AFTER a seven-year hiatus, representatives of Davao City’s 11 ethnolinguistic communities gathered Friday at Tionko Field along Quimpo Boulevard for the return of Subang Sinugdanan ug Panagtagbo, the traditional opening of Kadayawan Festival 2026 as a powerful symbol of cultural identity and unity.
The cultural event highlighted the arrival of boats from Magallanes along the Davao River. Indigenous Peoples representatives were met by members of the Moro communities upon reaching Tionko Field, followed by an offering of the bountiful harvest, and closed with Salu-salo sa Kadayawan.
The Davao River is a historic sanctuary of trade where culture, commerce, and life met. Before the city’s modernization, it welcomed merchants who navigated the strategic channels to barter goods, exchange harvests, and forge early economic ties.
During the program, Subang was defined as sunrise or dawn (beginning), and Panagtagbo, meaning meeting. Both terms were strongly interpreted as the “great meeting of unity” or “great beginning of unity.” The event reenacted how different peoples — the Indigenous communities of Ata, Bagobo-Klata, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Matigsalug and Obu-Manuvu, together with the Bangsa Iranun, Bangsa Kagan, Bangsa Maguindanaon, Bangsa Maranao, Bangsa Sama and Bangsa Tausug — came together to share land, harvest and culture.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, in his message delivered by Davao City Third District Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, said that building settlements, barter trade, and a vibrant tapestry of history remains a vital pillar of the city’s identity. He called on residents to “continue to honor their heritage, celebrate their diversity and inspire future generations to uphold the values that make Davao City a place of peace, joy, and progress.”
After the program, Deputy Mayor Roel Artur Ali Jr. of the Ata tribe said in an interview with SunStar Davao that the event met expectations and showed the unity of the 11 ethnocultural communities.
“Nindot nga mabalik kay history siya, mapakita pud sa new generation nga adunay ingon ani nga kasaysayan,” Ali said.
(It’s nice that it should return because it is history; it will also show the new generation that there is a history like this.)
He expressed hope that the younger generation would “embrace the history of the elders” because it is important to keep it alive even as the world relies more on digitalization. The event, he added, helped strengthen their identity and showed that unity is needed not only among Mindanaoans but in all aspects of life.
Kadayawan 2026 carries the theme “We Are One KadayaOne.” The city government has allocated P68 million for the monthlong celebration. GRS
