P35M allocated for 87th Araw ng Dabaw events

A DAVAO City councilor revealed that around P35 million is allocated for the 87th Araw ng Davao.

Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chairperson of the committee on finance, ways and means and appropriations, said during the Aprubado sa Konseho, on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, that the P35 million budget given to the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) for the Araw ng Dabaw is allocated for the 14 activities of the event.

The amount will cover the expenses, including prices, and incidental costs. The budget was approved during deliberations for the 2024 annual budget.

“So we would expect na [that] since it is properly provided we have grander festivities during the Araw ng Dabaw celebrations,” she said.

The 2024 Araw ng Dabaw budget of P35 million is slightly higher than last year’s P34 million. 

The festivities for Davao City’s founding anniversary will kick off on March 1 with a holy mass at San Pedro Cathedral from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. followed by the Pasiugdang Pagsugod from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It will then be followed by Konsierto Dabawenyo which will take place from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. 

There will also be the local pageant Mutya ng Dabaw, wherein its talent competition will be held on March 5, from 3 to 7 p.m. Its preliminary competition will be staged on March 9 from 4 to 8 p.m., and the awaited coronation night on March 16, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Some of the other events of Araw ng Dabaw are Kalingawan sa Distrito, Hulagway sa Araw ng Dabaw, Kundiman at Harana sa Araw ng Dabaw, Dabawenyo Ako, Sayaw Dabawenyo, Mercado Dabawenyo, Araw ng mga Empleyado, Pasidungog: Garbo sa Dabaw, and Hugyaw sa Dabaw. 

On the morning of March 17, the Parada Dabawenyo will mark the end of the month-long festival. Ian Jay Cachero/UIC Intern with reports from RGP

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