Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Ledesma: It's Kadayawan season! By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
IT'S Kadayawan in Davao City and there are countless reasons to celebrate this festival this year. The harvest is good, there is peace and quiet in the countryside, there is inter-faith cohesiveness, the weather is just perfect and the local government is responsive to the people's needs.
But there is more to the litany of blessings that one can tick off in a spur of the moment.
Maybe the most significant development that will pleasantly surprise local residents and their domestic and foreign guests will be the grand opening of the PTA Grounds, a.k.a. Palaruang Lungsod, a.k.a. Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Sports Complex.
All the names I mentioned are old names of the park--the first name was given before mayor Carmelo Porras administration, the second by mayor Elias B. Lopez, the last by acting mayor Zafiro Respicio.
The Mayor Rody Duterte administration is looking for a new name democratically chosen by way of a name-the-park contest now ongoing.
The City, I understand, has invited the public to submit a name that would aptly give meaning and significance to the park. (The guy or gal who can suggest the best name to be chosen gets P50,000 as prize.)
This is not just an ordinary assemblage of flora and fauna, of manicured flower gardens and walks, we see in the park pieces of sculpted arts executed by Davao's best-known artists.
I would rather not go into details for this would remove the thrill of discovering these yourselves.
The park is what used to be called the PTA Grounds. Years back, the seven-hectare quadrangle accommodated the office of the Schools Superintendent, the regional office of the Department of Education, a track and field oval, baseball and softball diamonds, volleyball and basketball courts, a grandstand and bleachers under which three elementary schools were holding classes.
There was no deliberate attempt to develop the decrepit sports arena, which was under-utilized. When it rained, the tracks were muddy and the stagnant water pools in the diamonds became veritable breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Before the advent of the malls, the PTA grounds were used for agri-fair especially during Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan celebrations.
Politicians of various colors and the religious from varied faiths held their rallies in the park. In between these events, the park was a derelict area used mainly for driving lessons during the day and the vagabonds as refuge by night.
In the pioneering days the park itself was part of a large expanse of swampy land that is a favorite hunting grounds for wild ducks. It used to be inhabited by crocodiles (before they moved to corrupt government offices). The late Ferdinand Marcos, during his teens, along with his boyhood friend the late Raul Sarenas, used to hunt there, according to FM himself.
His last political rally was to be held in he same ground later when he acceded to special polls that ended his dictatorial regime. But that is another story.
The PTA building was later razed to the ground by fire. Because the ownership of the valuable piece of real estate was in question, the desire to develop it never came to fruition. The city government fought the issue of ownership all the way to the Supreme Court, which decreed that the land is owned by the City government.
Thereafter, the local government under City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte decided to develop the area into a public park. Responding to the mayor's invitation to transform the valuable estate into a people's park, Regional Development Council Chairman Jesus V. Ayala and his wife Fe personally donated the first full-grown ornamental trees from the family-owned Eden Nature Park in upper Toril. Months later, as the park was being developed the trees blossomed. The couple brought other varied varieties from their nursery in Eden.
This year's Kadayawan celebration will also mark for the first time the display of cultural parade and other presentations exclusively participated in by the genuine tribal communities in Davao City.
This decision was brought about by the clamor of non-government organizations and other militant groups who raised issue about the modernism of ethnic choreography and the participation of other tribes from Mindanao.
I found this stand myopic if not altogether stupid for this bound the artistry in the art and artists to develop and evolve. On the other hand, the city should not have buckled to the pressure of the sector that sees wrong in everything that one does.
A day for the tribal exclusive display of native art and culture could have just been programmed along with choreographed presentations. This was the aura of mysticism and modernism appreciated by all. The so-called "bongga" in the celebration will not be lost in the bias of those who love to rant and talk.
Anyway, I hope they will succeed with the concept and I wish them well, really.
But don't be bothered by my own stupid concept either. There is an aura of bonanza and festiveness. The fruits of varied kinds are now costing 70 percent less than the usual and there are aplenty coming from the farms and wilderness of Davao City.
There are a lot of things you can see and savor. The only thing you might miss this Kadayawan is our mayor who is feisty but we have an acting mayor, also a Duterte, who, like her father is gutsy but also pretty.
Welcome to the most livable city in the Philippines! It's Kadayawan time!
