Sarangani Bay Fest 2013 proved again why it’s the biggest beach party in Mindanao.
Why it’s called the biggest beach party is evident in how the number of attendees have grown over the years. From having 3 thousand attendees in 2006, SarBay Fest has drawn 57 thousands people in 2012 and over 70 thousand this year.
Thanks to social media and word of mouth advertising, a silent town like Glan can revamp itself into a place of festivity, making it the province’s hotspot for tourism, especially in a time of year when summer is about to bid goodbye.
The two-day Sarangani Bay Fest (May 24-25, 2013) gave tourists and locals a blast as organizers prepared a number of exciting summer-themed activities. Among them were: Swim across the Bay, Sand Sculpture, Beach Volleyball, Beach Football, Skim Boarding Clinic, Pinta sa Baybayon, Sarbay Zumba with the Legendz, Fire Dancing Exhibition, Foam Party, Concert at the Bay and Fireworks Display.
There were also souvenir shops available, buying these items will support the locals.
As early as February, resorts have been fully booked for this anticipated event, so they allotted areas near the bay where people who came from all over the region can put up their tents. The tents were put up so close next to each other that you could eavesdrop conversations from people about their lives, drunk or otherwise.
“kung mag caregiver ka, I swear kung dili ka ma milyonaryo, mamatay pa ko!”
“Adto og Canada, kung di ka mamilyonaryo, pangitaa ko!”
“Naa pa kay ipon?” “Naa pero gamay na lng. Mga 30 thousand”
Conversations like these made me proud why I and my friends never got drunk on a night when everyone (almost!) already was.
The second night of Sarbay Fest was probably the most festive of all. Tents of various sizes and colors filled the Gumasa shoreline, people flocked in the party area as local bands rocked the stage, others chose to spend the night with friends in a circle of good foods and drinks. This was no night of reservation.
But the most jaw-dropping part of the night was the fireworks display!
For a brief moment, the revelry had stopped and the only thing owning the night was the perfectly choreographed streak of lights appearing in the sky, one after another, like rockets taking off from land only to explode in a mesmerizing burst of colors in the air.
The view was riveting, breath-taking and magical all the same.
Right after the fireworks display, applause and murmurs of awe echoed along the crowd-infested shoreline while the all-girl rock band General Luna segued to send the thousand of spectators back into merrymaking. Disco and partying came right next, giving Sarbay fest goers the best beach party they deserve.
This is my summer fling. No unnecessary liplocking, no dirty dancing, no flirting – just the festivity and company of good friends are enough to seduce me to come back again to this place, with or without fireworks.
How to Get There
Sarangani Bay Fest is held in Glan, Sarangani Province. From Davao City or General Santos:
- From Ecoland Terminal in Davao City, take a bus or van heading to General Santos City. Estimated travel time is 3-4 hours
- From General Santos City bus terminal, take a van going to Glan, Sarangani. Estimated travel time is 4-5 hours
- From the town proper in Glan, the festival site is accessible by a local transport like habal-habal (motorcycle) or bao-bao (tuktuk) or tricycle.
