GenSan News Online Mag

Another first for GenSan recently unfolded and Bariles is certain that the Home of Champions is the only city in Mindanao to have done it!

Just last month, on July 4, 2011, the local government of General Santos City led by City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio launched the official websites of the public high schools of the city’s 26 barangays!

The launching occurred in a short but meaningful program at the Social Hall of the South Central Elementary School.  In attendance were the principals of these schools with DepEd Superintendent Estrella Lariosa.

The official web pages of the city’s 26 barangay high schools were designed by the hardworking consultants of the SHEEP Computer Literacy Program.  They are the people in pink at the photo above.

According to Mayor Darlene, this is just the first phase in the levelling up of the services of her administration’s flagship SHEEP program for community schools.  The 2nd phase will involve the putting up of the Barangay Elementary Schools’ individual web sites.

Now people, especially graduates and alumni of GenSan’s public schools will have a chance to check out on news and information about their alma mater by clicking their very own websites.

By the way, the web sites all use publishing platform WordPress, just like GenSan News Online Mag.

Click on the links to some of the schools below….

Gen. Santos City High School

Lagao National High School

Labangal National High School

Fatima High School

Bula National School of Fisheries

Dadiangas North High School

Fatima High School

New Society National High School

Buayan National High School

Tinagacan National High School

Ireneo L. Santiago National High School

Tinagacan National High School

The schools are expected to update the contents of their websites with the SHEEP Consultants on stand-by for technical assistance anytime.  Congratulations to all our SHEEP workers for a job well done!

GenSan News Online Mag just found out that the Fitmart Mall of Koronadal has recently changed owners!

In a move which surprised their employees, staff and tenants, the owners of Koronadal’s troubled shopping center signed papers two weeks ago selling the mall property to one of the Gaisano groups of Cebu!

The deal basically surrenders the ownership and management of the mall and all the existing tenants to the new owners.  The flagship stores, Fitmart Department Store and Fitmart Supermarket will eventually close shop and have to move out by September 1, 2011, according to Bariles’ reliable source.  These two areas will then remain closed and will undergo renovation for two months before Gaisano Department Store and Gaisano Supermarket take over.

Right now, the engineers of the acquiring Gaisano group (no idea whether it’s the Gaisano Grand Group or the Gaisano Capital Group) have gone up to Koronadal and have started planning out renovation activities on the mall.

This is a wise move for the owners of Fitmart Mall who still have good-performing stores in GenSan, downtown Koronadal and Tacurong cities. Unloading their white elephant in Koronadal to the Gaisano group is the best and most practical thing to do before their creditor banks beat them to a pulp.

And for sure, with the entry of the Gaisano’s of Cebu (who do not have anything to do with Gaisano Mall of GenSan which is owned by the DSG Group) in South Cotabato, more excitement are in store for the province’s consumer market!  (And more headaches for KCC Malls which also has to contend with the soon-to-open SM Mall GenSan!)

What an exciting year indeed for South Central Mindanao!

With that, all we can say right now is, “Goodbye Fitmart Mall of Koronadal!  Thank you for being an alternative shopping destination for us!”

And lest we forget due to excitement, “Hello Gaisano Mall of Koronadal!  Welcome to  Koronadal and Soccsksargen!!!  Kanami gid!”

By the way, Fitmart Department Store at the Fitmart Mall of Koronadal is now conducting a MAJOR CLOSING OUT SALE of as much as 80% discount on selected items until August 30, 2011!

Happy 1st Anniversary to ICE Castle Experience Hotel and Restaurant!

Ice Castle as it is fondly called, is celebrating its first anniversary by hosting four events this week!

Dubbed as BUFFET ON ICE, it promises non-stop BUFFET FEASTS of the best that ICE’s talented chefs can whip out!

For instance, August 3 and 4, 2011 were Salad and Pasta days consecutively.  Today, August 5, is their Main Course Buffet Day for both lunch (Filipino food) and Dinner (Chinese delights).

On Sunday, August 7, ICE CASTLE Experience will be serving all-you-can-eat Nestle Ice Cream!

And all these for a minimal amount of P100 only!!!  Now how’s that?

For reservations to Buffet on Ice from ICE Castle Experience Hotel, please call telephone #s (083) 554-4423 or 0923-7077733.

With the Tuna Festival 2010 less than a month away here in General Santos City, we will start featuring different events, official or unofficial which will be running during the week long festivity in commemoration of the city’s 43rd Charter Anniversary.

Up first is K101 Love Radio GenSan’s Tuna Rocks:  Battle at the Bay, Battle of the Bands Contest!

This Battle of the Bands is open to all Amateur Bands with 4 to 7 members based in Socsargen and aged 15 to 25 years young.

Interested bands may register at K101 FM GenSan and 101.1 FM Koronadal.

Audition schedules will start on August 6, 2011 and on all the Saturdays of August (13, 20, 27) at the London Beach Resort from 6:00pm.

The Grand Finals of Tuna Rocks: Battle of the Bands will be on September 3, 2011, Saturday.  The Grand Winner will receive P15,000.00 while a consolation prize of P2,500 each will be awarded to the next Top 5 Bands.