General Santos | |
|---|---|
| City of General Santos | |
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Jawi | جنرل سنتوس |
  .jpg) .jpg) From top, left to right: Aerial view of urban GenSan, Robinsons Place GenSan, Dadiangas skyline, and Pioneer Avenue | |
.png) Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Tuna Capital of the Philippines[1] | |
| Anthem:Himno ng Heneral Santos (English: General Santos Hymn) | |
 Map of Soccsksargen with General Santos highlighted | |
 Interactive map of General Santos | |
.svg)  General Santos Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:6°07′N125°10′E / 6.12°N 125.17°E /6.12; 125.17 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Soccsksargen |
| Province | South Cotabato(geographically only) |
| District | Lone district of General Santos |
| Founded | |
| Renamed | June 15, 1954[4] (as General Santos) |
| Cityhood | July 8, 1968 |
| Highly urbanized city | September 5, 1988 |
| Named after | GeneralPaulino Santos |
| Barangays | 26 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlungsod |
| • Mayor | Lorelie G. Pacquiao (PCM) |
| • Vice Mayor | Atty. Jose Edmar J. Yumang (RCRI) |
| • Representative | Shirlyn L. Bañas-Nograles (PDP-Laban) |
| • City Council | Members
|
| • Electorate | 368,454 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 492.86 km2 (190.29 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 197 m (646 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 869 m (2,851 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[7] | |
• Total | 722,059 |
| • Density | 1,465.0/km2 (3,794.4/sq mi) |
| • Households | 175,345 |
| Demonym | Gensanon |
| Economy | |
| • Gross domestic product (GDP) | ₱129.015 billion (2022)[8] $2.279 billion (2022)[9] |
| • Income class | 1st city income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 9.9 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 3,957 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 9,751 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 2,983 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 2,371 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | South Cotabato 2 Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO 2) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 9500 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)83 |
| Native languages | Hiligaynon Cebuano Tboli Blaan Tagalog Maguindanaon Tausug |
| Website | www |
General Santos, officially theCity of General Santos[note 1] and abbreviated asGenSan, is ahighly urbanized city in theregion ofSoccsksargen,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 722,059 people making it the most populous city in Soccsksargen Region.[11]
It is located on the island ofMindanao, it is thesouthernmost and 13th-most populous city in the Philippines. It is the regional center for commerce and industry of theSoccsksargen region, and it is also the only coastal as well as the largest city in the province ofSouth Cotabato wherein it is geographically situated and grouped under the province by thePhilippine Statistics Authority but administered independently of it.
The city was named after Gen.Paulino Santos, a formerCommanding General of the Philippine Army and the settlement's leading pioneer.
The nomadicBlaan people are the original inhabitants of present-day General Santos, and traces of their early settlements of the area are found in the city's place names, which are derived from their vocabulary. Their name for the city,Dadiangas, is from theZiziphus spina-christi tree that was once abundant in the area and is now a protected species under Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Right Act of 2007. The Blaan now lives alongside the city's new generation of settlers and other immigrants.
Beforehand, the Blaan would have been forced upland into the surrounding hills after the Muslims settled in the area under the rule of theSultanate of Maguindanao.
After the fall of Maguindanao,Datu Uto ofBuayan expanded his domain south towardsSarangani Bay. Dadiangas remained as a port under theSultanate of Buayan until the Spanishconquered the Sarangani Bay area by the end of the 19th century.
In 1898, by the end ofSpanish colonial rule in thePhilippines, two brothers hailing fromBarcelona,Spain, Jose and Alberto Olarte, settled inMakar, now known as Brgy. Labangal.[12] In October 29, 1903, the Municipality of Makar was officially established under theAmerican Insular Government Act No. 21 Section 4.[2] Nearly eleven years later in July 23, 1914, the Municipal District of Buayan was situated in what is now Brgy. Buayan was established.[13] Makar formed what would later become the western part of General Santos, while Buayan consisted of its eastern part.
In 1924, the Provincial Board Resolution No. 8 proposed by the provincial government ofCotabato declared the creation of a settlement with an area of 300 hectares which will serve as the market settlement for agricultural products coming fromAllah Valley and areas situated south ofLake Buluan. Makar was included in the proposed 300-hectare townsite area which was divided into three areas. The proposal was submitted toGovernor-GeneralHenry L. Stimson in 1928. However, for reasons unknown, only one area was approved for the said proposed market town, which happened to be an area which is a flat plain dotted byevergreen trees now eponymously known as Dadiangas, which would instead serve as the nucleus of General Santos as a city for the years to come.[12]
Organized under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) of theCommonwealth Government headed byPresidentManuel L. Quezon, GeneralPaulino Santos led the relocation of 62 Christian settlers from Luzon to the shores of Sarangani Bay aboard thesteam ship “Basilan” of theCompañía Marítima on February 27, 1939. The 62 pioneers, mostly agricultural and trade graduates, were the first large batch of settlers to land in the area with the mission to industriously cultivate the region. After this first influx of pioneers, more Christians fromVisayas andLuzon subsequently migrated into the area, gradually driving some of the Blaan residents to the hills and mountains, where they have lost their livelihood and somewhat displacedMaguindanaon living in the area.
In March 1939, the first formal settlement in the city was established in Alagao, which is now known as Barangay Lagao. Lagao was known then as the "Municipal District of Buayan" under the jurisdiction of the deputy governor of the Municipal District of Glan, until it officially became an independent Municipal District of Buayan on October 1, 1940, appointing Datu Sharif Zainal Abedin, an Arabmestizo married to a daughter of a very influentialdatu of lower Buayan, as the first district municipal mayor.
DuringWorld War II, the Municipal District of Buayan became one of the last frontiers between the combined American and Filipino forces and troops from theEmpire of Japan. Retreating Imperial Japanese forces made Klaja Karsts Land their last ground for defence, constructing round cement bunkers and tunnels. These bunkers can still be seen at Sitio Guadalupe; most of the tunnels, however, have since been damaged and even destroyed by treasure hunters and land developers.
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A year after the Philippines regained full sovereignty from the United States on July 4, 1946, the Municipality of Buayan became a 4th class regular municipality by virtue of the Executive Order Number 82, dated August 18, 1947, by PresidentManuel Roxas, absorbing the Municipality of Makar and the Municipal District of Glan, whose low income bracket at the time disqualified it for the honour. Dadiangas was the seat of government for the Municipality of Buayan electing Irineo Santiago as its first Municipal Mayor in a local election that was held on November 11, 1947. Mayor Santiago was formally inducted on January 1, 1948.[14]
Six years later, in June 1954, the Municipality of Buayan was renamed General Santos as a tribute to the leading pioneer via Act No. 1107[15] authored by Congressman Luminog Mangelen of Cotabato Province.
From 1963 to 1967, the municipality's economy experienced a boom under Mayor Lucio A. Velayo, as several large agri-based and multinational firms such asDole Philippines, General Milling Corporation and UDAGRI expanded into the area. Although it was then qualified to become a fourth class city from being a municipality, the residents rejected a move by Congressman Salipada Pendatun to convert the Municipality of Buayan into a city and to rename it ’’Rajah Buayan’’.
On July 8, 1968, the Municipality of General Santos was converted into a city upon the approval of Republic Act No. 5412, authored by Congressman James L. Chiongbian. By this time, General Santos City had already established itself as a major economic and educational hub in the region. Three of the oldest educational institutions in the city — Notre Dame Dadiangas University (1948),Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges (1957), andMindanao State University (1961) — were established prior to the city’s official founding. It was inaugurated on September 5 of that year, with Antonio C. Acharon became the new city's first mayor. On September 5, 1988, a decade after its inauguration as a chartered city, GenSan was declared a highly urbanized city of South Cotabato.
Even after becoming ahighly urbanized city independent from South Cotabato in 1988, General Santos remained part of the province's congressional representation. The city only gained a separate representative with the passage of Republic Act No. 11243 on March 11, 2019,[16] which segregated General Santos from thefirst congressional district ofSouth Cotabato to be its3rd congressional district. On September 15, 2021, House Bill No. 10021 authored by Representative Ferdinand Hernandez, that officially mandates General Santos as a lone district,[17] separate from South Cotabato was passed on third and final reading.
In April 2001, Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino, an ally of deposed presidentJoseph Estrada, coordinated with various mayors and governors to bring their respective constituents toEpifanio delos Santos Avenue inMetro Manila toprotest the arrest of Estrada.[18]
General Santos lies at the southern part of the Philippines. The city is southeast of Manila, southeast of Cebu and southwest of Davao.
The city is bounded by municipalities ofSarangani Province, namelyAlabel in the east, andMaasim in the south. General Santos is likewise bounded by theSouth Cotabato municipality ofPolomolok andSarangani Province municipality ofMalungon in the north, and the municipality ofT'boli in the west.
General Santos occupies the whole of South Cotabato's coastline.
| Climate data for General Santos (1991–2020, extremes 1949–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.5 (99.5) | 38.0 (100.4) | 38.9 (102.0) | 39.0 (102.2) | 39.4 (102.9) | 38.5 (101.3) | 37.0 (98.6) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.5 (97.7) | 37.0 (98.6) | 37.0 (98.6) | 37.5 (99.5) | 39.0 (102.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.9 (91.2) | 34.0 (93.2) | 34.3 (93.7) | 33.5 (92.3) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.7 (90.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.5 (83.3) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.9 (82.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.1 (73.6) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.0 (73.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) | 17.2 (63.0) | 16.9 (62.4) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 17.9 (64.2) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.0 (64.4) | 16.9 (62.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 96.9 (3.81) | 53.0 (2.09) | 55.3 (2.18) | 54.1 (2.13) | 72.2 (2.84) | 101.9 (4.01) | 98.1 (3.86) | 91.3 (3.59) | 83.3 (3.28) | 99.6 (3.92) | 77.5 (3.05) | 74.9 (2.95) | 958.1 (37.72) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 106 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 79 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 78 | 82 | 83 | 82 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 79 |
| Source:PAGASA[19][20] | |||||||||||||
General Santos has atropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification). With an average annual rainfall of less than 1,000 millimetres (39 in), it is one of the driest places in the Philippines.
General Santos is politically subdivided into 26barangays. [21] Each barangay consists ofpuroks while some havesitios.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 33 | — |
| 1918 | 9,787 | +46.15% |
| 1939 | 14,115 | +1.76% |
| 1948 | 32,019 | +9.53% |
| 1960 | 84,988 | +8.47% |
| 1970 | 85,861 | +0.10% |
| 1975 | 91,154 | +1.21% |
| 1980 | 149,396 | +10.38% |
| 1990 | 250,389 | +5.30% |
| 1995 | 327,173 | +5.14% |
| 2000 | 411,822 | +5.06% |
| 2007 | 529,542 | +3.53% |
| 2010 | 538,086 | +0.58% |
| 2015 | 594,446 | +1.92% |
| 2020 | 697,315 | +3.42% |
| 2024 | 722,059 | +0.84% |
| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[22][23][24][25][26] | ||
There are two major languages spoken in the city, withCebuano being widely spoken and being used by the local media outlets in the city (television, radio, and newspapers), followed byHiligaynon, which is used mainly by settlers who came from the provinces ofSouth Cotabato,Sultan Kudarat,Cotabato,Maguindanao del Norte, andMaguindanao del Sur, as well as immigrants from the provinces ofNegros Occidental,Iloilo andGuimaras. Other languages spoken within the city includeBlaan,T'boli,Maguindanaon,Ilocano, andKapampangan.
| Religion | percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic | 65% | |||
| Other Christian, including Protestants | 20.5% | |||
| Islam | 9.8% | |||
| Iglesia ni Cristo | 3.3% | |||
| Others | 1.4% | |||
The predominant religion in the city isChristianity, with the largest denomination being theCatholic Church, comprising almost 90% of the population.[citation needed] About 9% of the population belongs toIslam, mostlySunnites.[28]
Poverty incidence of General Santos
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]
The city's major economic activity is primarily anchored in two sectors namely the agro-industry andfishing industry.
General Santos registered 1,365 new medium to large enterprises in 2011. An aggregate investment involved is estimated at PHP 1.202 billion. Top industry for new investment in 2011 was as follows: Hotel and Restaurant-31%; Wholesale & Retail Trade-20%; Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal & Household Goods, Real Estate & Renting Business Activities-17%; Other Community, Social & Personal Services-8%; Financial Intermediation-5%; Manufacturing-5%; Fishing-3%; ICT-3 %
As of 2000, there are 59 banks serving the city. This composed of 46 commercial banks, 5 savings banks, 7 rural banks and 1 cooperative bank. Aside from this, there are 48 lending institutions as well as 49 pawnshops providing emergency loan assistance.
General Santos is the shopping capital of theSoccksargen region. Residents from nearby towns and provinces visit the city to do shopping and enjoy life and leisure activities. There are several huge shopping malls in the city, notable ones areKCC Mall of Gensan,SM City General Santos, Robinsons Place GenSan, Gaisano Mall of GenSan, RD Plaza (Fitmart), Veranza Mall, and the newest addition to the city which is RD City Mall located at Barangay Mabuhay, Unitop Shopping Mall in Barangay Dadiangas West and AllHome (soon in Barangay Katangawan, Circumferential Road). SM Savemore has two branches in the city and another branch will be built within the downtown area. There are also news about building an Ayala Mall and Puregold. These malls are home to both national and international brands of retail merchandise as well as restaurants and cafes. There are many merchandise and large groceries owned by local and foreign Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean businessmen in the city.
Modern and state-of-the-art communication facilities at par with global standards are readily available and are provided in General Santos by major telecommunication companies in the country. These include voice, data, internet and network solutions, among others, in both wired and mobile forms.
GenSan and the whole of Soccsksargen can be reached by air, land, or sea.
TheGeneral Santos International Airport is the largest airport inMindanao.[38] It has a 3,227-metre concrete runway[39] capable of handling wide-bodied jets likeAirbus A340 andBoeing 747. It was also called Rajah Buayan Airport in the 1990s, and Tambler Airport in 2008, before being renamed to its current name. Flights to and fromManila,Iloilo, andCebu are currently being operated in the airport byPhilippine Airlines andCebu Pacific. General Santos International Airport is the second busiest airport in Mindanao and the 9th busiest airport in the Philippines.
TheMakar Wharf is the main international sea port of the city and is one of the finest sea ports in the country. It is located in Barangay Labangal, away from the central business district. With a 740 metres (2,430 ft) docking length and a 19 metres (62 ft) width, the wharf can accommodate up to nine ship berthing positions all at the same time.[40] The port is replete with modern facilities such as container yards, storage and weighing bridges.[41]2GO Travel operates regular inter-island ferry services to and from other major ports in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao while numerousIndonesian shipping lines operate international ferry service between General Santos and neighboring ports inIndonesia carrying both passenger and cargo loads.
Commuting in and around General Santos is a fast and convenient ride. More than 400 passengerbuses, public utility vans andjeepneys wield routes within the city and neighboring provinces like inKoronadal,Cotabato,Davao,Tacurong,Pagadian,Cagayan de Oro and others. Three-wheeled motorized cabs known astricycles are the city's main mode of public transport and have been on the road since pioneering times. Air-conditionedtaxis also ply the city's streets offering commuters a choice of a more comfortable mode of transportation.
Maintained by the City Engineers' Office, the city's major road networks are paved and endowed with safety road marks, signs and signals to ensure a secure and efficient traffic flow within the city. ThePan-Philippine Highway links the city by land to other major cities in Mindanao and to the rest of the country.
The General Santos Terminal—popularly known as Bulaong Terminal; located in Barangay Dadiangas North is the city's main integrated land transport terminal. The terminal serves as the city's gateway for land travelers.Buses and other forms of public mass transportation—to and from various parts of Mindanao such asKoronadal,Tacurong,Cotabato,Davao,Kidapawan,Digos,Pagadian, andCagayan de Oro.
The Philippine National Police, a military task force has been formed to protect the city from terrorist attacks and other crime. Task Force GenSan is affiliated with the Philippine Army and is headed by an army colonel. 8 Police Stations are built on each barangay to keep the safety and a peaceful order in the city. Agencies and Organizations are forming a good and peaceful will to group an order in a city.
The average life expectancy of Gensanon is 70 for females and 65 for males. There are 19 hospitals, with more than 2,200 beds in the city including General Santos Doctors Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital,SOCSARGEN County Hospital, Mindanao Medical Center, R.O Diagan Cooperative Hospital, GenSan Medical Center, Sarangani Bay Specialists Medical Center, General Santos City District Hospital and the newly inaugurated Dadiangas Medical Center servicing a care for the people. In addition, there is an ongoing construction of ACE Medical Center to add more hospital bed capacity and medical services in the city.
General Santos City has more than 100 public schools and a state-owned university, Mindanao State University–General Santos. The city also hosts three private sectarian universities: Notre Dame of Dadiangas University,New Era University–General Santos, and theUniversity of Santo Tomas–General Santos.
Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges (RMMC), formerly known as Magsaysay Memorial Colleges (MMC), is a pioneering, privately owned, non-sectarian institution that traces its origins to the establishment of the Mindanao Vocational School (MVS) in 1957 by Atty. Eugenio Millado and his wife,Doña Aurora Garcia-Millado. The college later acquired Southern Island Colleges (SIC), which contributed to the expansion of its academic programs and institutional capacity.
Over the decades, RMMC has played a significant role in the local education sector. In recent years, the institution has emphasized academic development, cultural development, sports development, community engagement, and initiatives toward globalization as part of its holistic educational approach. In 2025, RMMC gained international recognition by ranking 234th among the World’s Top 400 Most Innovative Universities in theWorld University Rankings for Innovation (WURI)[44].
Notable media publications in the city are the SusStar General Santos, Periodiko Banat, Sapol, and other local newspapers.Brigada Newspaper General Santos is the most popular newspaper company in the city.
There are several television stations in the city that are owned and operated by broadcasting networks—ABS-CBN 3 Soccsksargen (now defunct),GMA 8 Soccsksargen,TV5 Channel 12 Gensan, GMA News TV 26,ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel 36 (now defunct),Brigada News TV 39. Most of these television networks reaches as far as Davao Region and Northern Mindanao; and caters the wholeSoccsksargen Region. Major and other minor cable and satellite television companies are also operating in the city. Most of the FM and AM radio stations are operating in the city 24 hours a day such asMOR 92.7 General Santos (now defunct),89.5 Brigada News FM,iFM 91.9,94.3 Yes! FM General Santos,Radyo5 97.5 News FM,K101.5 Love Radio GenSan,Barangay 102.3 GenSan and others.
There are three local newscasts programs in General Santos:TV Patrol Socsksargen (ABS-CBN 3 Soccsksargen) (now defunct),GMA Soccsksargen Flash Bulletin (GMA 8 Soccsksargen) now part asOne Mindanao Flagship Newscast, Balita38 (EGTV Channel 46) and Ronda Brigada (Brigada News TV channel 39).
Canberra, Australia[49]
Jersey City, USA[50][51]
Monterrey, Mexico[50]
Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan[50]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)This story on 'EDSA 3'[...] was first published byNewsbreak in May 2001.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Come August 14, Jersey City will become Gensan's third international sister city (after Monterrey, Mexico and Hadano City, Japan), while Gensan becomes Jersey's second Philippine sister city (after Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental).
Places adjacent to General Santos | |
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