Mindanao’s ‘biggest summer beach party’ unfolds in Sarangani

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Mindanao’s “biggest summer beach party,” the Sarangani Bay Festival or SarBay, will attempt to “break new grounds” as it unfolds Thursday in the Sarangani town of Glan.

Organizers led by Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon said Wednesday thousands of tourists are expected anew to grace the white sand beaches of Barangay Gumasa for the three-day annual festivity.

Solon said they are hoping to surpass the estimated 100,000 tourists who joined the festival’s 11th edition last year.  

“We are ready, everything is all set and we have lined up even bigger and grander activities this year,” Solon said in a statement.

The 2019 SarBay festival will start around 5 a.m. with the “swim-across-the- bay,” a 15-kilometer swim relay from the coasts of Maasim to Glan towns, and the “neon run.”

Top swimming teams from parts of Region 12 or Soccsksargen and the Davao Region are joining the race, which among the top attractions of the festival.

The other lined up events, which will take place until Saturday, are the SarBay Strongman, Beach Volleyball Tournament, Beach Football Tournament, Skim Boarding Competition, Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, Jetski Competition, Mountain Bike Challenge, Planet Camp, Fire Dancing Exhibition, Drum Beating Competition, DJ Battle, Bay Bodies, “Pinta sa Baybayon,” and Zumba fest.   

Daily night parties are also set featuring popular bands and artists such as Rocksteddy, 6CycleMind, Marc Marasigan, DJ Kouta and DK Cupcakes.

Michelle Solon, chair of the Sarangani tourism council, said the festival seeks to highlight the province’s continuing efforts to protect and conserve the critical Sarangani Bay.

She said they have set mechanisms that will encourage locals and tourists to be responsible SarBay citizens in an effort to position SarBay as the “standard for a sustainable festival.”

Solon said an environmental fee of PHP30 will be collected from every individual who will be attending the festival.

“Upon entering the Sarbay Fest area, there is also a PHP20 fee that will go to your Sarbay trash bag. Every Sarbay citizen who can collect a minimum of five kilos of trash can win an exclusive Sarbay token,” she said.

Starting this year, she said they will start using sacks as trash bags instead of plastic containers in compliance with an ordinance banning single-use plastics in the area.

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 in 2016 after reaching 126,000 during its 10th year in 2015.

The local government canceled the 2017 festivity due to the Marawi City siege and returned with a crowd of more than 100,000 in 2018. (PNA)