GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 23 May) – Around 800 security personnel have been mobilized to help protect tens of thousands of foreign and local visitors who have already started to swarm the powdery white sand beaches in the village of Gumasa, Glan town in Sarangani.
The three-day Sarbay Fest (Sarangani Bay Festival), touted as Mindanao’s biggest beach party, will formally kick-off on Friday, May 24, with merry-making that will last until Sunday, May 26.
Colonel Deanry Francisco, Sarangani police director, said on Thursday, May 23, they have already set in place maritime and on-ground security measures, involving personnel from the police, military, coast guard, and the navy, as well as paramedics.
“Security plays a very vital role in such a huge event and we have to make sure all plans are in ‘working order’ and properly coordinated with other agencies and units,” he said.
The festival’s main venue has been moved this year to Reyes Beach Resort, also along the shores in Gumasa, Sarangani provincial administrator Ryan Jay Ramos said during a press conference.
Sarbay Fest aims to help promote Sarangani Bay as a protected seascape. It began to draw tourists, becoming an annual eco-tourism event when Provincial Ordinance No. 2006-5-030 declared every third week of May as Sarangani Bay Festival Week.
As it falls during the Month of the Ocean celebrations, Sarbay Fest includes advocacy events for the conservation of Sarangani Bay as a protected Seascape, like the gathering of crown of thorns, Scubasurero (collecting underwater trash), and Sarbay Heroes Camp.
The weekend Sarbay fest celebration will also be filled with “exciting water sports events and adventures, and all-night concerts and parties,” Ramos said.
The three-day fest will include Inksplash Tattoo Competition 2.0, Adventourism Ride, Skim Jam, SarBay Drum Beating Competition, Swim Across the Bay Relay, SarBay Strongman, Yoga by the Beach, Sand Sculpture, and Bay Bodies.
There will also be sports events like beach volleyball, frisbee, jet ski race, and a fishing tournament where anglers from nearby regions will compete.
Ramos said nightly concerts will feature local and national bands and celebrities, like Mayonnaise, Kean Cipriano, Enchi, Hashtags, The Secret, Kuerdas, and other guest DJs.
This year’s Sarbay Fest is the second since it resumed in 2023 after an absence of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Sarangani Provincial Information Office (PIO), from around 3,000 tourist arrivals in 2006 when Sarbay Fest first started, the figure increased to at least 150,000 in 2019, the last Sarbay Fest held before it was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The three-day yearly event is held along a six-hectare shoreline in Gumasa, a coastal village that is known for its long stretch of white sand beach and crystal clear water and a spectacular view of the sunset.
Sarangani Gov. Rogelio Pacquiao said “Sarbay Fest demonstrates our dedication to caring for our environment for the present and the future generation.”
He urged tourists to experience Sarangani Bay, which is considered by many as a “hidden paradise.” (Rommel G. Rebollido / MindaNews)
