General Santos (pop. 697,315) is a port city in the Soccsksargen region of the Philippines. It lies on the south coast of the island of Mindanao, on the shores of Sarangani Bay. The city has an area of 207 square miles (536 square kilometers).
General Santos is the financial and trading center of South Cotabato province. The leading export products of the city and province are yellowfin tuna, hogs, and cotton. Other products include cotton seed, copra (dried coconut meat), cut flowers, fresh and canned pineapples, asparagus, bananas, and prawns (a type of shellfish). Tuna canning, banking and financial services, and property development rank as important industries.
An economic boom began in General Santos after the People Power Revolt that ousted President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos in 1986. In the 1990’s, the city’s economy grew rapidly. This development was boosted by a United States aid program aimed at upgrading local transportation. An international airport was completed in 1996, and a large fishing port was completed in 1998.
