Mayor Sara officially launches 34th Kadayawan Festival
It’s Kadayawan season once again.
On Monday, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio formally launched the 34th Kadayawan Festival at Dusit Thani Hotel ushering another season of the world-renowned festivities traditionally beginning on August.
“We celebrate it annually not just to give Dabawenyos a reason to celebrate; we do it so we do not forget where we come from and what blessings we have received through the years, blessings which we continue to receive today,” the mayor, in her message, said.
Hints of Kadayawan are beginning to show this early. It is clearly the season of Kadayawan in Davao City when native fruits grows the best of its kind, and when culture is warmly celebrated and proudly showcased. It is that time of the year where Dabawenyos look back on how the elders passionately strived in the past to make Davao City such a precious heritage.
Mayor Sara said the celebration of Kadayawan is a thanksgiving of how the indigenous communities of Davao City have shaped the history of the city.
Among the reasons for this celebration, she said, is because “we have been blessed not just with natural resources but favorable climate conditions, a thriving economy and peace and order.”
“I am inviting everyone across the globe to come and visit davao this August to witness the highlights, the sights and flavors of Kadayawan in Davao,” she said.
Mayor Sara urged all Dabawenyos whether they are Lumads, Muslims and Christians to go out and not cherish the colorful festivities of the season.”Use Kadayawan as an opportunity to continue to learn about one another, about what makes our culture unque and similar,” she underscored.
She said Dabawenyos should use the Kadayawan as an opportunity to learn about what else they can do together as a multicultural Dabawenyo community to bring the city to a future defined by its own terms.
“Progressive yet sustainable, modern but guided by lessons of the past and the wisdom of our forebears.”
On the other hand, City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) Chief Gene Rose Tecson thanked the 11 tribes of Davao for their continued support to the city and the community.
Through their support, she said, the Kadayawan has successfully showed not only the country but the world, the different cultural traditions of the city’s 11 tribes.
This year, she said, the Kadayawan will focus on the bantawan or cultural shows featuring the traditions and dances of the 11 tribes while dula Kadayawan will focus on the tribal games.
“This kadayawan is different, as we have spread out the events during the weekends of the whole month of August to ensure the city will be able to accomodate more visitors during the Kadayawan month,”she said.
