DAVAO City Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz announced plans to institutionalize the Kadayawan Festival, with a particular focus on making the Kadayawan Village in Magsaysay Park a permanent, year-round cultural attraction.
“We plan it as soon as possible, which is 12 months karon nagka-Kadayawan ta unya kung dili nato ni paspasan basin maabtan napod ta sa next Kadayawan 2026, so we considered this urgent (We’re pushing to fast-track this. Right now, the village is only open for 12 days during Kadayawan. If we don’t act quickly, we might run out of time again by the next Kadayawan in 2026)," Ortiz said during the Kadayawan Media Launch on July 24, 2025, at Rogen Inn.
With support from the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), and the Davao City Culture and Arts Office, Ortiz said they aim to pass an ordinance that will institutionalize both the Kadayawan Festival and the village.
The ordinance will formally establish the Kadayawan Village as a permanent fixture within Magsaysay Park, keeping it open and functional year-round as a cultural and tourism destination. She said that this would require a substantial budget to ensure the village’s structural integrity and long-term sustainability.
Osca Casaysay, officer-in-charge of the Davao City Culture and Arts Office, shared that several meetings have already been held with the city’s 11 ethnolinguistic tribes to plan the village’s institutionalization. Discussions are also ongoing with the City Economic Enterprise (CEE), which manages Magsaysay Park.
“When we had the meeting we had discussed ang initial nila is we have to also layout the houses in a way that it is a community (In fact, we discussed laying out the houses to reflect a true community),” Casaysay said, noting that the current setup separates the Moro and Indigenous People’s (IP) houses. The goal is to create a layout that promotes multicultural interaction.
Bangsamoro Maguindanaon Deputy Mayor Gabriel F. Nakan also highlighted the ongoing partnership with the CTOO, which supports livelihood and cultural programs for the tribes. He added that each year, the 13 ethnolinguistic groups work to ensure their tribal houses authentically showcase their unique cultures and traditions. RGP