Written by Edwin G. Espejo
The annual Tuna Festival has been voted second best Tourism Event among chartered cities in the country, next only to the Dinagyang Festival of
The award was recently handed out during the 9th Annual Convention of the Association of Tourism Officers of the
Started in 1998 by former city mayor Adelbert Antonino and held during the first week of September, the annual Tuna Festival has been attracting local and foreign tourists and has become a major event in the city.
The city is also a regular host of the annual Tuna Congress, which is timed during the Tuna Festival Week.
General Santos is widely acknowledged as the country’s Tuna Capital. Six of the seven operating tuna canning plants in the country are located here.
Close to 120,000 residents here are directly and indirectly dependent on the tuna industry.
For close to 20 years, tuna exports have been the top dollar earner and revenue source of the city.
General Santos produces over 400,000 metric tons of tuna products every year generating close to $350 million in annual export receipts.