I LIVED in Manila for a decade. I went to college there, had my first job there, and raised my children there.
I lived in a dormitory and rented apartments, moving from Manila to Pasig, Quezon City, Antipolo, and places in between.
For a young woman from the province, Metro Manila was a different world.
It brought me close to showbiz and media personalities because my training was with primetime television. I watched famous actors perform in stage plays, saw towering buildings with striking architecture, and experienced the lights, movement, opportunities, and excitement of the metropolis.
I also experienced Manila's other side.
I lost my wallet inside my own bag many times. I was threatened with a knife. My bracelet and necklace were snatched. I was hit by a car. I encountered other forms of unkindness that come with living in a place where millions are constantly moving.
Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, and everywhere was crowded.
Yet in those crowded places, I also met people who opened doors of opportunity or created problems.
In short, I experienced the best and the worst.
That is why I have a different perspective when people compare Metro Manila and Davao City.
I was born in Davao City. Although I lived for a while in Mati, Davao Oriental, most of my life has been in Davao City. So, I may call myself a probinsyana who lived in the “big city,” but deep down, I remain one.
That is why when people compare Metro Manila and Davao, I sometimes raise an eyebrow or laugh.
For me, they are incomparable.
They serve different purposes under different circumstances.
One is the country's primary metropolitan center; the other is a major city in Mindanao that has grown in its own distinct way.
But if you ask which is more livable?
Without a doubt, I choose Davao City.
I have seen it transform from the city I knew as a child into an increasingly urban center. I have seen how discipline became part of its culture and how that discipline is reflected in the way people move, behave, and care for their surroundings.
Davao is clean. Of course, no city is perfect, and litter still exists. But it is clean, and much of that comes from the people.
It is also a city where I feel safe. You can be out late without constantly fearing something terrible might happen.
Drivers will pick you up where you are and, sometimes, wait until you have entered your gate before leaving. Lost belongings are often returned.
These may seem like small things, but livability is often defined by small acts.
Yes, Davao has plenty of bawal: smoking and vaping in prohibited areas, firecrackers, public drinking, public urination and defecation, spitting, excessive speeding, and other violations are restricted or penalized.
Some may see these rules as restrictive. I see their results.
Rules alone do not make a city livable. People following them do.
I have also watched Davao's skyline change. Buildings, condominiums, malls, and commercial centers have transformed the city I knew growing up.
Yet Davao continues to grow without completely losing the character that made it home.
Metro Manila gave me exposure, opportunities, stories, and some scars.
Davao gave me something different: a sense of home, space to breathe, familiarity, community, and a way of life that feels more compatible with who I am.
So, when someone asks which is more livable, I don't need to think twice.
Davao City.
I say it because I have lived in both worlds.
I have seen the lights and walked the crowded streets of the metropolis. I have experienced its opportunities and dangers. And I have watched Davao grow from the city I knew as a child into one of Mindanao's most important urban centers.
