General Santos City, which the locals customarily call Gensan, is a city in the southern Philippines. It is located in the island of Mindanao and is within the South Cotabato province. Northwest of Gensan is Cebu City and to its northeast is Davao, two popular destinations in the southern Philippines.

Gensan has gained prominence, not just in Region XII but in the entire country for being on the cutting edge in terms of economic stability, growth and tourism potential. Through the efforts of its citizens, the city has gained a reputation as being business and tourist friendly.

General Santos City enjoys a fairly favorable Climate throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 28 degrees Celsius to 36 degrees Celsius. Average rainfall during the wet season is somewhere between 11 inches up to 20 inches.

Wet season here begins some time in June and lasts all the way to October. Dry season is from November until May. Summers in the country usually start at the end of March and last until the end of May; these months are usually the best time to holiday in General Santos City.

General Santos City’s main attraction is tuna, which is the most important product in the area. Then, there are the festivals, celebrated at specific period each year as well as the numerous interesting spots like Kalaja Karsts Land, which is definitely a must-see.

The Notre Dame of Dadiangas University

The Notre Dame of Dadiangas University is a school in General Santos City. It is a Catholic institution run by the Marist Brothers or FMS (Fratres Maristae a Scholis). It offers undergraduate and graduate courses as well as pre-elementary and basic education. Further, it offers a broad spectrum of academic programs through its colleges. It consists of three campuses located in different areas of Gensan – the main campus along Marist Avenue, the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University-Integrated Basic Education Department or NDDU-IBED Lagao Campus and the Espina Campus. Today, NDDU is the only private university in the City of General Santos.

Lemlunay Dive Resort

Lemlunay is a picturesque, well-maintained and fully equipped diving resort on the outer strip of General Santos City and a great place to witness the marine ecology of the region amidst enjoyable diving sessions.

Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church

This is GenSan’s oldest church, older than the 50 year-old Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish Church. Located at Lagao Kanan, Barangay Lagao, the church is under the Diocese of Marbel and run by Diocesan priests. The structure has not changed much for the past 30 years or so, just a few minor adjustments were done to fix the rotting parts plus a couple of major paint jobs.

Absekong Waterfalls

Ansekong Waterfalls is another natural attraction nestled between Polomok and General Santos City. The breathtakingly gorgeous waterfalls plunge down the Camp Flores mountain river in the midst of lime-stone cliffs and boulders made of granite. The waterfalls are also surrounded by lovely puddles and make for an extremely photogenic sight.

Fisherport Complex

This is an iconic attraction of General Santos City, where visitors are often spotted photographing and catching vistas of laboring fisherman dragging their humongous tunas at the break of dawn. Watch the fisher folk categorize the fish according to their quality and lineage and then proceed toward the adjoining Market 3, where the fresh picks are lapped up immediately. This is a nice place to witness a traditional fishing village complete with tiny fishing boats and drying hangers for salting and preserving dried fish.

Mt. Matatum

Matutum is located in the province of South Cotabato, on the island of Mindanao, in the south of the Philippines. It is 15 km north of Polomolok, and about 30 km north-northwest of General Santos City.

Nopol Hills

If you enjoy hiking, Nopol Hills in General Santos is the best place to go to. Only half an hour away from Kalaja Karsts, it is a great way to start or end your day. As one of the most expansive and highest grounds in the city, Nopol Hills gives you a good look at Sarangani Bay, and also some of the other towns and municipalities in the vicinity. For several people, the most enjoyable thing that can be done is to just watch the sun go down.

The airport is 25 min. away by car from the city center. Taxis abound when you get out of the arrival section. 3 airlines fly to Gen San: PAL, Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific.