THE 21st Davao City Council passed a resolution to involve non-represented indigenous groups, such as the Mandaya, Mansaka, and Tagakaulo, in future Kadayawan Festivals.
The resolution was approved during the regular session on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Building, and was introduced by Second District Councilor Diosdado Angelo Junior Mahipus.
The initiative directs the City Mayor’s Office, the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), and the Davao City Office for Culture and the Arts (DCOCA) to develop policies that promote wider tribal participation in the annual celebration.
In a privilege speech, Mahipus emphasized the importance of recognizing the interconnected histories of the various tribes in the region.
“Long before the political boundaries that we recognize today... the peoples of this part of Mindanao interacted with one another,” he said, reinforcing the idea that “regardless of tribe, we are ultimately one people.”
The resolution maintains the status and protection of Davao City's 11 officially recognized ethnolinguistic communities: the Ata, Bagobo Klata, Matigsalug, Obu Manuvu, Bagobo Tagabawa, Kagan, Iranun, Maguindanaon, Maranao, Sama, and Tausug.
Instead of changing existing festival criteria, the local government will consider hosting guest performances and expanding cultural showcases while designating special exhibition sites for other indigenous groups to present their traditions.
Mahipus highlighted the significant presence of the Mandaya and Tagakaulo communities, whose historical territories lie in neighboring Davao Oriental but whose members have established roots in Davao City over generations.
"I submit that recognition need not be a zero-sum proposition," Mahipus stated. He argued that acknowledging additional cultures does not diminish those already recognized, remarking, "In Davao, everybody is recognized. Nobody is left out.”
While the resolution passed the local legislature, the proposal is with the city’s executive department and cultural heritage offices for further evaluation, where officials will study its operational feasibility, legal scope, and logistics before deciding whether to introduce new cultural showcases in future Kadayawan celebrations. GRS
