Sarangani Bay 15-km swim challenge excites enthusiasts

GLAN, Sarangani (May 11, 2009) – Sarangani’s 4th swim-across-the-bay this year has stirred the interest of swimmers even from outside Mindanao to join the historic event in the country.

“It is the first and only 15-kilometer swim challenge crossing the whole stretch of the bay,” organizer Nemrad Butil said.

This year, teams from Boracay and Palawan would race against other teams from Davao, South Cotabato, General Santos City and Sarangani who had joined during the past three years. Organizers said a maximum of 10 teams can join the May 29 swim from Maasim to Glan.

“They are very excited to come and join the contest and also to enjoy our yearly celebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival,” Butil said.

Butil met last month in Boracay with events coordinators who expressed their intention to join despite airfare costs.

“They will be spending almost P100,000 for their team from Boracay to Sarangani, but their passion convinced them to come and join decisively,” Butil said. “They are just asking for accommodation which of course we will provide.”

Butil said Boracay and Palawan teams would like to model the Sarangani swim contest mechanics which follows the rules sanctioned by the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association.

Radyo Boracay would send a team to cover and broadcast the event live.

The Sarangani swim-across-the-bay is a 15-kilometer swim relay from Kamanga Beach in Maasim town to Reycon Beach in Tango, Glan, crossing the 230-hectare protected seascape of Sarangani Bay.

The swim challenge is one of the highlighted beach sports for the provincial celebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival each May.

“This is also an environmental campaign to let the people know that the bay is safe and clean,” Butil said.

Six coastal towns of Sarangani depend much on the bay. Everyday, thousands of community fisher folk set out to the bay and the Celebes for fishing.

A story about a whale shark named “Putol” dwelling in the bay was often told by these fishermen.

According to the story, the whale shark is so named because, many years ago, a fisherman encountered the whale shark and nearly capsized his banca. Out of surprise and anger, the fisherman chopped the whale shark’s fin and drove it away.

At the swim-across-the-bay challenge last year, boat marshal Jessie Esquibel with the swimmers of the Sta. Cruz (Davao) team claimed he saw “Putol” during the race.

Whale sharks are not man eaters. They are territorial mammals by the sea. Until now, some people believe “Putol” still lives in the bay to retaliate.

“He seemed to want to join the race,” Esquibel said.

The Sta. Cruz team won the event last year and bagged the P50,000 prize. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)