GenSan News Online Mag

Bariles is writing this from the Conference Hall of Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore where he is attending the Day 1 of the Google Geo Users Summit or Google Geo Community Summit Singapore.

The Google Geo User Summit Singapore is the first-ever regional Asia-Pacific gathering of the region’s geo-mappers or users/contributors of high-quality mapping data through Google Mapmaker. About 100 Map Maker Mappers are joined by 20 Geo Modelers and 10 Panoramio Photo Enthusiasts.

As they say in their invitation to Bariles… “this event is an opportunity for ASPAC’s geo-mappers to meet up, exchange ideas and have a bit of fun.”

As head of the Sox Bloggers, Bariles with the help of GandaEverSoMuch conducted two Mapping Events in a span of two years. The first was the first ever GENSAN GOOGLE MAPPING Party in 2009 and the GENSAN GOOGLE PRECINCT MAPPING PARTY last year  just in time before the National and Local elections in May 2010.

Those activities paved the way not only for the Bloggers but for other people to learn how to use Google Map Maker in mapping over a thousand places, destinations, establishments, roads, and streets in Region 12 or South Central Mindanao.

Right now, Bariles and nine other Pinoys, including GandaEver represent “Team Philippines” in the ongoing summit and while he’s writing this he just had lunch at the Convention Center of Resorts World Sentona just below where they are all billeted, the Hard Rock Hotel. Read GandaEver’s blogpost by CLICKING HERE.

The two-day conference is FREE including billeting at Hard Rock Hotel but Bariles and GandaEver had to shoulder their plane fare which was quite hefty since the invitation came too late before they could avail of cheaper fares.  Bariles also had to approach friends to help fund his travel and based on their commitments, he might just be able to pay his creditor who advanced him the plane fare (the very loving brother of his – GandaEver) very soon! 

The Team Philippines experience from this summit will in no doubt help their advocacy to include more and more local destinations and places in the Google Map.

As for Bariles, it will be a major push in his and his colleagues at the Soccsksargen Bloggers Community‘s vision to make sure that eventually, through their use of Google Mapper,  NOBODY GETS LOST IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINDANAO anymore!

GenSan’s first mall-based coffee shop reopened very recently with a new look and a new concept at its redesigned space at the upper ground floor of the KCC Mall of GenSan.

Now sporting a new youthful logo with what looks like a cloud, Coffee Dream is set to reconquer the patronage of the Tuna Capital’s discriminating coffeecionados.

The whole old cafe was overhauled and in its place is a minimalist set-up, less the bulk, minus the clutter… giving the place more room for customers to maneuver and breathe.

As for their concoctions, their chilled bestsellers are still there…Frosticcino, Fro Reo, Irish Latte and Bariles fave Frothy Caramel!

Bariles opted to taste their new hot TSOKOLATE though and it was pure chocolate heaven!   But for those who prefer cold non-caffeine drinks, Coffee Dream’s line of revamped frosties are sure to delight even more… Creamy Irish, Strawberry Chill, Mango Chill and Green Tea Chill!

To go with his drink, Bariles ordered their Tuna Sandwich and had to look twice at its size when it was served a little later!!!  Although on a diet, he was able to finish it off in a jiffy!  The tuna spread was tangy, not too sweet and had just the right creaminess. What’s also great about it is that it used yummy WHEAT BREAD, the healthier option!  Bariles made a mental note that when he comes back, he will try their Corned Beef Sandwich.

As for its wifi, the speed was pretty decent and Bariles was able to quickly check on his Facebook status and answer a few emails in the process.

Basically, the new Coffee Dream at KCC Mall of GenSan has continued the tradition of its old self plus more!  Service is still tops and if news of their reinvention reach their old habitues, for sure, they will start flocking back to reclaim Coffee Dream as their own again.

Thanks to Ric and Sheng Dumalay for the 2nd photo above.

He is seen daily at noontime at the country’s #1 television network.  He is a certified hitmaker having released scores of top-selling albums during his prime.  Now not only is he an entertainer/TV host/comedian but also an entrepreneur, owning a chain of restobars!

He is no other than the Hearthrob of the 80′s and now Happy Yipee Yehey host Randy Santiago who will be entertaining the generals in a LIVE CONCERT at the KCC Mall of GenSan!

The date is set for the concert of one of country’s famous TV Hosts and entertainers - April 10, 2011 at exactly 6pm at the KCC Events and Convention Center.

The Randy Santiago Live @ KCC GenSan, just like the past concerts initiated by the mall is FREE!  All one needs to do is exchange his accumulated receipts at the KCC Department Store worth P1,000 for a FREE CONCERT PASS at their Redemption Booth somewhere inside the mall.

If there’s somebody worth watching, then Randy Santiago should be it, being the hitmaker behind Babaero, Paikot-ikot, Hindi Magbabago, among others!  That should be more than reason enough to run to KCC Department Store now and shop, shop, shop!!

For more info on the Randy Santiago Live @ KCC GenSan, please call (083) 301-2345.

An advertisement that has been coming up regularly on the pages of the local weekly tabloid ABANTE Soccsksargen caught the eye of Bariles just recently.  It’s an announcement of an up and coming Radio Station which goes by the name of Radyo Alerto.

From its blurb (see ad above) comes the information that the soon-to-operate Radyo Alerto is owned by Sarangani Broadcasting Network, Inc. with address at Yumang Street, Barangay San Isidro,  GenSan City.

The ad doesn’t offer any other info but the fact that it is constantly featured at reportedly Pacquiao-owned ABANTE Weekly could be a clue to the identities of its owners.

Bariles then tried to do some research and these are what he got…

• Radyo Alerto is actually the new name of the old SUPER RADYO DXBB found at 1107 Khz under the AM band owned by GMA Network.
• It occupies a one-hectare or so property of the Pacquiao Group of Companies along Yumang Street and is just a stone’s throw away from St. Michael Parish Church.
• A one-story building and a transmission tower is now being constructed in the area which is also being fenced.
• Its new franchisee reportedly is not Congressman Manny Pacquiao but some people identified with him.  This is according to a Team Pacman insider.

Well, we will eventually know what’s true with regard to the identity of its owners in due time.  But as it is, Pacquiao-owned or not, Radyo Alerto is a welcome addition to the radio broadcasting industry in Soccsksargen.

As they say, the more the merrier.  We are just hoping though that once they are on-air, the management of Radyo Alerto will be very conscious and committed to espousing the truth through responsible broadcasting and balanced programming.

That’s a legacy of its former operators,  GMA Radio which they have to strictly adhere to or go bust!

This just came in!

If you have plans to join the Earth Hour celebration tomorrow night, March 26, 2011, then you might want to accompany hundreds of other generals who will be flocking to the Robinsons Place GenSan!

Robinsons will be conducting their Earth Hour celebration at their Al Fresco area complete with live bands from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

One of their tenants, Sun Lab will be giving out FREE Havaianas Flashflights to the first 100 persons as token of their participation in the Earth Hour from 7pm to 8pm.

Gensan Gazer V2N2 (Volume 2 Number 2) hits the stands early April, and the little community magazine whose eZines are read worldwide (219 cities across 38 nations as of last Google Analytics count) recaps the Kalilangan 2011 and the Lakan at Lakambini ng Gensan pageant as a fitting curtain call to Gensan’s recently concluded 72nd Foundation Anniversary celebrations.

On the covers (yes, both covers, which are still reversed just like March’s issue) is Gensan’s very own Franchesca Ravelo, who magically puts a new face to Gensan, after being so tiresomely alluded to as the tuna, the pineapple, the boxing glove, or all three.

Inside we take you to the streets of London, New York and Singapore, the pristine paradise island of Malapascua, and the best places to hang out in Gensan. Just the right dose of what’s healthy and trendy and green, where we’ve been, what the global goings-on mean, and whom we’ve seen (Derek ring a bell?) are also on our pages, making GG-V2N2 a fun and informative read at home and on the go. (But please keep your eyes on the road if you’re behind the wheel!)

If you happen to drop by the Robinsons Food Court these days to have your lunch or dinner and enjoy its sparklingly clean, well-lighted and relaxingly cool ambience, please do not forget to order a cup of Nestea Iced Tea drink for every combo meal that you order.

You might win an Apple iPod Touch for doing so!

Make sure you order your choice food combo from only the participating food outlets at the Robinsons Food Court.

Then, exchange your receipts for a chance to take home a SUMMER TUMBLER in their PICK-A-PRIZE game and join in the Raffles offering the FREE iPod Touch.

It’s a no-brainer actually!

This joint venture of Nestea and Robinsons Place GenSan will run throughout Summer 2011 or May 21, 2011 to be exact.

See you then at the Food Court!!!

Cosplay hobbyists and enthusiasts of GenSan and the rest of South Central Mindanao have something to look forward to this weekend as Gaisano Mall of GenSan has something cooked up for them!

It’s the four-day CHAIN or Cosplay Hobby and Interest Nexus!!!

Cosplay is short for COSTUME PLAY, a type of performance art which originated from Japan wherein people wear costumes to represent a certain character or idea.  Characters are usually from popular Japanese cartoons or manga but could also include Western cartoons and science fiction.

This GenSan Cosplay event actually started yesterday, March 23 and will end on the 26th!

Events vary from Cosplay competitions (Walk-in Freestyle, Pair & Group Cosplay), Drawing Contests (One-shot Manga Drawing, Original Character & Original Mecha Drawings) to Anime Singing Contests, Yu-Gi-Oh Tournaments to Cosplay and Manga Workshops!

There’s also gonna be a Cosplay Cafe and Toy Exhibit!

We have never been to a cosplay event before and are excited to witness this.   Hopefully this activity will draw more interest on this phenomenon gripping the younger generation of today because they need all the more productive diversions they can get to stay away from drugs, alcohol and other vices!

Thanks to CAGE GenSan (Cosplay, Ani-Manga Gaming Enthusiasts) for spearheading this!

Here’s a bit of fantastic news for gadget-dangling readers of GenSan News Online Mag!   GenSan’s favorite blog is now mobile-friendly!

What this means is that if our URL GenSantos.com is accessed using a mobile device (i.e. iPhone, Android device, BlackBerry, Nokia phones, etc.), the site would be loaded in a mobile-friendly theme, instead of the huge, resource-heavy site. This now makes for a faster and more convenient access to the blog.

Below is a screenshot of the mobile version of GenSan News Online Mag on an iPod Touch:

THIS IS HOW GENSANTOS.COM LOOKS ON THE SCREEN OF AN APPLE iPOD TOUCH.

Now, searching for the General Santos City’s places-to-go and events-to-be-in is a breeze, even while on the go!

THE MAGNIFIED SCREENSHOT OF A SINGLE BLOG POST ON AN iPOD.

Of course, for ultra-modern ones who roam around with tablets and other mobile gadgets with huge screen estate, there’s always the “Switch mobile theme off“‘ button to access GenSan News Online Mag in all its beauty and glory.

Thank you Alexis Chua for helping Bariles out with this!

Ayos ba ang GenSan News Mobile, mga readers?

First, it was only Philippine Airlines doing the GenSan-Manila-GenSan route since time immemorial.  A few years back, Air Philippines came into the picture followed by Cebu Pacific.  Then when Air Philippines went into restructuring itself and rested, Cebu Pacific upped its exposure, offering two flights to and from Manila daily!

That makes it three flights out of GenSan to Manila and back up to now.

But when October 20, 2011 comes, make that FOUR FLIGHTS because the rejuvenated Air Philippines, now known as AirPhil Express will be back!

So effective that day, AirPhil Express will fly to General Santos City to Manila everyday at 5:15am and will arrive in GenSan at 7:00am.  The flight back to Manila will be at 7:30 and its arrival there will be at 9:15am!

Right now, the official AIRPHIL EXPRESS WEBSITE is accepting advanced bookins for the Manila-GenSan-Manila route at P1,864 per pax.

Although quite pricey compared to Cebu Pacific, it comes with a 15-kilogram baggage allowance!

With this development, expect the plane fares for the Manila-GenSan-Manila route to settle at their lowest soon!  That of course should make every South Central Mindanao frequent flyer very, very happy!