VICE President Sara Duterte will not be attending this year’s Araw ng Dabaw celebrations despite March 17, 2025, being declared a special non-working holiday in Davao City.
In a March 12, 2025 statement, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed, “In light of recent developments, the Vice President will no longer be participating in the Araw ng Dabaw festivities scheduled for March 16 and 17,” the OVP said.
Duterte would miss the Parada Dabawenyo on March 16 and her scheduled visit to the National Museum of the Philippines-Davao on March 17. She was initially set to attend both events.
On the same day, Duterte departed Manila at 7:40 a.m. via Emirates flight EK 337 bound for Amsterdam.
This development comes a day after former President Rodrigo Duterte was transported to The Hague, Netherlands, to face charges related to killings linked to his administration’s drug war.
On Tuesday, Duterte was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on orders from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating alleged crimes against humanity committed during the drug war.
The former president had just returned to the Philippines from a campaign rally in Hong Kong over the weekend when authorities took him into custody. Vice President Sara Duterte, who also attended the rally, arrived in the country on the same day and later went to Villamor Airbase, where her father was detained before being flown to The Hague.
In a statement, she condemned her father’s arrest, calling it a violation of his fundamental rights.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin signed Proclamation No. 825 on March 11, declaring March 17 a special non-working holiday in Davao City. “It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Davao be given full opportunity to participate in the occasion and enjoy the celebration,” he stated.
Coincidentally, the declaration came on the same day former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and transported to The Hague, Netherlands.
The holiday request was initiated by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on January 28, 2025, and formally submitted to the Office of the President on February 5.
The City Council followed up via phone call on February 27 and later sent a follow-up letter on February 28. However, no official response was received until the proclamation’s release on March 11.
The City Council also included a request to declare August 15, 2025, as Indigenous People’s Day in connection with the Kadayawan sa Davao celebration.
The resolution was sent to the Office of the President via courier on February 5 and received on February 6. On February 27, 2025, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) followed up through a phone call to the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, Director Rowena T. Sanchez.
The SP was informed that the request was still "in process." A follow-up letter was sent on February 28, but no official documents were received.
The request aimed to declare a holiday the day after the Araw ng Dabaw’s Parada Dabawenyo, allowing Dabawenyos to enjoy a long weekend.
According to the City Archives and Records Office (CARO), past holiday proclamations for Araw ng Dabaw were issued on March 4, 2020; February 24, 2021; February 28, 2022; February 13, 2023; and February 16, 2024.
The annual Araw ng Dabaw celebration, which honors the city’s rich history and culture, began on March 1 with the Pasiugdang Pagsaulog and features events leading up to March 16. Key highlights include Hulagway sa Araw ng Dabaw (March 1-16), RondalSayaw (March 2), and Dabawenyo Ako Walking Tours (March 6-8). The festival also includes the Datu Bago Awards (March 7), Mercado Dabawenyo (March 12-16), Pasidungog: Garbo sa Dabaw (March 13), and the Mutya ng Dabaw Grand Coronation (March 15). The celebration concludes with the Parada Dabawenyo and Hugyaw Dabaw on March 16. RGP WTH REPORTS FROM RGL AND CIO
