— It’s located in the heart of Southern Mindanao
Gensan is strategically located in the heart of Southern Mindanao hence becoming a gateway to other beautiful provinces such as Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and Davao Occidental. It has an international airport that made access easier for people from different parts of the country and outside the archipelago. Transportation is also not a problem as it has direct trips to almost all the tourist destinations.
— Affordable Cost of Living
Living in General Santos City doesn’t take a lot. A room good for two people with T&B and mini kitchen in the heart of the city only cost P4500 monthly on rent. This price also often include free water, electricity, and internet. Since the city is easy to get around with using public transport, going to work and other places won’t really cost much.
— Fresh and Affordable Seafoods
While it is to be expected for seafoods to be abundant and fresh in General Santos City, it’s also unbelievably cheap! A kilo of fish can go as low as P80 and shrimp at P120/kilo. Mussels and other seashells are also very affordable. While your 500 bucks may not last you a week on food in other cities, here you could very likely survive on it for almost two weeks.
— Delicious and Affordable Street foods
General Santos has given street foods a whole new different meaning for me. It’s not just barbeque or ihaw-ihaw, fishballs, and kikiam. Street food here means pastil or rice with the toppings of your choice that only cost P15 a serving. Toppings consists of spicy tuna, chicken, or beef. This would be served with unlimited side dishes consisting of sauteed eggplant, bagoong alamang, and pickled cucumber. You can also pair it with viands and only pay as much as P50 a meal.
— Malls are relatively near one another
It’s not like the malls in Ayala but unlike in other cities, malls here in General Santos are only a few walks apart. This makes shopping and mall hopping really easy as people don’t need to drive from one mall to another. This eliminates the need to drive through traffic and search for parking spaces which saves time and energy. There are four malls and each has different things to offer. When it comes to shopping and food tripping, my two favorites are KCC and SM Malls.
— Diverse Culture
General Santos City is a melting pot of various cultures. This is where the Muslims, Blaans, T’bolis, Ilonggos, Ilocanons, and Bisaya live and thrive peacefully. These cultures are showcased within the city in various different ways. You would also hear people speak different languages, dress according to their ethnicity’s fashion, and indulge in activities inherent to the ethnic group they’re from. I can only gasp in awe at how wonderful the locals interact with one another. While racism is a hot topic elsewhere, it’s just heartwarming to witness people from different cultures coexist here in perfect harmony.
— It’s where nature and technology meet
It’s no secret that General Santos is one of the fast rising cities in the country and with that comes along technology and innovation. Despite that, the city still managed to keep its natural wonders in tact. A good part of the city is still covered in lush forest. Its rivers are still clean. There are also several natural destinations that are only a few minutes drive away from the city center. Its people doesn’t have to go far as there are tons of beautiful spots that they can visit when they’re in need of respite from the hustle of life.
— Plenty of Coworking Spaces
One of things that I was skeptical about when I started backpacking in Southern Philippines is the availability of coworking spaces. Gladly here in General Santos City, I’ve got a ton of options. It’s just great to see that this city is already becoming digital nomad-friendly by having plenty of amazing coworking spots such as co.cee coworking and FocusHub. This made working online for me convenient and I can’t wait to see this city being recognized by fellow digital nomads.
