Around the World with Felicidad Orchard & Garden Organics Farm - Agri Tourism and Innovations in GenSan!

I'd like to take you on a virtual farm tour of Felicidad Orchard & Garden Organics Farm in Gensan! Captain James Reamon has a wealth of experiences in aviation (former commercial pilot), technological inventions (inventor and winner of numerous awards here and abroad for 6 products) and farming (organic) so if you have time to spare, I suggest you spend a few days here to immerse yourself in agriculture and to chillax at the same time =) This farm, not only is a pioneer of vermiculture in Mindanao, it is also the first to be accredited as a Farm Tourism Site by the Department of Tourism in Soccsksargen (SOX Region 12) and a School for Practical Agriculture accredited by the Agricultural Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Reamon is also the president of the SOX Farm Tourism Association! When you go here, you'll see and hear technology-based natural farming - science in convergence with agriculture and tourism! Imagine the DOST, DA and DOT all working together with farmers living in a region filled with culture, bountiful harvest of fruits and natural resources ;)

How to Make Vermicast, Simple Vermicomposting Tips, Itik Pinas Housing and Planting Rice at Felicidad Organic Farm in Mindanao

Let’s learn how to make vermicast fresh off African night crawlers from the pioneer of vermiculture in Mindanao! Captain James Reamon was kind enough to do a demo for us at his ATI-accredited School for Practical Agriculture - the Felicidad Orchard and Garden Organics in GenSan. He also showed us his new project that will make easier feeding of Itik Pinas ducks. And, we were in for a surprise when he let us experience planting black rice first hand in his paddies! No hard work, no dinner! Hahaha.

Motorcycle Adventure Tour Philippines - Sarangani, GenSan & South Cotabato

If you've got half a day to spare before your flight, explore with a friend and have a motorcycle adventure! There is also a preferred and faster way of going around the city (General Santos City and the rest of Mindanao) - to ride at the back of a motorcycle, if you can't drive yourself. It costs cheaper too at less than P300 for gas expenses. Wake up early, hold on and watch the skies change with sun rise while you ride.

What Else to Do in GenSan?

Looking for some local flavor in GenSan and want to get closer to the Tuna Festival action? Here are some suggestions if you're there to catch the annual Tuna Festival and you're looking at other things to do for the rest of your trip, we did this while waiting for the Tuna parade to start. You don't have to go very far but you can also visit Lake Sebu, South Cotabato for a whole day trip. To see and create your Lake Sebu Itinerary, read Heights of Ecstasy in South Cotabato.

The Big Glory Bay Salmon Tour GenSan Philippines

I'll let you in on more juicy information about General Santos City. There is one take-home gift (pasalubong) that you might want to consider bringing home to Manila. GenSan is not just all about the Tuna now. It is home to the only salmon processing plant and first world class production facility in the Philippines starting this August 2011. The Big Glory Bay Salmon and Seafood Company Inc. is a NZ-Philippine joint venture. The Philippine company Alliance Select Foods International Inc. does canning for other fish too, brands sold in Europe actually. Companies, such as Alliance Select, are diversifying into other fish today, especially because of the fishing ban and dwindling supplies of tuna in GenSan. Now let's start the tour. Imagine smoked New Zealand King Salmon that you see in a New Zealand supermarket then it says "Processed in the Philippines" at the back. 

Tuna & Co. Fish Tour in GenSan Fish Port

I went to GenSan for the tuna, to learn more about it and somehow find a new sense of appreciation for it. The Soccsksargen EXperience (S3X Tour Tres) was a lot more than I expected. I couldn't quite keep up with all the exclusive sneak peeks of fishing, unloading, weighing, cleaning, sorting, freezing, packing, processing, selling and everything that I saw in a half morning. But it's no biggie. It's simply a case of fish and white boots overload in an off-limits place. We had to wake up early and go to the very busy General Santos Fish Port or we'll miss all the fun, wearing these boots for example.

The Manilay Ancestral House in GenSan Story

I'm starting off this post with a blast from the past, with a shot from a homemade telenovela scene. This is what you get when you put together a band of S3X Tour (Soccsksargen EXperience) participants - a dramatic scene, memories to last for a lifetime and a story worth sharing. Once upon a time in GenSan, Mr. Warren Manilay and his wife welcomed a small group of unsuspecting travelers in his home a few kilometers away from the General Santos City Plaza.

Photo Credit: Bernie of Habagatcentral.com

Heights of Ecstasy in South Cotabato - S3X Tour Tres

I prefer not being on tours where everything is already set and not very flexible. One thing I do though to keep the trip interesting is to just skim through the itinerary and board the plane. As explicit as the title of the Soccsksargen EXperience (S3X Tour Tres) Tour was, it never really crossed my mind that I would be bound for South Cotabato too in this GenSan trip. This was how Day 2 started because I was reminded to put on "outdoor" wear. Surprise, surprise. The adventure continues...

Bold & Brazen in GenSan - S3X Tour Tres

I booked a Cebu Pacific piso-fare promo flight to GenSan (General Santos) for the Tuna Festival that it was famous for this year 2011. There were no plans whatsoever, I just wanted to see if I can get over not liking The Fish. I didn't know what I was going to do in a 4D3N stay a few weeks before the trip. Then came a golden opportunity - a slot opened for the S3X Tour Tres (The Soccsksargen EXperience Tour) organized by blogger GenSan native Bariles and it coincided with three out of the four days of my trip. I say it's golden because I had such a wonderful time and a GenSan virgin like me was very satisfied and amazed. I got to experience both South Cotabato and General Santos (I missed the Saranggani part by one day) and met new friends from all over the country who share the same passion for traveling like my Iloilo trip last year.