by Jims Vincent Capuno
From island to highland – that’s what awaits anyone who comes to Davao City. The center of trade and commerce in Mindanao , it is also the hub of tourist attractions and activities. Its typhoon-free weather, warm and hospitable people, and mouth-watering foods make Davao the perfect holiday spot for the entire family.
Davao is one of the world’s largest cities in terms of land area, occupying more than 2,400 square kilometers. It has a resident population of 1.3 million, who speak mostly Bisaya (the national language comes second). English is the medium of instruction in schools and is widely understood and spoken especially in the business community.
So, it’s your first time to be in Davao City ? What are the things you can do? Well, allow me to give you some ideas:
1 Visit the City Hall, a former municipal building that was constructed in 1926, in San Pedro Street . If you’re lucky, you may have the opportunity of meeting Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio, the first lady mayor of Davao City .
2 Take a walk to Rizal Park , just a few meters away from the city hall. Take a closer look at the renovated stage made possible by the Davao chapter of United Architects of the Philippines and home-grown artist Kublai Milan, who made the sculptured Philippine Eagle.
3 Have some photos taken at the Sangguniang Panglungsod building, a few steps from Rizal Park . Use the freedom statue as background.
4. Pray inside the historic San Pedro Cathedral, just adjacent to Sangguniang Panglungsod building. The church was built in the year 1847 during the Spanish period led by Don Jose Uyanguren, the Spanish conquistador of Davao . The old altar of the church is preserved at the right wing of the cathedral featuring antique images of saint and that of St. Peter.
5. Learn about the war at the Camp Domingo Leonor, also at San Pedro Street . Here, you can see the quarters of the Spanish and later American soldiers in the 1920s.
6. Get a glimpse of what the city looks like in the past at the Museo Dabawenyo. The museum offers the opportunity to understand the soul of the people of Davao .
7. Pay a visit to Davao ’s newest icon, the People’s Park at Jose Camus and J. Palma Gil Streets. It features many delightful treats for its beholders to discover. Grand landscaped waterfall, strategically scenic benches, a small but fun playground, amazingly breathtaking gardens, arranged multipurpose trees, lovely traditional cottages and sophisticated sculptures.
8. Talk with the tribal women brought down from South Cotabato weave cloth from the fibers of the native abaca plant at the Waterfront Insular Hotel. The art is handed down from generation to generation.
9. Feed the young fierce reptiles at the Crocodile Park in Maa. The only crocodile park in the region, it provides home to locally-bred crocodiles including the country’s biggest crocodile named Pangil (or fangs) measuring over 18 feet in length.
10. See the national bird at the Philippine Eagle Center, located in Malagos, about 45-minute drive from the city center. Aside from being a temporary home for the endangered species, it also hosts some other exotic animals native to Davao ’s forest.
11. Make a side trip at the Malagos Garden Resort not far from the Philippine Eagle Center. This resort has a rich collection of rare indigenous Philippine flora and wide assortment of orchids. Several species of butterflies also thrive in its enclosed sanctuary. Within its area, a bird park has been built to shelter rescued and rehabilitated birds.
12. Have a communion with nature at the Eden Nature Park in Toril. A very popular mountain resort, it is situated 3,000 feet above sea level, giving it a cool and moderate climate. It is 95% man made with pine trees dotting the landscape.
13. Be sanctified at the Lon Wa Buddhist Temple in Agdao. The biggest Buddhist temple in Mindanao , it is set in environment of candle trees and bamboo with an imposing statue of theBuddha and his life depicted in wood carving.
14. Conquer your fear by river-rafting the mighty Davao River . Your trip from upland Tamugan would end at the Crocodile Park by the Dizon’s River Front.
15. Take a splash at the Times Beach , two kilometers from the city proper. It bustles with picnickers during Sundays and holidays.
16. Experience fun and adventure at the two giants slides of Bluejaz Beach Resort and Waterpark in Samal. Bluejaz is just five minutes away by boat from Davao City . If you’re lucky, you can ride the pirate ship which is faster than the regular boats.
17. Treat yourself at the Pearl Farm Beach Resort. An hour’s boat ride from Davao , you dock at the landmark Parola, and enter a world of blissful privacy. It has been a venue for beauty pageants, a haven for dignitaries, celebrities, and royalty.
18. Try tasting durian, the controversial fruit that taste like heaven but smell like hell, at the Madrazo Fruit Stands in Bangoy Street . If durian is not your thing, you can always go for the juiciest watermelon, the sweetest mango, the more succulent pomelo, the mouth-watering rambutan, the exotic mangosteen, or the healthy banana.
19. Drink durian, if you can’t eat the real thing. Yes, you can drink it as durian cappuccino. Only Blugré Café serves this unique brew of durian and coffee.
20. Eat the best kinilaw (local version of sashimi using tuna or blue marlin strips) at the Ranchero Grill and Seafoods Restaurant. Try also the best-selling baby back ribs and the equally tasting sizzling bulalo.
21. Go Japanese at the Japanese Tunnel. Actually, it’s a restaurant with a free entry to a tunnel that the Japanese created in the time of the Japanese Revolution.
22. Make a stop at the Aldevinco Shopping Arcade at Claveria Street . It is fun to discover this place as a shopping paradise cum museum. This is the best place to buy your pasalubong – from sarongs, malongs to jewelry and bags.
How do you get to Davao ? Davao is the third most important Philippine city after Manila andCebu . As such, most domestic airlines fly multiple times per day to Davao from Manila , Cebu and other major cities in Visayas and Mindanao . Silk Air also flies direct to Davao fromSingapore . Davao is served by the Davao International Airport (more properly named as theFrancisco Bangoy International Airport ), which is about 15 minutes ride from the city center.
For a more scenic route, visitors can take the two-day trip over land along the Pan Philippine Highway from Manila to Davao via Philtranco Bus Lines. Many shipping lines also service sea routes to Davao from Manila and other neighboring island provinces.
