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Palimbang’s twin islands are a stone’s throw away from Magalong Beach Resort and are easily accessible during low tide. (Bong Sarmiento | MindaNews) From a tumultuous past, Palimbang is now an emerging tourist spot

By Bong Sarmiento

PALIMBANG, Sultan Kudarat – This Moro-dominated town is starting to rise from notoriety and obscurity, luring visitors with the slogan “Manisan ka Palimbang.”

The Maguindanawon phrase is conspicuously engraved at the newly constructed 259-meter baywalk beside the highway in Barangay Baranayan, just across the site of the future municipal government complex.

It means “Palimbang is beautiful.”

But for decades, the beauty of Palimbang, which is about three hours away from General Santos City by car, has been denied to outsiders, no thanks to the ghastly past that haunted this coastal town and its people.

A stronghold of the Moro National Liberation Front in the 1970s, Palimbang, founded on August 14, 1959, was the scene of one of the most horrifying moments in Bangsamoro history after 1,500 male Muslim residents were reportedly killed by government troops in what was infamously known as the Malisbong Massacre, according to studies and testimonies of survivors.

Some were killed inside the village mosque while the others were shot at the graves they were ordered to dig along the coastlines. The village women, along with the children, were herded into a ship, where government forces allegedly raped many of them.

For decades, the secondclass town, with a population of 94,000, was also notorious for its deadly rido or clan war where rival families shot at each other even in broad daylight, prompting constant evacuations.

Things, however, have changed for the better since the past two years, with signs of progress emerging even right at the entrance of the municipality, which borders the town of Maitum in Sarangani province.

Upon entering Barangay Malisbong where the 1974 massacre occurred, a Moro heritage-inspired P2-million landmark archway was recently completed to welcome tourists.

Going towards the town proper, the open blue waters of Moro Gulf within the vast Celebes Sea is a sight to behold, with the baywalk just ahead not to be missed for a picturesque travel photo opportunity.

Opposite the baywalk is the P10-million Palimbang Green Palace, an edifice reflective of peace, progress and prosperity that the municipality is now experiencing after decades of underdevelopment due to alleged government neglect and the volatile peace and order situation.

Businesses, such as hardware and merchandise stores, are mushrooming now that locals no longer need to go to neighboring Maitum town to buy essential stuff.

Mayor Joenime Kapina attributed the town’s progressive momentum to the relatively stable peace and order condition in the last two years due to the changing mindset of his constituents: from rebellion- to developmentminded.

“Before, when 5 p.m. strikes, you will seldom see people in the streets due to the fear sown by lawless elements,” he told MindaNews.

But now, the well-lighted baywalk that was opened to the public recently has become a magnet that is drawing locals outside of their homes even at night simply to laze around and enjoy the sea breeze.

To add to the lively atmosphere, the local government allowed carnival rides and food stalls to operate just across the baywalk.

Local tourists have been coming into the town mostly through word of mouth, from family or friends who have been here.

“Our place is generally safe and peaceful now. That’s a big leap from before when our place is feared due to lawlessness and chaos,” the mayor said.

In response to the growing local tourist arrival, the municipal government constructed the two-story Palimbang Green Palace, the only “high-rise” concrete public building ever in the locality, to accommodate visitors who want to stay overnight. The town’s guesthouse could conveniently accommodate at least 40 people at one time.

Essentially, tourists visit this town to frolic on its still relatively unspoiled beaches

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Medol Islet beckons from the shorelines of Medol beach, presently the most visited resort in Palimbang. (Bong Sarmiento | MindaNews)