AN OFFICIAL of the Davao City Office for Culture and the Arts (OCA) said the office plans to build a stronger support network for local theater groups to help revive and sustain the art form in the city.
Oscar Casaysay, head of the OCA, said the newly created office is still laying down its programs and direction. However, he said the agency aims to support theater groups by helping address long-standing challenges, including the lack of rehearsal and performance spaces.
“Magtinabangay lang sa panginahanglan kay dili lang man gyud kwarta ang panginahanglan basin maka pool og resources as long as naa sila padayon natu mabuhi ang kultura og ang sining sa siyudad sa Davao (“We just need to help each other because financial support is not the only need. If we can pool our resources together, we can continue keeping Davao City’s culture and arts alive)," Casaysay told SunStar Davao on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the Barangay 22-C gymnasium.
Casaysay said claims that the theater is already dead in Davao City are far from true.
“As long as there are children interested in drama and social issues, theater will continue to exist,” he said, adding that stage productions remain an important platform for reflecting real-life community concerns.
He noted, however, that theater groups now compete with social media and digital entertainment for public attention.
Casaysay said many people now prefer scrolling through social media instead of watching live performances, a trend that threatens the growth of theater and other performing arts.
“If people completely lose interest in theater, it would be a huge loss to the arts community,” he said.
Earlier, 19 children from I Dream of Light (IDOL), the theater group of the Tambayan Center for Children’s Rights, Inc., staged a performance at the Barangay 22-C Gymnasium.
Casaysay said the OCA hopes to help bring the theater group to other barangays in Davao City to encourage more communities to stage their own productions.
He also expressed hope that the children’s performance would inspire more young people to join the theater and explore their talents in acting, singing, and dancing.
“We hope na mubalik na ang kadasig sa mga tao na mutan-aw, mubayad so basin mapadayon gyud natu pero hinay-hinay lang gyud (We hope people regain the enthusiasm to watch and support theater so we can continue this, but we will take it one step at a time),” he said. RGP
