SOUP #5 containing goat balls(!).

Here are pics of two of my favorites:

PAPAIT

KALDERETA

FISHERY TRAINING SEMINAR IN GENSAN. Else Marie Andersen, a Senior Fishery Legislative Expert from the European Union stresses a point at one of the forums during the International Training on Food (Fishery) Standards at the Gen. Santos City’s East Asia Royale Hotel Arcade on Earth Day, April 22, 2008. Over 100 foreign and local delegates flew into the Tuna Capital to harmonize their understanding of the EU regulations and standards on the implementation of food safety and quality measures for fishery products intended for the European market.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN ON FISHERY. A delegate from India poses his question during the 1st day of the International Training on Food (Fishery) Standards held at the East Asia Royale Hotel, Gen. Santos City. More than 60 foreign and 60 local delegates attended the 2-day event meant to ensure understanding of current EU regulations and standards on fishery products meant for the European market. The city government hosted a welcome dinner for the attendees including the EU Ambassador during the night prior to the seminar.