GenSan News Online Mag

With the  succesful conduct of the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit or MBS2 last year, spearheaded by a small group of bloggers from GenSan headed by Bariles, under the leadership of the Mindanao Bloggers network, the clamor to organize the “generals” and their regional neighbors formally began.

Since the Soccsksargen-based bloggers who attended that summit barely had time to bond with each other, Bariles thought of emulating the Cagayan de Oro-based bloggers who opened a GROUP blog ala Facebook using the Social Network site named Ning and have been active lately with various get-together events and projects.

And so, on November 11, 2008, the SOCCSKSARGEN BLOGGERS Social Network was born.

Bariles invited another GenSan-based blogger, Hector Minoza to be his co-administrator.  Hector immediately went to work and developed the group badges which could be imbedded in the members’ blogs.  Unfortunately, while others began used it, I was so busy with a lot of things that I forgot about it.

It was easy at first to invite people since I have the email addresses of all the MBS 2 participants.  Hector and I also went hopping from blog to blog, whether it’s  hosted by Wordpress, Blogger, Live Journal, I.ph, Friendster or Multiply, informing everyone of the new group.

After a month, membership has ballooned to 50 members.  Then it stopped.

That was when I remembered to embed the Soccsksargen Badge in Bariles Republic’s homepage knowing that a good number of new bloggers or bloggers who have not been to MBS2 drop by there from time to time.

I was not mistaken.  On a daily basis, new bloggers we have not encountered before started applying for membership.  We had to choose well however since the requirement for acceptance in the Social Network is that he should have a functioning Blog.  Some applicants who did not know this have to be turned down.

On my last check, SOCCSKSARGEN BLOGGERS now has 83 members, mostly from General Santos and South Cotabato.  We still have to work on getting more membership applications from North Cotabato although I have high hopes that Bro. Vince Celeste, FMS who now teaches at Notre Dame of Kidapawan could help us on this matter.

With this, we have been trying to meet in small groups.  Later we plan come up with a set of officers who could help run this fledgling organization.  From my talks with the members, most are excited on the making our presence felt even stronger not only here in Mindanao but althroughout the country.

Individually, we might not be able to effect much positive change within our locality, but together, we could be a formidable force to reckon with in our desire to bring about a truly Magandang SOCCSKSARGEN.

Some of the SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers during the Bloggers Night courtesy of Genee’s Restaurant at the GenSan Oval Plaza. Watch out for a separate post on this event soon.  Photo courtesy of Kyawster. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

IF YOU HAVE A BLOG AND WANT TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP, GO TO http://www.soccsksargenbloggers.ning.com .

Starting today, your favorite blog, Bariles Republic’s GenSan News Online Magazine (haba!) will now devote a PAGE solely for available JOB POSITIONS (called GenSan Jobs) courtesy of information gathered from the Public Employment Service Office ( PESO) of the local government.

The page link of GenSan Jobs can be found up there, below the header.  It may also be found at the right sidebar, under PAGES.  Look for GenSan Jobs.

Or you may just click this —>  GenSan Jobs.

Thanks to Mr. Arnel Borela of the PESO for committing to update us weekly with their list of vacancies available to the generals and helping make this GENSAN JOBS PAGE a reality.

Students who will soon graduate and will be on the lookout for GenSan Jobs

In an older post here at Bariles Republic, we featured The Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish and her Tahanan ni Maria Photo Exhibit, which is a joint venture with the GenSan Camera Club.  The Exhibit which will be held in a later date will feature the 30 + 4 BEST PHOTOS taken from a gallery submitted by the club’s members and will be included in the OLPGV 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book.

Bariles is proud to present all these 34 photos, which a panel of judges picked out from the more than 100 photos submitted by GCC.  Five of these photos has been judged as the TOP 5 BEST and will be announced during the first day of the exhibit sometime in March 2009.  They will each receive P5000 and a Token of Appreciation from OLPGV Parish.

In relation to that, Bariles Republic is running a POLL for the Bariles Republic BLOG READERS CHOICE Award.  Just VOTE for your BEST PHOTOGRAPH at the end of the article by leaving a message with the name of your choice.  The name of each photo will appear once you hover your CURSOR over them. 

Deadline for voting for the Bariles Republic BLOG READERS CHOICE Award is on February 28, 2009.

Your choice winner for the Bariles Republic Blog Readers Choice Award will receive P2500 and a special token from Bariles Republic’s GenSan News Online Magazine.

To the TOP 34 Qualifiers from the GenSan Camera Club, good luck!  Now do some marketing on the side and promote your photos among your friends, fans and families. 

And yes, do check back for more updates.  Or better still, subscribe to Bariles Republic with your EMAIL ADDRESS and do not miss a single update from now on.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!  Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Today, January 26, 2009, our Chinese brothers and sisters all around the world are celebrating the Chinese New Year or what is known in Mainland China as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival.

Here in General Santos City, a good number of Chinese Families open their homes to their friends starting on the eve of the New Year and wait for the clock to strike 12 before they set loose their fireworks into the sky.  And that’s where their culinary feasts begin in their individual homes.

In my travels around Southeast Asia, I have noticed that it is only in the Philippines where the Chinese New Year is not declared as a public holiday considering the large ethno-Chinese population that we have.  A major portion of Philippine business is dominated by 2nd and 3rd generation Chinese mestizos now and we once had a lady President, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino who traces her roots in China.  Even our national hero, Jose Rizal has Chinese blood.

In one way or the other, most of us have some traces of Chinese ethnicity and it is quite a shame that we don’t give the Chinese New Year its much deserved place in the country’s calendar of holidays as we should just like the other countries in Asia.

Anyway, here in South Cotabato, the pioneering Chinese of General Santos City arrived in her shores long before it became known as the Municipality of Buayan in the mid-1940s.  Most of them set up diverse businesses in the area such as rice and corn trading, livestock, general merchandise, copra trading, hardware, construction, and realty, among others.

As a tribute to them and in celebration of the Chinese New Year, here is the earliest photo taken of the Pioneering Chinese Settlers in GenSan, most who came from Amoy, China, taken sixty years ago in 1949, when then Consul Mih of China visited this part of the Philippines known as Dadiangas, Buayan Municipality.

This picture was taken at the General Santos Park, along the coastline of the city, Silway District.  The buildings on the left is where Rey Store is now while the buildings on the right are the ones behind Kimball compound.  Consul Mih is the person with the mark X while the one with two X marks is trader Ang Lin Bee. CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE IT.

 

The rest of the Chinese settlers in the photo above are Go Sek Yu, brothers Rubi Ang (agri-business/realty) and Ang Ling Bee (owns Angkalian Building, among others), Yu Se Chong (Hardware & Sarangani Restaurant at the former ChowKing Pioneer area), Yu Se Peng (agri-business/realty), Tony Diya (Rice Mills), Jose Lao (agri-business), brothers Tan Pi and Rudy Go Huy (realty including the Veranda building, livestock and agri), and Pedro and Seraphin Lim of Lim Bros. Harddware.

The rest are Boo Che Lu (trading), Conrado Du (Rice & Corn trading), Jose Abawag (shipping/ manager of Compania Maritima), Tony Sun (general merchandise), Go Siong (copra), Lu Ten (agri trading), Go Tai Ching (Lucky 7 Hardware) and Jose “Agurang” Catolico, Sr. who was not Chinese but considered then as the “Godfather of the Chinese”.

To all these Chinese pioneers and the others who came right after them like the Chiongbians, the Teng Brothers (Kimball & TSP), Johnny Ang, the Yaphokuns, the Ceds, Fred Ang-Sanidad, Johnny Tan, etc., Bariles Republic offers this post as a salute for your contribution in making General Santos what it is now. 

To sha.  Shie shie.

Photo is courtesy of Sir Jong Balagtas Ramirez’ WHO IS WHO, DATABANK, Volume IV, 1995. Copies of Volume VIII, 2007 are now available.

Finally, a forum which could answer queries from a lot of entrepreneurs and businessmen in GenSan City and the rest of the SOCCSKSARGEN area who are interested in securing a slot at the Robinsons Place General Santos has just been scheduled.

Bariles recently got hold of an invitation from Robinsons to what they have named as “Amazingly Gen San Robinsons Place General Santos Tenant Conference“.

The Front portion of the Robinsons Place GenSan Tenant Conference

The Back portion

Why “Amazingly GenSan” and not a more original slogan ?  That I don’t know.  But it’s catchy although it sure copied from “AMAZING THAILAND“.

I think the guys behind this should be briefed on the new city brand, “MAGANDANG GENSAN.”

Anyway, the invite states that the Robinsons Place General Santos Tenant Conference will be held on January 28, 2009, Wednesday, 5:00 P.M. at Paseo del Sol, National Highway.  Paseo del Sol happens to be where Pablo’s Steaks and Crabs is also situated.

Together with the invite is an interesting foldout  brochure of Robinsons Place General Santos containing some info on the upcoming mall plus a page on the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines“.  Below is the front cover.  (Click on all the pictures for larger views.)

And this is the other page on Robinsons Land Corporation, a briefer on the mall’s developer and owner.

Below is their one-page briefer on the host city, General Santos.

The most interesting pages however are those which make up the centerfold showing an artist’s rendition of what the  mall would look like when fully operational.  Here it is….. dyaaaraaaan…..

Inside Robinsons Place GenSan when finished (click on the image for a larger view)

See?  Drawing pa lang, maganda na?  What more when it’s all finished for all of us to enjoy?     By the way, here is what we can expect at the first floor….

Gosh!  If you’re not excited after reading this, BATO ka na talaga.  BATO!!!!

Robinsons Place General Santos is scheduled to open sometime in June 2009.  See you at the entrance!!!! 

Action Superstar Robin Padilla was recently in General Santos City for an event sponsored by Talk and Text.

Bariles was lucky to have been invited to a Press Conference at The Tent of Orange Bistro along the Lagao National Highway, GenSan City heralding his visit.

Up close and personal, Robin was ever the good-natured and humble gentleman, so much different from his onscreen persona. He was articulate in his answers to the questions from the media personnel present and was game enough to tackle even the more controversial “showbiz” types of queries.

Of course, he wouldn’t be THE Robin Padilla if he did not pay notice to the ladies in the room, showering them with just the right adjectives, melting their hearts in the process and literally (as I saw with my own two eyes) making them swoon even more. It was KILIG GALORE all throughout the one-hour presscon arranged by SMART’s Haydee Bernabe.

The years have been kind to the Binoe, with nary a wrinkle on his fair-complexioned face and he looks even younger with his new short crop. Fatherhood has really done wonders on the former Bad Boy of Philippine Movies.

Here are some pictures of that eventful day in GenSan City when Robin Padilla melted the hearts of the ladies…. and some men, too. Please click on them for bigger views.

On Monday, January 26, 2009, at 5:00 in the afternoon, at the Oval Plaza, corner of Matalam Street and Pendatun Avenue, the newest General on the block will make himself known to all the people of Soccsksargen.

The newest General on the block before his unveiling

Watch out for him!!!! And stay tuned to Bariles Republic for an exclusive look on his coming out party with GenSan city’s movers and shakers!

Here are the newest photos taken of the new General in town…. CLICK on each photo for a larger view….

It was raining hard when I arrived at the Queen Tuna Park early Friday morning for the annual Fluvial Procession in honor of the Feast of the Sto. Nino, the patron of the Bula Parish Church.  This event is spearheaded by the city’s fishing magnates who originated from that barangay and is participated by 50 or so sea vessels of all shapes and sizes.

These boats normally depart from Bula after the 5am Fiesta Mass and is led by a lavishly decorated mother ship which carries with it the image of the Sto. Nino owned by the parish.  They then set sail across Sarangani Bay, passing by the newly expanded GenSan Fishport, up to the marine shipyard of TSP Kimball, to finally make a turn back to the shores of Dadiangas, specifically the Queen Tuna Park.

Despite the downpour that day, about 7 groups of costumed dancers were performing their street dances for the Isda-Isdaan Festival, at the park in front of a set of judges at a makeshift stage which seemed to sway and rock at every strong gust of the wind from Sarangani Bay.  I was afraid that lighting might strike anyone from among them since the beach was an open area, but thank God, that did not happen.

I found a good vantage point at the lifeguard tower where I could see everything around me, the performers from behind, the approaching fluvial parade ahead which was barely visible behind the mist and the throng of worshippers, devotees and curious onlookers waiting for the Sto. Nino and the chance to get a piece of any of the flowers adorning her official vessel.

Here are some of the pictures I shot.  You may click on each photo for a larger view.

Good news to all Mindanao-based bloggers, especially those from SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato-North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos) and Davao!

Bariles Republic is running a blog contest on the forthcoming and most awaited concert of the “King of Love Songs” in General Santos City on February 14, 2008, the “A Valentine’s Affair with David Pomeranz“, which I blogged about in an earlier article.  Click here to read it.

Five VIP Passes worth P1,500 each and five Gift Certificates worth P1,000 each for Grab-A-Crab Restaurant and Coffee Club 101 will be up for grabs for the TOP 5 bLogs!  Plus, they will have the chance to have their pictures taken with David Pomeranz himself!!!!  How’s that?

The MECHANICS for interested participants are simple, and they are, as follows:

1. You should be a Mindanao-based blogger with your blogs hosted by either Wordpress or Blogger.
2. Just write a post of the upcoming “David Pomeranz Concert in GenSan” while mentioning this Blog Contest .
3. Feature the official concert poster which you can grab from this post.
4. You can dress up your blog post with photos or videos of David Pomeranz.
5. Put the Links of this blog post and a previous blog post about  Grab-A-Crab/Coffee Club 101.
6. And lastly, subscribe to Bariles Republic’s feeds. You can subscribe by CLICKING HERE.
7. Submit your blog post entry link by leaving a message below.
8. Deadline of submission of blog entries is on January 31, 2009.
9. The winners of the 5 Best-written blog posts of the “David Pomeranz Concert in GenSan” Blog Contest will be announced on February 6, 2009.

Again, each of the 5 winners will receive a VIP Pass worth P1,500 and a Gift Certificate worth P1,000 at Grab-A-Crab Restaurant and Coffee Club 101, and a chance to have their pictures taken with the “King of Love Songs” himself.

Tickets to “A Valentine’s Affair with David Pomeranz” are available at Coffee Dream KCC, Grab A Crab Restaurant, Coffee Club 101, MISO, East Asia Royale Hotel and ABS-CBN Office at Purok Malakas.  For inquiries, please contact telephone #s (083) 303-0060, 0919-8912259 or 0917-3639191. Or log on at http://www.ticketbox.com.ph.

Here are the blog post entries as of January 31, 2009, 7:42 pm.  Please click on each title to access the blog post or article. Let us see what you think are the best-written posts.  Go!  :)

1. David Pomeranz Live in GenSan
2. David Pomeranz’ Magic Lingers On
3. The Magic of David, A Special Date
4. Crossing My Fingers in Trying to Get the Feeling Again..
5. Limited Chance to be with the “King of Love”
6. Les Chansons de Pomeranz, live in GenSan, this Valentines
7. David Pomeranz  Live in GenSan
8. David Pomeranz to Serenade the South on Valentine’s
9. I Will Sing My Heart Out Loud for David Pomeranz
10. A Night to Remember:  The David Pomeranz Valentine Concert in GenSan
11. Libretto of an Artist
12. David Pomeranz Serenades the Generals
    
13. That I was Born for You, It is written in the Stars
14. David Pomeranz: Songs that Serenade the Soul
15. An Ear-satisfying Night with David Pomeranz
16. Songs of the Heart

On Monday, January 19, 2009, I, your author and friend Bariles will be celebrating my birthday.

In that case, I want to invite all of you dear readers to gift me by leaving your birthday greetings below.

That  I guess, will make me the happiest birthday celebrant in the blogosphere.

Please don’t ask me how old I am.  You don’t ask a gentleman that question anymore.

Just smile, be happy for me and do your thing!

And yes!  We could set a WORLD RECORD here for the most number of birthday greetings to a single person on the World Wide Web!

Baptism of Bariles sometime during the last century at the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish

Wow!!!!!   Let’s go for it, friends.  Wouldn’t you want to be part of this soon to be amazing feat? And please, please… help tell the world about it.

Gracias!  And good luck to us!