Sarangani ditches stars, popular bands for SarBay Fest due to fuel crunch
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 16 April) — Mindanao’s biggest annual beach party, the Sarangani Bay Festival, popularly called SarBay Fest, would have subdued celebrations next month due to the fuel crisis triggered by the Middle East war fallout, Gov. Rogelio Pacquaio said.
The governor sought the understanding of SarBay patrons for the simpler celebrations of the festival, which will be held on May 22 in Glan, a town famous for white sand beaches.
“There will be no splendid beach party. We will not invite national celebrities and popular bands. No big stage. No grand production,” said Pacquiao in mixed Filipino and English, stressing that cutting down SarBay Fest’s grand celebrations is part of the province’s austerity measures.
“We are not spared from this crisis. Prices of commodities are soaring because of the tension in the global stage. Everybody is affected,” he said.
Instead of huge merrymaking, Pacquiao said this year’s iteration will focus on protecting the ocean for the welfare of residents and the livelihood of fisherfolk.
He noted the celebrations are geared more on strengthening the “I Love Clean SarBay” advocacy, which will include coastal clean-up activities and advocating for the conservation of Sarangani Bay.
The 215,950-hectare Sarangani Bay, which was declared a protected seascape in 1996 by then President Fidel V. Ramos, straddles the towns of Glan, Malapatan, Alabel (the provincial capital), Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum, and the chartered city of General Santos.
In past editions, the SarBay Fest is celebrated with nights of concerts and dancing along the village of Gumasa, touted as the “Boracay of the South” due to its powdery white sand beaches.
Glan, a bucolic town at least an hour away from General Santos City, is considered the top tourism destination in Sarangani.
The SarBay Festival started in 2006 during the term of Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez.
Last year, SarBay Fest ran for three days from May 23 to 25. Aside from concerts by national artists and various DJs setting the tone for grooving, merrymakers were treated to a “Splash in the Sky” fireworks display.
Other activities included jet ski competition, beach volley tournament, bay bodies, and bancarera (motorized outrigger boats race), and several more.
Organizers placed the largest crowd in attendance, mostly local tourists, at 400,000 during the 2024 SarBay Fest edition.
Glan also boasts of heritage colonial houses and centuries-old trees that are silent witnesses of the town’s rich history.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) included Glan, particularly the village of Batulaki, as part of the 500th commemoration of the first circumnavigation of the world by Spain.
Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of the first circumnavigation of the world headed by the fallen Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, wrote that the surviving crew of the Spanish expedition dropped anchor in “Biraham Batulach,” known as the present-day Barangay Batulaki, to seek solace from a raging storm on October 26, 1521. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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