Any tour operator in the city?

There are a couple of travel agents in the city, yes. Those that can service you when you need advance or last minute flights, each one trying to sell you cheap flights or airline tickets.

But is there anybody planning to put up a tour operator company and not just a travel agency? Tour operators are those that sell, arrange and operate tours for a certain area or even other areas they have tours for. For Gensan, there might not be a lot of choices for tours but the neighboring provinces South Cotabato and Sarangani have tour options aplenty. I have seen a tour operator recently set up in Sarangani. Wow, that’s great for them and I hope it works out well. How about Gensan?

I think that Gensan has a bigger potential for tour operating because this is the jump-off point for the said provinces and where major communication, banking and business offices are located. It will be a great boost for hotels, restaurants and tourism-related companies if the tour operating business does well. Hotels cannot rely entirely on group bookings and last minute accommodation bookings, which are what makes up most hotel bookings because right now, they do not suffice.

So if you are in the look out for a new business, tour operating might be an option for you!

What happened to Socoteco?

If you have seen the news on TV Patrol Socsksargen about two days ago, you would know that Socoteco might not be able to read our meters and bill us for electricity anytime soon. If you didn’t, well, now, you know!

For most households, it might be disastrous! Why? Because by now that your electricity bill is not yet in, it just might be 25% now than your usual bill. For the area I live in, the bill is already delayed by 4 days. It might be adding aboiut 300 to 500 pesos on my usual bill.

The question is: Will socoteco be a little bit lenient as to the payment of this period’s bill? Some might have difficulty paying a higher bill. It surely wreck’s a budget.

Anyway, I hope they could bill us soon.

Culinary Expo Winning Entries

In behalf of the GSC Tourism Association, I wiould like to thank the sponsors and participants to the 1st Tuna Festival Culinary Expo.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Brokenshire College Socsksargen
Gensan College of Technology
Holy Trinity College
South Ranex College
STI College
Joji Ilagan Foundation

PARTICIPATING HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Cebbans Garden Resort
Durian Garden
East Asia Royale Hotel
Family Country Hotel and Convention Centre
Grab a Crab Restaurant
JCA Cakeshoppe
Lanz Apordabolz Grill

SPONSORS

City Government of General Santos City and
Tuna Festival Council
Gaisano Mall of Gensan
Smart
Getz Bros. (Lea snd Perrins and Heinz)
Unilever Food Solutions
Silver Swan
Mama Sita
Kikkoman
SN Wide Reach Marketing (for providing us with the tissues and trashbags)
Dari Crème Classic
Citra Mina
Family Country Hotel and Convention Centre, the Official Hotel of the TFCE
La Germania (for providing the stoves)
Nature’s Spring
Shellane (for providing the LPG, tank and accessories for the cooking stations)
Cebbans Garden Resort (for helping us with our welcome display of fruits and vegetables)
Glex  (for giving us Viva Mineral Water)
Arpee’s Flowershoppe
Mindanao Polytechnic College (thanks boys!)
Emcor Highway (sofa and refrigerator)
Fiesta Appliance (videocam)
Wilmond Printing Press
Gregoria Printing
Ideas
Walmount
ACLC Gensan
Marasa Grill
Bench Castil Graphic Design (for doing a great job desigining our posters, invites and streamers)

MEDIA PARTNERS

Home Radio
Socsksargen Advertiser

PARTNER RESTAURANTS
Arnevel’s Catering
Cebbans Garden Resort
Cookie Factory
Durian Garden Atbp.
East Asia Royale Hotel
Family Country Hotel
Grab a Crab
Goldilocks
Lanz Apordabolz Grill
Lechon ni Mang Thomas
Marasa Grill
Mix N’ Magic
Roland’s Steak House
Sarangani Highlands
Six’ Blings Ostrich Resto
T’ Boli Hotel

Here are the winning entries for the market basket and wedding cake display for the professional category.

First place- Professional category: Durian Garden Atbp. (market basket)

Second place- Professional category: East Asia Royale Hotel (market basket)

First place- Professional category: Arnevel’s Catering (wedding cake display)

Second place- Professional category: JCA Cakeshoppe (wedding cake display)

Congratulations to the winners of the Tuna Festival Culinary Expo

We have just concluded the Tuna Festival CUlinary Expo last September 4 and here are our list of winners!More of the results and photos coming up.

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TUNA FESTIVAL CULINARY EXPO 2008

SUMMARY OF WINNERS

CAKE DECORATING – STUDENT CATEGORY

CONSOLATION PRIZES 1,000	3RD 2,000 and a trophy	2ND 3,000 and a trophy	1ST 5,000 and a trophy
#2 Holy Trinity College Flordeliz Villegas; Lionell Asis	#3 Brokenshire College Melody Buduan; Hezron Frias	#4 STI College of Gensan Maverick Marinas; Kelvin Diasana	#5 Holy Trinity College Paula Alcober; Mathew Taylaran

WEDDING CAKE DISPLAY – PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

CONSOLATION PRIZES 1,500	3RD 3,000 and a trophy	2ND 5,000 and a trophy	1ST 7,000 and a trophy
		#1 JCA Cakeshoppe	#2 Arnevel’s Catering

TABLE SETTING- STUDENT CATEGORY

CONSOLATION PRIZES 1,000	3RD 5,000 and a trophy	2ND 7,000 and a trophy	1ST 10,000 and a trophy
#4 South Ranex College #5 STI College	#2 Brokenshite Collge	#1 Jojo Ilagan Foundation, Inc.	#3 Holy Trinity College

TABLE SETTING- PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

CONSOLATION PRIZES 1,500	3RD 7,000 and a trophy	2ND 10,000 and a trophy	1ST 12,000 and a trophy
		Grab a Crab Restaurant	Cebbans’ Garden Resort

MARKET BASKET- STUDENT CATEGORY

CONSOLATION PRIZES 1,500	3RD 3,000 and a trophy	2ND 5,000 and a trophy	1ST 7,000 and a trophy
#7 Holy Trinity College Manfrid Joseph Romero; Adelbert Diazon; John Dave Ebong #5 Jojo Ilagan Foundation, Inc. Loran Mae Lavega; Joe Faith Daligdig; Reinhart Nadong	#2 Brokenshire College Yoka Victoriano; Francis Lloyd Provido; Ronabee Ria Lim	#6 Holy Trinity College Justine Paul Manansala; Mariela Rose Maraguinot; Christmae Linobo	#3 STI College Marco Fernando Toleto; Angelie Taclob; Jestone Amistad

MARKET BASKET- PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

CONSOLATION PRIZES 2,000	3RD 5,000 and a trophy	2ND 7,000 and a trophy	1ST 10,000 and a trophy
# 4 Lanz Apordabolz	# Family Country Hotel	# 3 East Asia Royale Hotel	# 5 Durian Garden Atbp.