Biggest beach party in Southern Philippines on May 27-29

ALABEL, Sarangani (May 19, 2010) – Local media and events organizersmet at a press call Wednesday (May 19) for the province’s yearlycelebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival on May 27-29.

With the number of guests and visitors tripled during the past threeyears (from 5,700 in 2007 to 17,500 in 2009), Sarangani Bay Festival has become the biggest beach party in this part of the country.“Each year we are improving our celebration of the festival,” Vicente Camacho, executive committee chair for the celebration, said.“This year, we have five new events that will surely add excitement tothis beach summer fun,” Camacho said.

Sepak takraw sa baybayon, which is one of the new events, will be participated in by national andinternational players with seven teams from Luzon, Visayas andMindanao.

For the historic swim-across-the-bay, a 15-kilometer swim relay contest, event organizer Nimrod Butil said his committee has revisedcontest mechanics for the said event.

For his part, municipal tourism chairman of Glan Dr. Tranquilino Ruizsaid what is more important about the celebration is knowing the history and oral literature about Sarangani Bay.

“Sarangani is as old as our very own race, Malay. When Ruy Lopez de Villalobos happened to reach this part of the ocean in their search for provision in 1543, his chroniclers wrote Sarangani to mean “This is our territory” or “We stop here” according to the Indonesian language.”

Ruiz is a known local historian of Glan where the beach sports activities for the festival will be held particularly in Gumasa white sand beaches.

White Haven Beach Resort, Rosal White Sand Beach, CocoBeach (09195330408), and the newly opened Isla Jardin del Mar(09107581239) lead the mushrooming of resorts here.

The three-day festival will kick off in Maasim town’s LemlunayParadise (formerly Southpoint Dive Resort) on the 27th with the opening of the photo contest, POI and ZIP Clinic, and a reggae partyin the evening.

On the second day (May 28), activities will be held in the adjacent White Haven Resort, Rosal White Sand Resort, Coco Beach and IslaJardin del Mar such as Lumba Bugsay, skimboarding, beach football,beach frisbee exhibition games, sepak takraw sa baybayon, beach fair,sand sculpture competition, bay bodies bikini open, and summer nightbeach party.

The 15-kilometer swim-across-the-bay will start at theLemlunay Paradise to Tango in Glan.

On May 29 - bancarera, fun bike ride, beach volleyball, cheerdance andconcert by the bay featuring the Cueshe Band. (Russtum G.Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)