Tupi never in single chance left visitors- be it local and foreign researchers, media groups and tourists, disgruntled but completely loaded with not merely megabytes of knowledge and information about its tourism, environment, culture and arts but chains of lifetime experiences to relish upon discovering all facets of town.

Last Monday, May 14, 2012, AHA, one of GMA channel 7 shows hosted by renowned triathlon hunk, Drew Arellano, flew across the seas and made its way towards Southern part of Mindanao just to have a close and personal encounter with town's newly discovered Tarsier species which long believed to be prevalent in islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte.

The crew, headed by the segment producer, Ms Joni Mosatalia had devoted at least two (2) hours to traverse and cover some of the town's pride at Brgy. Linan- the panoramic mountain deck, the B'laan cultural heritage, and the highlights of which are the peculiar insect feed small nocturnal animals and it s vast sanctuary.

This Sunday show, unlike any other GMA 7 shows, sets forth two vital things a viewer can get- entertainment and education or edutainment as what Mosatalia quipped.

Known for its banner line " Di na uso ang mangmang, lamang ang may alam", it (AHA) crossed the borderline of entertainment per se for it delivers, aside from fun, likewise endows collated facts and trivia about Philippines through travelling around the archipelago.

Fortunate for Tupi since it's Tarsier has been eyed to be the subject in the abovementioned episode this Sunday, May 20, 2012 at exactly 9:15am.

This visit from one of the biggest networks in the country was not a first. In fact, the breakthrough existence of the smallest known primate in the world in the municipality few years ago paved way to be featured by numerous local and international media and unwrapped opportunity to allure nature and animal enthusiasts who got wanderlust in their blood.

These activities, among others, will help, if not drastically, slowly boost the tourism value of the municipality.

As the famous tag line goes, " It's, indeed, more fun in Tupi, South Cotabato ".

It's very hard to predict when nature take its toll.

Residents living near the foot slopes of Matutum, already used to the afternoon rains, were in terrible shocked when flashflood struck on the afternoon of May 12, Saturday, damaging crops and properties, affecting 56 families in Sitios Tukay-el and Mambusong, Cebuano, here.

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) has estimated the damage at P300,000.00. No casualty was recorded, however.

Of the fifty six affected families, only the house of Zosimo Alvarez was destroyed, others were partially damaged, with knee deep mudslides on the ground.

The Uyag Uyag farm on the mountain slope of Mambusong was also hit by landslide destroying its two goat buildings costing P200,000.00, and burrying 5 commercial goats amouting to P75,000.00.

Uyag Uyag, a Maguindanaon term for livelihood, is run by Better Living Training Center (BLTC), a non sectarian group providing skills training to farmers around the region.

The farm is practicing countour and organic farming technologies. It is being eyed as model farm on sustainable farming.

Joseph Naredo, the Uyag Uyag farm manager said that the area was already denuded when they acquired it some two years back.

"This was a landslide area before, we do contour farming and planted some vetiver grass to restore back the vegetation and to prevent landslides, however, the rainfall has accumulated so much water that the lands could no longer handle, and this resulted to landslide" Naredo said.

MDRRMC estimated Uyag Uyag farm damaged at P275,000.00.

Meanwhile, MDRRMC Chair, Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr. has mobilized its members and provided immediate validation, and provision of financial assitance and distribution of food supplies and other goods to affected families.

Prior to this, the local government has laid down to plan to relocate all houses along the riverbank to reduce the potential damage to lives and properties during rainy season.

Dr. Nelso M. Pampolina, associate professor of the University of the Philippines, College of Forestry, in Los Banos, Laguna, who is voluntarily working for biodiversity conservation in Mt. Matutum  said "This is a wake up call, especially those occupying on Mt. Matutum foot slopes, we have to act to prevent several occurences in the future."

Pampolina, a resident of this municipality is providing technical assistance for the establishment of "biodiversity corridor and riparian zones" leading to Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape.

The Department of Environment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has classified Sitio Tukay-el, Cebuano as flood prone area.

Some forty informal settlers residing along the riverbanks in Tucalabong, Cr. Rubber will be relocated in June at the 2.6 has. lot bought by Tupi government in Lower Poblacion, this municipality.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) chaired by Tupi Mayor Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr., started preparing the area for the informal settlers. "We need to relocate those settlers occupying near the river banks to avoid any untoward incidents at the onslaught of the rainy season." Tamayo said.

The mayor has ordered the Tupi engineering office to prepare the relocation site that could accommodate 288 houses. He also appealed to all Tupinians, specially  the municipal employees to help build houses for the settlers during weekends.

"Let us help build home for our homeless townmates" Tamayo said adding "by sharing your time and free labor would mean a lot to the less fortunate" The housing facility will be provided free to the informal settlers, they can live there freely, however, they can not own the house. The system of not giving the house is part of the local government safety measure to avoid the selling of their house and lot to the moneyed one. Violating the same would loss their rights over the local government's housing facility.

MDRRMC has the plan of relocating informal settlers in the municipality, specially those occupying the road right of way within Barangay Poblacion.