THE City Government of Davao and its partners officially launched the 34th Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival on August 2, 2019 at the Magsaysay Park.
There are a number of changes that are being implemented this year. For example, instead of being back-to-back events, the Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan and the Pamulak sa Kadayawan will be held on two separate weekends.
One of the most notable changes is the festival will be a month-long celebration instead of a week-long celebration.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is currently reportedly on leave, said the change from a week-long celebration to a month-long Kadayawan Festival is done in a "business sense" decision to provide economic and enjoyment opportunities both for the tourists and the businessmen in the city.
"This is a suggestion by our tourism sector which makes sense. Sinasabi kasi nila if we all put our events in one week, wala na tayong bisita after one week, so hindi natin ma-stretch ang economic opportunities ng hotels, ng malls, ng stores, ng businessmen. So gusto nila it's a month-long celebration para every day of the month, we have visitors who are buying, who leave their money diri sa atoa sa syudad sa Davao," she said during an interview on Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy's program Give Us This Day aired online Friday, August 2.
The City Government and the organizers of the Kadayawan Festival are inviting Dabawenyos to join the month-long celebration.
Organizers have spread the activities throughout the month. This will allow visitors coming to Davao City to enjoy Kadayawan Festival no matter the time of the month.
With 250,000 visitors expected to flock the city during the Kadayawan season, Vice Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte is urging Dabawenyos to be in their best behavior and welcome the visitors whole-heartedly.
“Kining dakbayan sa Dabaw, ato kini. Kini atong panimalay, ato kini ampingan, ug dawaton ang mga bisita (This is our Davao City. We take good care of our hometown, and welcome our visitors.) We show our hospitality. We show our values as Dabawenyos and show them that we can be fun,” Duterte, who is also acting mayor while Duterte-Carpio is on leave, said.
He also reminded Dabawenyos and visitors to be mindful of the city's policies.
With the month-long celebration, let us come out of our homes and enjoy the Kadayawan Festival. We at SunStar Davao have posted the schedule of the different activities during the Kadayawan Festival, please check out to see the event you can go to for the week.
Surely, there is something for everyone who will be taking part in the celebration of the festival -- whether it is enjoying the bountiful fruits or getting to know the different tribes of Davao City at the Kadayawan Village.