DESPITE the recorded Monkeypox (Mpox) cases in the Davao region, with six of them monitored in Davao City, local tourism officials have no plans of slowing down their tourism-related activities.
This bold move is credited to Department of Tourism Regional Director Tanya Rabat Tan who clearly understands that this “business as usual” attitude is crucial for the local tourism sector to continue to thrive amidst the current health scare.
But Dir. Rabat knows that such enthusiasm must also be tempered with caution, as the DoT has shared an advisory from the Department of Health (DOH) reminding stakeholders, particularly in the accommodation business, to observe minimum health standards.
With the DoT and the DOH working together, both agencies can strike a balance between the need to protect the health of residents, while ensuring that business activity in the city will not be affected.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. We just have to take the necessary precautions: regular handwashing, avoiding physical contact with individuals, and staying away from animals in areas with known mpox infections.
These are just a small price to pay as compared to the possible loss of substantial revenues if tourism officials decided to cancel the Duaw Davao Festival, which is expected to be a major revenue earner for local tourism operators.
The festival, organized by the City Tourism Operations Office of the Davao City Government, is among the most highly-anticipated events in the city that features visits to major tourism sites in the nation’s “Durian Capital.”
The success of this event largely depends on the ability of the City Government to put in place the necessary health protocols that will protect tourists from the virus and create a safe environment for businesses to operate.
In 2024, the Davao Region posted 4.1 million tourist arrivals, with 1.8 million trouping to Davao City. These visitors brought in revenues of Php 34.7 million, which not only benefitted tourism operators but also those in the transport, food and entertainment business.
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The Davao City Policy Office (DCPO) continues to make major headway in its battle against lawless elements, as authorities apprehended a total of 441 suspects in May during a month-long intensive campaign.
The DCPO’s accomplishments are a result of its ramped-up operations wherein it carried out 130 anti-drug operations, leading to the arrest of 159 individuals and the seizure of Php 4.2 million worth of shabu.
Moreover, the DCPO collared 63 individuals who were reportedly involved in street-level gambling, captured 203 suspects with outstanding warrants of arrest, and recovered 20 unlicensed firearms.
This is a testament to the commitment, hard work and courage shown by the men and women of the DCPO who are putting their lives on the line 24/7, as they go head to head with elements who want to disrupt the peace the city has been enjoying over the years.
We laud acting Davao City Policy Director Col. Hansel Marantan for the outstanding work he and his men are doing to keep our city’s streets safe and enforce the rule law amidst the current peace and security challenges it is facing.
It seems that local criminal elements have become bolder in the manner in which they have been carrying out their unlawful acts, which makes the jobs of our law enforcers even more complex and dangerous.
But from all indications, Col. Marantan is undeterred, as he emphasized that members of the DCPO are driven by their unwavering commitment to serve and protect the people of Davao who have given them their full trust and cooperation.
To sustain the DCPO’s successful peacekeeping operations, he underscored the importance of close coordination with other law enforcement agencies, local government units, barangay officials, and community leaders.
And as residents, we must continue to be vigilant against these miscreants who are flaunting the law ang creating a negative perception of our beloved city. We must always keep our guard up and be quick to report if we sense any suspicious activity.
This is our city. We must help protect it at all costs.
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I wish to congratulate three of our SunStar Davao colleagues who garnered five of the 11 awards for media professionals as well as four others who were named as finalists at the recent 2025 Archbishop Thibault Media Awards.
The winners included our papers lifestyle writer and social media head Mr. Allan Joseph Albior received the Mulieris Dignitatem Award for his story “Unyielding Vision, Triumph Over Adversity” and the Fratelli Tutti Award for “Bagobo Klata’s Culture in the Modern World.”
Our editor Ms. Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan brought home the Evangelii Gaudium Award for her story “Sisterly Love” as well as the Laborem Exercens Award for “Rains Bring Hope to Farmers.”
And our Editor-In-Chief, MaDavao City’s resilience