ELEVEN elementary schools became a target of this year's Dabawenyo Ako school-based lecture and storytelling on Davao City's Heritage.
The City Tourism Office and Guide Davao have partnered with the Department of Education to conduct the activities from March 4, 2024, to March 15 in each of the elementary schools in several districts of the city.
The schools are Ma-a Central Elementary School in Poblacion, Sta. Ana Central Elementary School in Agdao District, San Lorenzo Elementary School in Talomo, Atan-awe Elementary School in Toril, Pangyan Elementary School in Calinan, Magsaysay Elementary School in Marilog, Tagakpan Elementary School in Tugbok, Malabog Elementary School in Paquibato, Callawa Elementary School in Buhangin; and San Miguel Elementary School in Bunawan.
Guide Davao Public Relations Officer Gracia Plata told Madayaw Dabaw on March 12, 2024, that they divided the children into two groups.
"For Grades 1-3 indoor na ang ilang session naa'y mga videos nga ipakita, presentation PowerPoint, trivia ang sa grades 4-6 outdoor mura siya'g gallery walk (For Grades 1-3 they have an indoor session and videos were shown to them, presentation, PowerPoint and trivia and for Grades 4-6 they have a gallery walk)," Plata said.
She said that the gallery walk serves as a moving museum where the students can see the old versus new pictures of Davao.
Plata said their target is for students to proudly share "Dabawenyo Ako".
"We give them the reasons to be proud to be Dabawenyo. So unsaon nimo maging proud to be a Dabawenyo if you did not know the history (We give them reasons to be proud Dabawenyos. How could you be a proud Dabawenyo if you did know the history)," Plata said, adding that the program is meant to address the information gap in Davao City's past, which is needed not only by the youth but adults as well.
The children who participated in the interactive history lectures had fun with the mascot "Duri", which represents Durian.
Plata said that the Dabawenyo Ako, a partnership between the Davao City Tourism Operations Office and Guide Davao, officially started as an Araw ng Dabaw event in 2016 - under the leadership of then-mayor and now Vice President Inday Sara Duterte. However, it was halted during the pandemic and this year serves as its comeback.
While the Dabawenyo Ako in schools was tailored for young school-age children, a Heritage Walk set this March 15-16 is for children 13 years old and above and adults.
To register for the scheduled Heritage Walk Dabawenyos may use this link: https://forms.gle/bUBgKpU56edyCYBX6. CIO