On February 27, 1939, General Paulino Santos landed on the shores of the beautiful Sarangani Bay with 62 first batchers of Christian settlers under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) program of then President Manuel L. Quezon
Ireneo L Santiago was elected in November 1947 as municipal mayor of Buayan. His administration was credited for the establishment of the basic institutions and infrastructures like the wharf, the municipal building costing P19, 700.00, public school buildings, and a constabulary barracks.
The administration of Mayor Pedro Acharon, Sr. concerned itself with the barrio programs of President Magsaysay. Through the PACD (Presidential Assistance for Community Development), feeder roads connecting the remote barrios to the national highways were built. Artesian wells were established to solve the problem of water supply among the rural folks. Likewise, he finished the projects started by Mayor Santiago particularly Makar Wharf which was declared an open port of entry in 1959. The Buayan airport was also rehabilitated from the ruins of the war during his term.
Dr. Jorge Royeca’s administration emphasized cleanliness, beautification and health services. During his administration, General Santos Municipality was declared the cleanest town in the province of Cotabato. Anti-littering law was strictly implemented, stray animals were impounded, trees were planted along the national highway, and the continuous beautification of parks and the public plaza were pursued. Worth mentioning was the successful relocation of the squatters found along the beaches into Alunan Street.
During Mayor Lucio Velayo's term, the place saw the establishment of the following projects: the first two public secondary schools: one in Bula and the other in Conel; the establishment of the fire department; the concretization of the Philippine National Bank; and the establishment of deep wells in different barangays particularly in Klinan, Conel, and Tinagakan. Multi-national companies such as Standard Fruits Company (STANFILCO), the Coca-Cola Bottling Company were established in the municipality. The administration of Mayor Velayo also saw rapid stride in the field of media communication with the publication of the first local newspaper, the Southern Review, and the establishment of the first radio station, DXGS. Economic growth gained a very significant leap during Mayor Velayo's term. Multi-million agri-based corporations such as Dole-Philippines, General Milling Corporation and UDAGRI begun operating in the area. This time, the municipality qualified as a fourth class city prompting Congressman Salipada Pendatun to file House Bill 5862 converting General Santos Municipality into a city and renaming it Rajah Buayan City. Unfortunately, the residents in a plebiscite called for the purpose rejected this bill. The failure to convert General Santos Municipality into a city, however, occurred not in the halls of Congress but in the hollowed halls of the Supreme Court in recognition of the people's "rejection" of their cityhood.
Thru the efforts of Congressman James Chiongbian, the passage of Republic Act (RA) 5412 transforming the Municipality of General Santos into a city made Antonio Acharon the last municipal mayor and the first city mayor of General Santos. A more enduring testament to the magnanimity of the Acharon-Cahilsot family are the land donations to the government which include the present sports complex (10 hectares); PC Barracks (9 hectares); Pedro Acharon Elementary School (1/2hectare); Romana Cahilsot Elementary School; the Bliss Project in Calumpang; the City Cemetery; and what is now Silway area. The educational needs of the city were given emphasis during Acharon's time with the opening of several public elementary schools in six barangays (Apopong, Sinawal, Upper Labay, Labangal, Dadiangas Heights Lagao and Sitio Uhaw, Tambler). Two existing public elementary schools in the poblacion area, Dadiangas West and Dadiangas South, were divided and gave rise to two additional public elementary schools, the Pedro Acharon Elementary School and the Ireneo Santiago Elementary School. During Mayor Antonio Acharon's incumbency, other important infrastructure projects implemented were: government hospital, a new public market, concreting of major city streets and highways, building of bridges and dikes, the improvement of Makar Wharf, and the start of the construction of a modern City Hall. The economic growth of the city was undeniable with its declaration by the Department of Finance as a first class city based on its income in 1975. Mayor Antonio Acharon's term is the longest spanning almost two decades.
After the peaceful People Power Revolution in 1986, Atty. Dominador Lagare, one of the persistent opposition leaders who fought and opposed the Marcos regime, was appointed the officer-in-charge of the city. Just like his predecessor, Atty. Lagare was a Mindanaon having been born in Barangay Conel in 1943. The incumbency of Atty. Lagare was too short to fully appreciate his impact to the development of General Santos City. It was during Atty. Lagare's term that the construction of the unfinished city hall was completed in time for the Foundation Day Celebration of the city on February 27, 1987.
Appointed as an OIC mayor vice Atty. Lagare starting March 1, 1987, Mayor Rosalita Nuñez is credited for the adoption of the symbolic slogan "boomtown Dadiangas" as a catchword to create an image of feverish economic growth in the post-Edsa period. But more than a manifestation of the pioneering spirit of the people, the term assumed significance as a socially constructed word - born of the people, promoted and developed across time by the conscious efforts of the various segments of the community particularly the business sector and the local media. The government's adoption of the term as a strategy for development was explained in the 1991 publication by the city government: "It formulated a strategy to promote General Santos City as a "Boom Town" aimed at creating an image or even an atmosphere of feverish economic growth. In this, it has won the support of the private sector to embark on a program to attract foreign and domestic investors to the city. Furthermore, through private sector efforts, continuous lobby pressure is exerted on the National Government to push through with its plans and programs for the city at the soonest possible time." The city caught the attention of foreign leaders involved in the Philippine Aid Plan (PAP) who selected General Santos City as one of their first pilot projects. Under the city's $2.2 billion development plan are two components financed by PAP. One includes agroport (fishport complex), telecommunications, airport expansion, and seaport expansion; another encompasses industrial estates, road networks, pro-people organizations, and environment. The development plan made General Santos City the "concentration of the largest infrastructure projects in the country today", a natural result of its crucial role in both the SOCSARGEN growth area and SOCSARGEN'S role in the East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA).
With the assumption of Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino, who won the May 11, 1992 election, the city continued to develop as a major economic center. This is further boosted by the implementation of the Philippine Assistance Projects (PAP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These include the international standard General Santos Airport, the Makar Wharf, Fishport Complex and the Agro-Processing Center. General Santos City's incessant march to the 21st millennium is undeniable at the end of Mayor Antonino's first term which is also marked by improvements in organizational structure.
Mayor Nuñez was back at the helm of local governance in 1995. The city was host to the Palarong Pambansa and the 1st BIMP-EAGA FRIENDSHIP GAMES in 1996 which highlighted the city's capability for social and economic growth and as an active partner in national development endeavors. The EAGA Games was participated by the 8 focus areas of the BIMP-EAGA member countries namely: Brunei Darussalam; East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, North Sulawesi of Indonesia; Labuan, Sarawak, Sabah of Malaysia and Mindanao-Palawan of Philippines. These events were economic development "boosters" which has a net effect of promoting the city as a tourist destination and investor's haven for manufacturing, exports, services and real estate.
In the May 11, 1998 elections, Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino returned as City Mayor of General Santos. His administration was guided by Project FIRST - Fast Integrated Reform for Social Transformation. This concept anchored on improving accessibility to basic social services and ensuring that development becomes sustainable. The vehicle was the Shelter, Health, Education, Environment and Peace and Order or SHEEP Program. Antonino’s second term saw the computerization of city’s operations (time management system, Tax Revenue Assessment & Collection System, among others). The Most Competitive City in the Philippines award was given by the Asian Institute of Management to the city in recognition to its rapid growth and business friendliness.
Vice-Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. assumed the mayoral position when Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino resigned nearing the end of his term. Mayor Jun Acharon handily won the May 2001 elections with overwhelming margin and landed him in the city’s history as the third elected Mayor Acharon. His running mate, the second-generation Antonino scion -- Darlene Magnolia Antonino-Custodio -- won lopsidedly as representative for the 1st District of South Cotabato and Gen. Santos City. Bullish economic prospects particularly in the service industry have paved for the establishments of three higher educational institutions ACLC, General Santos Doctors’ Medical School Foundation, and Brokenshire College SOCCSKSARGEN.
The city airport has served as connecting flight hub of Indonesian airline – Merapati -- for its General Santos-Davao-Manado circuit. In May 2004, Mayor Acharon and his 11 partymates were successfully re-elected including Rep. Darlene A. Custodio. This second term has opened new economic opportunities for the whole constituents with the re-establishment of the KCC Mall and the expansion of Gaisano Mall. The 2nd Yaman Gensan and 5th National Tuna festivals saw renewed confidence from the local economic players and visitors. Major city thoroughfares were expanded. The Population and Basic Services (PBA) Integrated Survey were held in the later part of the year.
