The Ka'aNiYogan Performing Arts Guild of the Municipality of Tarragona in Davao Oriental, a first-time participant in the Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan, is receiving the full support of the community in the municipality.
Mayor Benjie “Kaka” Bulaong disclosed this during the Mayor’s Night “Pakadyaw” on Friday, August 14, 2026, at the Sta. Ana Elementary School on Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City.
“Wala mi budget nga gipagawas ani, puros ni gikan sa among mga kaugalingong bulsa (We did not allocate a budget for this; everything came from our own pockets),” the mayor said in an interview on the sidelines of the event.
Meanwhile, the contingent’s manager, Barangay Captain Fiel Melan Bulaong of Barangay Central, the contingent who won the Ka’aNiYogan Festival’s first Yogyogan, said they are fortunate to have a very supportive local government unit. He said the delegates, particularly the youth, were fetched daily for their practices, while every municipal office contributed to the contingent’s preparations.
“We have two physicians here, and the whole personnel of the Municipal Office to address the physical needs of our delegation. We also have here our Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Officer and our rescue teams and two ambulances on standby,” he said.
He stressed that while Davao City has high standards when it comes to rescue and emergency response, Tarragona does not want to add to the city’s burden.
The municipality also took care of the contingent’s food and nutrition.
“Mao nang nikuha gyud ta og catering services, pamahaw, paniudto, panihapon, snacks in between, midnight snacks. They are well provided. Gibuhat pud ang menu sa atong mga physicians para sa endurance sa atong participants (That’s why we really hired catering services to provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks in between, and midnight snacks. They are well provided for. Our physicians also prepared the menu to ensure the endurance and well-being of our participants),” the manager said.
During his speech, Mayor Kaka highlighted the opportunity given to Tarragona’s youth under the present administration.
“Swerte kaayo mo sa inyong henerasyon (Your generation is very lucky) that you have the local government who supports you all the way, who paved the way, who led the way, to one of the biggest cultural stages of the Philippines. Much as we would like to be one of you before during our time, but we were deprived of the opportunity to be exposed to this kind of competition,” the mayor said.
He said participating in Kadayawan’s Indak-Indak is already a source of immense pride not only for the municipality but also for him as mayor.
“For the first time, ang lungsod sa Tarragona is stepping into one of the biggest cultural stages, not just in the region, not just in Mindanao, but in one of the biggest cultural stages in the entire Philippines. Ug para kanako, dako na kaayo ning garbo alang sa lungsod sa Tarragona, especially sa akoa personally (And for me, this is already a great source of pride for the Municipality of Tarragona, especially for me personally),” he said.
Meanwhile, Algy M. Arguna, artistic director of the Ka'aNiYogan Performing Arts Guild, said their entry focuses on the culture and traditions of the Mandayas in Tarragona under the theme “Tabiompo.”
The performance tells the story of how the Mandayas respect all creatures and their belief that a Diwata is tasked with guarding them.
“But we will have a pasabog that we will not reveal here. You can only see it during the contest proper,” Arguna said. CEA