Pioneer settlers acknowledged in Kalilangan 2015

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (28 February 2015) - History in Gensan, unlike any other city in the Philippines, has been formed through the courage of its pioneers.

Kalilangan 2015, with its theme “Kalilangan: Ano Ang K Mo?”, reached back to the origins of the city through the help of the scions of Gensan’s pioneers.

These pioneers were headed by General Paulino Santos who arrived in these shores on February 27, 1939 through the boat M.V. Basilan. The National Land Settlement Administration was the mandate that made these pioneers from the northern region of the archipelago to settle in Mindanao.

These forerunners are long gone by now. However, their descendants are still alive and are very active in every activity the city has—especially those who are akin to culture and history.

Collectively known as the “Sons and Daughters of General Santos Pioneers”, they are the remnants—mostly grandchildren—of the first to settle here in Gensan.

This Kalilangan 2015, City Mayor Ronnel Rivera put them into the spotlight as well as let them organize a couple of activities that would help weave and piece back the past and its connection to the present.

Among these are the painting exhibit inside the City Hall by Amado Munda (grandson of Gen. Paulino Santos), the photo exhibit in the ground floor of KCC Veranza, and the Parada ng Lahi on February 27.

“We have to pay our respects to our forefathers and those who came before us. They gave birth to Gensan and cultivated it soils and we are really thankful for that,” Mayor Rivera said.

He also recognized the importance of these pioneers through inducting the set of officers of the Sons and Daughters of General Santos Pioneers at KCC Veranza on Febrary 24.

The chosen president is William Benigno Aquino.

In their ingenuity and care for the history of the city, members of the group have consolidated their resources and wrote a book entitled “General Paulino Santos: His Journey To History”.

Copies of the book have already been handed to Department of Education General Santos City and to be distributed to the different schools of the city.

As for the mayor, this initiative is already a big help for educating the children of the city.

“We need to teach our children our history so that they won’t lose track on the history of our city,” the mayor explained. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)