Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2003
Text by: Melo Villareal
It was 785 kilometers south of Manila. As soon as the airplane dove, dispersing the clouds, the tail-end of a monsoon, we could see from the window speckled with raindrops the Cagayan de Oro River, a large brown snake, intermittently fringed by trees, slithering across an urbanized strip of land bounded by mountains and pouring into the Macajalar Bay in the central coast of northern Mindanao.
Kadayawan, a Bagobo term for celebration of a bountiful harvest, Kadayawan is derived from the aboriginal word "dayao" which means good or "madayaw," things that are of great value or is profitable, superior or beneficial. The festival activities include fruit and flower show, trade fair, tribal/civic/military parade, traditional sports activities, horsefight, Search for Mutya ng Davao and street dancing. Dubbed as the "festival of festivals," the Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival is probably the country's biggest festival today.
The event was participated in by different dance groups from all over Mindanao and the colorful float parade was the country's biggest with 84 participants from the city's different walks of life. Although already a customary practice of the indigenous people of Davao, the thanksgiving festival was institutionalized in 1986 to unite the Dabawenyos after the turbulent Martial Law years. It was then called Apo Duwaling, a contraction of the famous icons of the city, namely: Mt. Apo, durian and waling-waling. Two years later, it was renamed Kadayawan to better reflect the merry spirit and indigenous theme of the celebration. The overwhelmingly successful celebration of the 18th Kadayawan sa Dabaw from August 18-24 made a strong statement for Davao as a peaceful and orderly city. This yearΥs theme is Duaw! Duyog! Meaning Come and Visit Davao. Celebrate with us.
Street Dancing Competition: A total of forty dance groups participated in the Indak Indak sa Dalan this year. The following were declared winners: Junior Category: 1st place - Simuway Junction Elementary School of Tantangan, South Cotabato ("Maguindanao Moslem Festival"); 2nd place -Sabuyakan Datu Acad Dalit Elementary School of Buayan, Gen. Santos City ("Tribung Sabuyakan"), 3rd place - Bagong Sibol Ensemble of Magallanes Elementary School, Davao City ("Twalang, the Great Bagani"); 4th place - Ma-a Central Elementary, Davao City ("Return of Busaw"); 5th place - Daniel M. Perez Central Elementary School of Bunawan, Davao City ("Buya").
Consolation prize winners: Padang-padang Cultural Dance Company of Parang Central Child-friendly School, Parang, Maguindanao ("Kalilang A Kawing"); Quezon Elementary School of Davao City ("Vinta"); San Roque District of Davao City ("Ugsad, ang Manobo sa Katubay"); Tribung Kayungmanggi of SIR Elementary School, Davao City ("Manobo Festival");
Senior Category: 1st place - Padang-padang Cultural Dance Company of Parang Central Child-friendly School, Parang, Maguindanao ("Kalilang A Kawing"); 2nd place - Tribung Sabuyakan of Notre Dame of Parang, Maguindanao; 3rd place - Tantangan South Cotabato, Tantangan Municipality, Maguindanao ("Maguindanao Festival"); 4th place - Tribo Placernon of Placer, Surigao del Norte ("Tribung Placernon"); 5th place - Sta. Ana National High School, Davao City ("Biya, Bagani Tignbanwa");
Biggest Float Parade in 18 years: An unprecedented number of eighty-four groups joined the Floral Float Parade this year. The following were declared victorious:
Small Float Category - 1st place-Greenwich, 2nd place - Cebuana Lhuiller, 3rd place - Davao Horse Club, and two consolation prize winners - Bayan Muna and Agdao District.
Big Float Category - 1st place New City Commercial Center, 2nd place - SM City Davao, 3rd place - Floriculture Industries of Davao, Inc., and two consolation prize winners - Chowking and the Island Garden City of Samal 18th Kadayawan sa Dabaw : A success
The 18th Kadayawan Festival was well participated, particularly the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan participated in by local government units, including those outside the Davao region. A huge crowd trooped to city thoroughfares Saturday to witness the street dancing competition.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Kadayawan is a good start to heal the conflict between other communities following the bombing incidents that hit Davao International Airport (DIA) and Sasa wharf passenger terminal early this year.
This year's festival has proven that Davao already recovered from bad publicity because of the bombings that happened in the city. The success was illustrated by the overwhelming number of visitors and the 77% occupancy rate for major hotels and 57% for resorts, the Department of Tourism reported.
Four hotels breached the 80% occupancy rate, while only two hotels recorded below 70%. The 217-room Grand Regal Hotel ( formerly Mercure Hotel Davao) posted an 88% occupancy, followed by Marco Polo Hotel with 86% of its 245 rooms.
Waterfront Insular Hotel, located at the northernmost part of the city and one of the oldest, and the downtown Royal Mandaya Hotel both posted an 84% occupancy. The Gatchalian-owned Waterfront Insular Hotel has 150 rooms, while Royal Mandaya has 119. Grand Men Seng Hotel had a 66% occupancy rate, while Apo View Hotel had 56%.
Tourism Regional Director Sonia Garcia said smaller hotels, inns and other lodging houses had higher occupancy during the weekend.
The record was based on the occupancy for August 21-24, the last four days of the festival, which drew participants from other cities outside Mindanao.
About Davao: Davao City is one of the most alluring gateways to the Philippines. There are two reasons which make Davao unique: its people and its warm hospitality. Within bucolic highlands, migrants from all over the country live in harmony with indigenous tribal folk.
Close to Davao City is Mt. Apo, the country's highest peak and home to the monkey-eating Philippine Eagle, an endangered species, and the waling-waling, a rare orchid of exceptional beauty.
Of late, Davao has become a booming tourist destination as evidenced by the rise of leisure establishments in the region. Davao is also the biggest cutflower producer in the country and a major exporter of tropical fruits.
A tour of the city and its outskirts will bring the visitor to Dabaw Etnica, a tiny settlement of the Mandaya Tribe; Dabaw Museum whose display includes tribal artifacts and costumes; and the Taoist and Lon Wa Buddhist Temples.
Davao is also known for its exquisite beaches, there is even an old Pearl Farm that has been converted into a world-class resort. These beaches are all easily accessible by banca (out-rigger boat) or land travel.
This year's festival has proven that Davao has already recovered from bad publicity because of the bombings that happened in the city.
This artilcle was originally published in PILMAP MAGAZINE.
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