BALANGAY City High Performing Arts from Mati City, Davao Oriental successfully defended its crown as champion in the open category, while the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School-Mana Performing Arts Ensemble emerged as champion in the school-based category of Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan 2025.
In the open category, Sindac Anib Performing Ensemble of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, secured second place, followed by Columbio Performing Arts Guild from Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, in third.
Katribu Mindanao Ensemble of Kapalong, Davao del Norte, landed in fourth place, while Samu’t Sari Dance Company of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, claimed fifth.
In the open category special awards, Balangay City High Performing Arts of Mati City, Davao Oriental, won both Best in Music and Best in Street Dancing, while Sindac Anib Performing Ensemble of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, took home the Best in Artistic Design and Best in Choreography.
Meanwhile, Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School–Mana Performing Arts Ensemble unseated last year’s defending champion, Davao City National High School–Sining Sayon Dawet Cultural Ensemble.
The Dranhs-Mana Performing Arts Ensemble also bagged Best in Artistic Design, Best in Music, and Best in Choreography, taking home a cash prize of P50,000.
The group also won the Best in Street Dance and will receive P50,000 worth of products from Pocari Sweat.
In third place for the school-based category is the Sta. Ana National High School-Sta. Ana National High School Performing Arts Guild; Fourth place is Catalunan Pequeno National High School-Sining Mananayaw Ensemble, and in fifth place is Teofilo V. Fernandez National High School-Kultura Sandayo Indangan Performing Arts Guild.
The champions in both the open and school-based categories will receive P1 million, a plaque, and 150 medals. Second place in both categories gets P500,000; third – P400,000, fourth – P300,000, fifth – P200,000, and 10 consolation prizes of P50,000 each. Special awards: best in music, best choreographer, and best in artistic design will each take home P50,000.
For the Pamulak sa Kadayawan floral float parade, six entries entered in the Dako (Big) Category, 12 in the Gamay (Small) Category, and 10 non-competing floats.
The winner in the Dako Category is entry no. 2 – IPI, who will take home P800,000, while the winner in the Gamay Category is entry no. 2 – Alorica Davao, who gets P500,000.
Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte graced the Indak Indak sa Kadayawan 2025 on the evening of Sunday, August 17, and thanked the safety and security personnel who kept everyone safe. He encouraged local and foreign tourists to follow the city’s ordinances, such as the No smoking, Liquor Ban, and Speed limit, among others, for a peaceful celebration of the festival.
“Importante kaayo nga dili magkalat sa dalan kay para bawas na trabaho sa atoang mga tiglimpyo, so atoang mga basura dad-on nato kay nailhan baya ang Davao sa usa sa mga pinaka limpyo nga siyudad sa Southeast Asia,” he said.
Duterte said that it was through being disciplined that the people of Davao could show that they are united. He said that Dabawenyos remain resilient despite the challenges that are being thrown at them.
Parada sa Kadayawan and Indak Indak sa Kadayawan
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who was among the guests of honor at the event, said that despite the celebrations of the Kadayawan Festival, the public should not forget about praying for former President Rodrigo Duterte (FPRRD). He said that people should remember to pray for him everyday.
“Unta hangyo nako kaninyo taliwala sa atoang kalipay, sa atoang pag-selebrar sa atoang Kadayawan Festival, ang pag-ampo, pagpangaliyupo sa atoang labawng makakagahom nga ang atoang pinalangga nga si Mayor Rody makauli na unta sa atoang siyudad sa Davao (I hope I can ask you, in the midst of our joy and celebration of the Kadayawan Festival, to offer prayers and supplications to our Almighty that our beloved Mayor Rody be able to go home to Davao),” he said.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who was also the guest of honor, echoed Dela Rosa’s sentiments and called for the public to pray for the safety of FPRRD and that they should not stop praying for him so that he would be able to go back to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Davao City's Second District Representative Omar Vincent Duterte, the son of Paolo "Pulong" Duterte and grandson of FPRRD, expressed his gratitude that the Kadayawan Festival 2025 was peaceful and lively, albeit something is lacking, and that is the presence of FPRRD.
“Sige lang, kabalo man gyud ko nga kamo tanan na grabe gyud ang inyung pag-ampo nga makauli na siya (It's okay, I know very well that all of you have been praying so hard for him to come home),” he said.
Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, in a message read by Councilor Maria Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chairperson of the Tourism and Beautification, Trade, Commerce, and Industry, during the parade said that Kadayawan Festival reminds the public to celebrate the rich culture, honor the 11 ethnolinguistic tribes of Davao, and to be grateful for the bountiful harvest of nature.
“To all Dabawenyos and to all our guests here in San Pedro Square and all over the world, we hope you enjoy this year’s Pamulak and Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan,” he said.
The floral float parade and Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan started around 6 a.m. The drum and lyre corps of some of the educational institutions in the city also showcased their performances.
For the open category, contingents were: Katribu Mindanao Ensemble of Kapalong, Davao del Norte; Samu’t Sari Dance Company of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur; Sindac Anib Performing Ensemble of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Tinubdan Cultural Performing Arts of Davao City of Barangay Bucana, Davao City; Indayog Maco Performing Arts Guild of Maco, Davao de Oro; Saliw Indak Mananayaw of the Municipalities of Talaingod and Kapalong in Davao del Norte; Balangay City High Performing Arts of Mati City, Davao Oriental; and Columbio Performing Arts Guild in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.
While for the School-Based Category, contingents were: Matina Aplaya Elementary School-Banaag Aplaya Performing Arts Ensemble; Davao City National High School-Sining Sayon Dawet Cultural Ensemble; Lapu-Lapu Elementary School-Lapu-Lapu Elementary School Performing Arts Company; Teofilo V. Fernandez National High School-Kultura Sandayo Indangan Performing Arts Guild; Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School-Mana Performing Arts Ensemble; Los Amigos Elementary School-Los Amigos Elementary School Performing Arts Guild; Catalunan Pequeño National High School-Sining Mananayaw Ensemble; and Sta. Ana National High School-Sta. Ana National High School Performing Arts Guild.
Just like last year, the two major events of the Kadayawan festival, Pamulak and Indak-Indak, were conducted on the same day. RGP