THE Kadayawan Festival is upon us. Next week, the city will be bursting with activities as the Kadayawan week unfolds its major events.
Of greater cause for revelry among the locals, however, are the bumper harvest of fruits. Indeed, it’s the season of plenty where durian, mangosteen, rambutan, lanzones, pomela and the staples like bananas, pineapple, langka, avocado, mangoes, and several more are in season.
Let’s take that as reminder of what the festival was conceived upon – thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest and multifaceted culture that Davao City has been blessed with.
While indeed the festival does not have the saints and Christian icons that many a Philippine festival has, ours have a deeper attachment to what we have been gifted with and thus despite not being in celebration of any icon, it should be celebrated with greater fervor because in Kadayawan, we thank the Creator –whatever name you might want to call your Creator – for the harvest, for the bounty, for the people. We aren’t asking, nor praying in supplication. The blessings have already been given and given in bounty, we just have to give thanks in an ecumenical manner, where religion is not the center but the Creator and Creations.
It is important for Dabawenyos to always remember the underlying reason for the festival so that we will not lose track of the soul of our people as we collectively partake of the fruits and reflect on how lucky we are that nature has smiled upon us as a city and as a people.