100K tourists expected in 2018 Sarangani Bay fest

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--More than 100,000 tourists are expected to converge anew in the white sand beaches of Glan town in Sarangani province on Thursday for a three-day grand festivity touted as the “biggest beach party in Mindanao.”

The Sarangani Bay Festival or SarBay is making a big comeback this year after its 2017 edition was scrapped due to the siege of Marawi City and the declaration of martial law in the entire Mindanao.

Sarangani Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said Wednesday they are all set for the festivity, which will look back at the devastating conflict in Marawi and promote the ongoing peace efforts in Mindanao.

“This year, we added a special event -- we are raising funds to help rehabilitate Marawi,” Solon said, noting that they added bigger events and activities to the festival, dubbed #SarBayUnited.

He said they partnered with local stakeholders, the private sector and the Department of Tourism (DOT) to help bring more action and attractions to the event.

The governor said the agency specifically picked SarBay fest as the culminating activity of its “Go South Philippine Islands” campaign that aims to showcase Mindanao as go-to tourist destination.

Because of the campaign, Solon said they expect more visitors from Luzon and Visayas to join the activities lined up in Barangay Gumasa in Glan town until Saturday (May 26).

As part of the pre-festival activities, organizers staged a triathlon last May 19-20 and the “Truelife” worship concert on Wednesday.

The festival will open with the usual crowd-drawer, the “swim across the bay” competition, fun run, SarBay strongman and sand sculpture competitions, as well as beach volleyball, beach football, skim boarding and ultimate Frisbee tournaments.

The other highlights are the “Go South of the Philippines” showcase, “Bancarera” boat race, Pinta sa Baybayon, SarBay cleanup, National Jet Ski Competition, DJ Battle, Bay Bodies search, SarBay Ultra Marathon, Drum Beating Competition, and Mountain Bike Challenge.

Nightly activities featuring concerts, foam parties and fire dancing exhibitions were also set in different venues along the white sand strip of Barangay Gumasa.

“SarBay is not just a night party. It’s a day, a family festival. It’s a fitness festival. It’s a festival for the environment,” Solon said.

The provincial government launched SarBay in 2006 to promote awareness on the protection and preservation of Sarangani Bay, which was declared a protected seascape in 1996 through Presidential Decree 756.

The SarBay crowd peaked at about 150,000 last year after reaching 126,000 during its 10th year in 2015. (PNA)