SOCCSKSARGEN Travel Guide
SOCCSKSARGEN Overview
Located in the south-central portion of Mindanao, the SOCCSKSARGEN Region (aka SOX Region) comprises 4 provinces and 1 highly-urbanized independent city. Region XII is also called the “12th Paradise of the Philippines.” SOX consists of the provinces of South Cotabato, (North) Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City. The region is home to the famous T’Boli Tribe which boasts of its rich culture and art through music and weaving.
SOX is known for several reasons, the first of which is that it is the home of the Tuna Capital of the Philippines – General Santos City. The region also is home to some natural wonders such as Mount Maitum, La Palmera Ridge, Daday Falls, Asik-Asik Falls, Lake Holon, and Lake Sebu among others.
As a personal observation, I have noticed that the region has good road networks and the transportation system is quite organized. The people, too, are very warm and always smiling when we greet them! The region’s landscape is also a sight to see because every corner of the SOCCSKSARGEN is worthy of the gram!
Read also: SOCCSKSARGEN – Exploring the Wonders of Region XII
Best time to go to SOCCSKSARGEN
The Philippines predominantly has two seasons, the wet (June to November) and dry (December to May). The best time to visit SOCCSKSARGEN Region is from February to March when the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) still prevails and the climate in the region is still quite cool. The average temperature in the Region is around 27 – 30 °C (80 – 86 °F).
How to get to SOCCSKSARGEN
Given its strategic location in south-central Mindanao, Region XII can be reached through various means. Here are some of the options when you want to visit the SOCCSKSARGEN Region:
By Land
By land, various bus lines pass through SOCCSKSARGEN’s major cities such as General Santos City, Koronadal City (Marbel), Tacurong City, and Kidapawan City. You can reach the Region either via Davao City or Digos City (Davao Del Sur), Cotabato City (Maguindanao Del Norte), Cagayan de Oro City (Misamis Oriental), Valencia City (Bukidnon), and other adjacent municipalities. Here are some of the bus routes that service the region.
From General Santos City
| Rural Tours of Mindanao, Inc. (Regular Aircon) | |
| Cagayan de Oro City | ₱ 840.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Mindanao Star Bus Transport, Inc. (Regular Aircon) | |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Polomolok, South Cotabato | ₱ 30.00 |
| Davao City (non-stop) | ₱ 300.00 |
| Davao City (regular) | ₱ 240.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 160.00 |
| Yellow Bus Line, Inc. (Regular Aircon) | |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Koronadal City (Elite Class) | ₱ 120.00 |
| Koronadal City (Executive Class) | ₱ 110.00 |
| Koronadal City (Regular) | ₱ 90.00 |
| Polomolok, South Cotabato | ₱ 30.00 |
| Davao City (Elite Class) | ₱ 325.00 |
| Davao City (Executive Class) | ₱ 300.00 |
| Davao City (Regular) | ₱ 240.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 160.00 |
| Surallah, South Cotabato | ₱ 125.00 |
| Husky Tours (BioCrest) | |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Polomolok, South Cotabato | ₱ 30.00 |
| Cotabato City | ₱ 330.00 |
From Koronadal City (Marbel)
| Rural Tours of Mindanao, Inc. | |
| Cagayan de Oro City | ₱ 750.00 |
| General Santos City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Mindanao Star Bus Transport, Inc. | |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 80.00 |
| Davao City | ₱ 150.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 70.00 |
| General Santos City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Polomolok, South Cotabato | ₱ 70.00 |
| Yellow Bus Line, Inc. (Regular Aircon) | |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 80.00 |
| Davao City | ₱ 150.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 70.00 |
| Polomolok, South Cotabato | ₱ 70.00 |
| General Santos City (Elite Class) | ₱ 120.00 |
| General Santos City (Executive Class) | ₱ 110.00 |
| General Santos City (Regular) | ₱ 90.00 |
| Surallah, South Cotabato | ₱ 35.00 |
| Husky Tours (BioCrest) | |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 80.00 |
| Cotabato City | ₱ 250.00 |
| General Santos City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Polomolok, South Cotabato | ₱ 70.00 |
From Tacurong City
| Rural Transit of Mindanao, Inc. | |
| Cagayan de Oro City | ₱ 700.00 |
| General Santos City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Mindanao Star Bus Transport, Inc. | |
| General Santos City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 80.00 |
| Yellow Bus Line, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| General Santos City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 80.00 |
| Husky Tours (BioCrest) | |
| General Santos City | ₱ 170.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 90.00 |
| Cotabato City | ₱ 160.00 |
From Cotabato City
| Mindanao Star Bus Transport, Inc. | |
| Davao City (Non-Stop) | ₱ 550.00 |
| Davao City (Regular) | ₱ 460.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 350.00 |
| Makilala, North Cotabato | ₱ 280.00 |
| Kidapawan City | ₱ 255.00 |
| Kabacan, North Cotabato | ₱ 220.00 |
| Husky Tours (BioCrest) | |
| General Santos City | ₱ 330.00 |
| Tacurong City | ₱ 160.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 250.00 |
From Kidapawan City
| Mindanao Star Bus Transport, Inc. | |
| Davao City | ₱ 210.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 115.00 |
| Bansalan, Davao del Sur | ₱ 70.00 |
| Makilala, North Cotabato | ₱ 35.00 |
| Kabacan, North Cotabato | ₱ 40.00 |
| Cotabato City | ₱ 255.00 |
| Davao Metro Shuttle | |
| Davao City | ₱ 200.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 110.00 |
From Kabacan, North Cotabato
| Mindanao Star Bus Transport, Inc. | |
| Davao City | ₱ 250.00 |
| Digos City | ₱ 135.00 |
| Makilala, North Cotabato | ₱ 65.00 |
| Kidapawan City | ₱ 40.00 |
| Cotabato City | ₱ 220.00 |
From Surallah, South Cotabato
| Yellow Bus Lines, Inc. | |
| General Santos City | ₱ 125.00 |
| Koronadal City | ₱ 35.00 |
By Air
The easiest and fastest way to reach SOCCSKSARGEN Region is through airplane. Two major airports service the region:
General Santos International Airport (GES)
The General Santos International Airport (IATA: GES) is the main gateway of the SOCCSKSARGEN Region by air. It caters to flights to and from Manila, Cebu, Clark, and Iloilo. Here are the schedules for the serviced route:
- Philippine Airlines
| MNL – GES | GES – MNL |
| 0650 – 0900 H | 1030 – 1230 H |
| 1330 – 1520 H | 1610 – 1800 H |
| 1105 – 1230 / 1525 – 1645 H (via ILO) | |
| 1105 – 1230 / 1850 – 2010 H (via ILO) |
- Cebu Pacific
| CRK – GES | GES – CRK |
| 0505 – 0725 H | 0755 – 1015 H |
| MNL – GES | GES – MNL |
| 0410 – 0620 H | 0735 – 0940 H |
| 1100 – 1305 H | 1355 – 1600 H |
| 1330 – 1540 H | 1615 – 1820 H |
| 1325 – 1440 / 1920 – 2040 H (via ILO) | |
| 1325 – 1440 / 2155 – 2315 H (via ILO) | |
| 1325 – 1440 / 2220 – 2345 H (via ILO) | |
| 1655 – 1810 / 2030 – 2200 H (via CEB) | |
| 1655 – 1810 / 2300 – 0045 H (via CEB) | |
| 1655 – 1810 / 2340 – 0115 H (via CEB) | |
| 1655 – 1810 / 0000 – 0130 H (via CEB) | |
| 1655 – 1810 / 0050 – 0250 H (via CEB) |
Cotabato (Awang) Airport (CBO) – part of BARMM
Though part of the Bangsamoro Region (BARMM), the Cotabato (Awang) Airport (IATA: CBO) is also one of the gateways in exploring the SOCCSKSARGEN Region. As of writing, the Awang Airport is still closed due to runway repairs, and the opening of the airport is yet to be determined.
By Water
South Cotabato Integrated Port
Also known as the General Santos Port, this is the gateway to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malay-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP – EAGA). The port also houses the Makar Wharf, which is a vital area for Southeast Asia trade.
There are also trips going to Balut Island and vice versa via its Mabila Port. Here is its schedule:
| General Santos – Balut Island | Balut Island – General Santos |
| Monday, Friday | Wednesday, Sunday |
| 2200 H | 2200 H |
| ₱ 780.00 (non-aircon) / ₱ 890 (aircon) | ₱ 780.00 (non-aircon) / ₱ 890 (aircon) |
*You can buy tickets in advance in each of the ports, you can contact +63 917 168 5199 (GenSan Port) or +63 917 114 2496 (Balut Island).
***Note that all fares and schedules are subject to change without prior notice. You can hit me up here so we can dish things up!***
Things to know about when visiting SOCCSKSARGEN
SOCCSKSARGEN has a total land area of 22,786.08 km² or roughly the size of the US State of New Jersey. The most common languages and dialects in the Region are Filipino, English, Hiligaynon, Maguindanaon, Sarangani, T’Boli, Manobo, Karay-a, Cebuano, Blaan, and Ilocano in some parts. The Cellular Signal in the region is fair to good but it can be poor in some areas, especially in rural areas of the region. The socket standard in the region is Type A (2 parallel pins) and Type B (2 parallel pins and a grounding pin) and commonly offers 220 V of voltage and 60 Hz of frequency.
The most common mode of payment in SOCCSKSARGEN is still cash. Though some establishments offer online cash transfers (GCash or Maya) and wire or bank transfers (Debit and Credit Cards). The currency used in the region is the Philippine Peso (PH₱).
Exploring in and out of SOX Region
The main modes of transportation in SOCCSKSARGEN are jeepneys (multicabs), buses, and tricycles (“payong”). The minimum fare for jeepneys and tricycles is ₱ 15.00. For buses, it services nearby cities of Davao and Kidapawan, Cotabato, Pagadian, and Cagayan de Oro. Tricycles usually start from ₱ 15.00 in their central business districts.
Traffic conditions are good to fair, but it can get traffic during rush hours (0700 – 0800, 1700 – 1900 H). Road conditions are mainly paved in most areas and land in some areas.
Read also: SOCCSKSARGEN – Exploring the Wonders of Region XII
*Note that the places, prices, and information written as of publication date and time are true and are given best during my visit. Changes may occur without prior notice. If you notice any changes to the information above, e-mail me here so we can dish things up!*
We’re born to travel!
About Aldrick 'chiki' Agpaoa
