THE Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) 2018 ended Friday, February 23, with children going home with their medals and valuable lessons on sportsmanship, perseverance, and their memories of Davao City.
Unknown to many, there was more than just sports going on as each delegation was given an extra assignment: to perk up the schools they were assigned to stay in and make these beautiful to all guests and delegates.
The Davao City government has been pushing for urban vegetable gardening, even converting the roofdeck of the Sangguniang Panlungsod into one. Thus, it is not surprising that when a recognition for the best billeting quarters for the Davraa Meet was conceived, the Davao City delegation billeted at the Mabini Elementary School in Bangkal, Davao City, chose to decorate with vegetables.
All 11 delegations were allowed to choose a theme that best describes their province or city.
Go Green was the theme chosen by the Davao City Durians.
Mahayag National High School principal Ruben Botohan, a member of the clean and green committee for the Davao City delegation, said they chose the theme to show to other places in the region how Davao values its environment, as well as, to advocate for urban vegetable gardening and greening.
Botohan said they started landscaping and planting in January 2018. Given the short period to prepare and ensure that there will be plants once the Davraa opens, they opted to plant the fast-growing vegetables like lettuce, pechay, spinach, radish, and cabbage.
Had they been given at least two months, he said, they would have planted others like tomatoes and eggplants.
Still, that did not stop them from ensuring that the campus is primed with fresh vegetables once the delegates start coming in. A total of 1,600 seedlings were planted and grown.
He introduced hydroponics and aquaponics gardening, making the beautification project educational as well.
Hydroponics means the plants were grown without soil and instead were fed mineral nutrient solutions. Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics where the plants are fed the aquatic animals' discharge or waste.
School principals of Davao City and the committee members all contributed to the funds to buy seeds and planting materials, he said. In return, they got to harvest some.
The contest was just for fun. No medals nor prize money were at stake, just bragging rights and the spirit of fun.
Aside from the vegetable garden, the delegation also had their bazaar showcasing souvenir items, and a food bar for snacks.
Another eyecatcher was the welcome arch that featured a Philippine Eagle, and the words Davao spelled using the different iconic figures the city is known for: mangosteen, waling-waling, durian, Mt. Apo, and pomelo.
The arch was even equipped with a sound-making device that gives out the shrill cry of a Philippine Eagle every time a person passes through the arch.
Using vegetables for beautification and the colorful arch, bars, and bazaar earned a lot of praises and thus Davao Durian earned top spot in best billeting quarters, besting all 11 delegations.
Compostela Valley billeted at the Ma-a National High School along Ma-a Road ranked second.
At third place was Davao del Norte whose delegates were billeted at the Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Central Elementary School along C. Bangoy Street. At fourth is the Island Garden City of Samal whose delegates stayed at the Sta. Ana Central Elementary School, while at fifth place was Panabo City at Magallanes Elementary School along Bolton Street.