Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Maxey: A week to remember
By Ram Maxey
Bar None
"What was remarkable about the Kadayawan Festival was the peaceful atmosphere. No major crimes were reported and even the ever-present threat of terrorism had been relegated to the back-burner of people's minds."
THE Kadayawan Festival of Davao City the past week was the best ever in the history of the annual fruit and flower event. The major hotels reported 100 percent occupancy with the influx of thousands of visitors.
The up-tempo sights and sounds of commerce marked a week which saw business enjoying a mini boom, whether in the malls and department stores, or among the ubiquitous sidewalk and ambulant vendors. Nightspots and entertainment places never had it so good as the more fun-loving crowds got into the mood and parted with their hard-earned money faster than they earned it.
The famous and pungent smelling durian, sometimes referred to as the "fruit of understanding" (aphrodisiac?), was in abundant supply and could be bought for as low as P40 per kilo and selling like hotcakes. So far no statistics on its much-touted effect on the human male has been forthcoming. In fact, there were as many women as men who devoured the fruit with gusto. Yeah, it takes two to tangle.
As for the teeming crowds on the last two days (Saturday, Sunday), blame Mayor Rody Duterte for telling the people on television to come out and indulge, enjoy themselves. One wondered if anyone was left at home as festival-loving folks made a beeline to the downtown areas where things were happening-be it the indak-indak (street dancing) competitions or the float parade. Crowds were so thick, especially along the sidewalks, that people had to inch forward sideways to make any headway, whether they were going north, south, east or west.
Over at the gaily-decorated Tionko field, the week-lomg National Women's Football Tournament regaled spectators with action by eight teams from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Host Davao City, retained its championship by scoring a total of 31 goals against opposing teams which failed to score a single goal, thus stamping the team's over-all superiority.
What was remarkable about the Kadayawan Festival was the peaceful atmosphere. No major crimes were reported and even the ever-present threat of terrorism had been relegated to the back burner of people's minds. Two thousand policemen and 500 members of the military's Task Force Davao were everywhere, ever on the alert for signs of trouble that never came.
It was a week to remember. Even now, everyone is looking forward to the next one. And why not?
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (August 23, 2005 issue)
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