The city government of Davao has earmarked P50 million for the staging of the 89th Araw ng Dabaw celebration, with the bulk of the budget allocated for events and security preparations.
City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) Officer-in-Charge Willenito Tormis Jr. said on Thursday that P41 million has been set aside for the overall lineup of activities, while P9 million is allocated for the security cluster to ensure the safety of participants and visitors.
Tormis noted that this year’s budget reflects only a slight increase compared to last year.
“There is a slight increase compared to last year, but not as much as P1 million maybe less than P500,000,” he said.
Tormis explained that some activities from the previous celebration were replaced with new ones this year.
Among the new highlights are “Kanta ug Sayaw Dabawenyo” and “Salida Dabawenyo,” an inter-school short film competition aimed at showcasing young Dabawenyo talent.
This year’s Araw ng Dabaw takes on added significance as it coincides with the 100th anniversary of Davao City Hall.
In line with the centennial celebration, the city has initiated repainting works and will conduct cross-section mapping at City Hall from March 1 to 31.
With the expanded lineup of activities and dual milestone celebration, the City Tourism Office projects around 200,000 tourist arrivals throughout the festivities, a development expected to provide a strong boost to the local economy.
