PEOPLE-watching at midnight in an urban subdivision, a young lady walks all by herself on the deserted street. Minutes later, it’s a young man in white uniform, a student maybe, or a young medical worker, walking alone looking at his cellphone not bothered by his surroundings.
Then a group of three ladies in shorts, pretty young ladies apparently on their way home from visiting one of the neighbors; no man accompanying them.
A man, clad like an ordinary worker, making his way through the dark alley that connects the subdivision to the main thoroughfare. Several others passed by, in groups of threes, twos, and alone.
Apparent in their bearing is the absence of fear. They are, after all, walking a street in Davao City. This is but a tiny spec of the peace and order Dabawenyos are rabidly talking about.
This is a story we all have to share.
Never before in the history of Davao City have we had this much attention worldwide. Yes, there may be those who are thrashing us, talking ill about our city, but many are actually wishing to be here, wanting to have what we have.
This is the time to tell our own stories, whether it be through photos or videos of our nightlife or daytime adventures or through posts, blogs, and articles.
It’s an opportunity we should all grab. It’s free publicity that has a big probability of being shared by a million more; a PR person’s dream.
In that single photo or story that we share, we get mileage that would have cost a city millions of pesos in promotions.
Today, we, Dabawenyos, are living a life professional marketers, PR persons, and advertising executives would give their eyetooth for.
Let’s take advantage of that.
Let us not waste this opportunity that not one town or city is enjoying today. Let us tell our story of a city that has nurtured us and allowed us to walk the streets at midnight, even when we’re all alone in a deserted urban street.
Let’s take this opportunity to be one with our people in telling the world that our city is indeed among the most liveable.
Let us not be sidelined by those who are trying to put our city and our people down. Just keep on sharing the good that we are all enjoying. In our sharing, we all win.
By May 9, (hopefully) this will all be behind us. But the good impressions that we have shared will live on in the consciousness of all those who have seen our posts. Let’s make friends and converts, not enemies.