AN ESTIMATED 120,000 people gathered along the Davao Coastal Road toward Tulip Drive and St. John Paul II College of Davao for the Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan Grand Showdown on Sunday, August 16, as the city mounted one of its biggest Kadayawan celebrations to date.
The City Government of Davao described the turnout as the largest crowd recorded in Kadayawan history, reflecting the strong public and visitor response to this year’s festival.
The massive gathering capped the major events of Kadayawan 2026, which featured 26 official activities and a city budget of ₱68 million. The month-long festival officially ran from August 7 to 31.
Davao City Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) head Ret. PLtCol Angel B. Sumagaysay earlier said the city deployed more than 19,000 integrated safety and security personnel throughout the festival.
The deployment included personnel from the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine Coast Guard, emergency responders, force multipliers, and other partner agencies. More than 700 personnel were deployed daily in strategic areas across the city.
The security operation was formally launched during a send-off ceremony at the Davao City Police Office Parade Grounds on August 3, led by Acting City Police Director Police Colonel Peter Bauzon Madria and Sumagaysay.
Sumagaysay said the security cluster was aiming for a zero-incident celebration and called on the public to cooperate with authorities and embrace what he described as the city’s “culture of security.”
The city government also imposed restrictions on items considered potential security risks during festival activities, including firearms, knives, alcoholic beverages, backpacks, umbrellas, lighters, toy guns, laser lights, and other prohibited items.
The expanded festival program was supported by a ₱68-million budget, up from the previous year’s ₱60-million city allocation. The increase was attributed to additional events and higher prizes for several competitions.
Davao City Tourism Operations Office Officer-in-Charge Willenito Tormis Jr. earlier said the city was targeting about 250,000 tourist arrivals for Kadayawan 2026, higher than the 206,506 arrivals recorded during the 2025 festival period.
The city government said the festival’s strong reception was also driven by the participation of government agencies, private-sector partners, sponsors, and other organizations that mounted activities across the city.
Speaking on Monday, August 17, Tormis said he was pleased with the response to the celebration since its opening on August 7.
“Walay gikabutngan ang akong kalipay, ang among kalipay sa City Government of Davao kay since nag abri ta atong August 7 hangtud karon, grabe ang reception, grabe daghan kaayo tag mga partners, mga sponsors nga nag-conduct pud og mga ilahang events. Ana sila, maski asa ka sa Davao, naay Kadayawan. Maong happy kaayo 'ta sa response, happy kaayo ta sa mga panghitabo karon (I cannot contain my happiness, and the City Government of Davao is also very happy because since we opened on August 7 up until now, the reception has been overwhelming. We have so many partners and sponsors who have also been holding their own events. They say that wherever you go in Davao, there is Kadayawan. That’s why we are very happy with the response and with everything that is happening right now),” Tormis said
The 2026 celebration carried the theme “We Are One, KadayaONE!” with the tagline “KadayaONE All Over the City: Best Kadayawan Experience.” The festival highlighted Davao City’s cultural heritage, agricultural products, and the traditions of its 11 ethnolinguistic tribes.
Among the major highlights were the return of Subang Sinugdanan ug Panagtagbo on August 7, the Hiyas sa Kadayawan Grand Coronation on August 13, and the Pamulak ug Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan and Indak-Indak Grand Showdown on August 16.
The record crowd at the Indak-Indak finale came as the city continued to expand the festival’s programming and strengthen its security measures, with government agencies, private organizations, security forces, emergency responders, and community volunteers working together throughout the celebration.
The city government credited the participation of Dabawenyos, tourists, government agencies, and private-sector partners for the successful staging of Kadayawan 2026.
