Gaginaway Festival

Sunday, November 20, 2011

IT HAS been recorded that the picturesque town of Malita in Davao del Sur has been existing as far back as 1904, according to a passage in the Laws of the Moro Province that mentioned its presence as a barrio before it was created into a municipality, long before the Americans came to Davao.

It was said that the amusing origin of Malita was culled from the Spanish word for suitcase "maleta", retired Don Mariano Peralta, a veteran of the Spanish-American war, almost lost his suitcases in the swift river current he was trying to cross, prompting him to shout, "Maleta, maleta!"

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The natives responded, saved his belongings, and also presumed he was referring to the name of the land. How it became Malita was probably due to the diction of the locals.

Descendants of Malays who drifted to Mindanao from around Southeast Asia years before Christ was born were believed to be Malita's early inhabitants - Tagacaolo, B'laan, Manobo, Maguindanao, Sangil and Bagobo. Between 1909-1912, immigrants poured in from the Visayas, Luzon and Mindanao as well.

This year, Gaginaway Festival showcased the four major tribes of Malita today -- the Tagakaolos, Manobos, Muslims and the B'laans -- who live harmoniously with one another (and eagerly watched the Pacquiao fight in the public gym together).

Each tribe was given a day of parading in their best costumes and stately bearings. One in particular, the B'laans, came down from the chilly highlands of Little Baguio to parade with their horse, monkeys, huge pythons and deers. It was a wonderful crazy sight to behold. Each tribe tried to surpass one another with their skills and creativity, the Tagacaolos romping away with the coveted grand prize of P75,000.

This thriving town is getting special attention for many reasons. One, it has one of the best national highways connecting from Davao within a 3-hour smooth road trip and a scenic view by the cliffs.

Two, it is identified in the Special Economic Zones, particularly the Tubalan Cove, a selected area which has the potential to be highly developed into an agro-industrial, tourist and recreational location.

Not only is it a dive adventure for rich coral gardens, it is also a haven for dugong sightings, since most of Malita's coastal areas have healthy sea grass beds.

Malita is actually still a hidden paradise. Most of its natural tourist attractions like waterfalls, caves and hidden lagoons are still undeveloped. However, developments are underway by its LGU to make it into a major growth center of the province. By next year, its Tourism Foundation Office headed by Lorna Bautista will be cooking up more activities to lure tourists into their wonderful hometown.

(Jojie Alcantara and Rhonson Ng are photojournalists whose quests are to promote undiscovered attractions. During Gaginaway Festival, they stayed for a week in New Argao, Malita in a beach cove where dugongs appear almost every morning. Special thanks to the Bautista family. Visit both travel sites in www.dabawenya.me and www.rhonsonphotos.com).