Big shopping, dining discounts in Davao

By Cheneen R. Capon
PEOPLE can now enjoy big discounts while shopping and dining in Davao City as the Visit Davao Fun Sale (VDFS) 2015 officially kicked off last April 3, Good Friday, and will run until May 17 this year.
The seven week-long event organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) 11 in cooperation with local government units (LGUs) and the private sector offers up to 70 percent shopping and 20 percent dining discounts on selected items from the different tourism-related establishments, including malls, hotels and accommodations, airlines, restaurants spa and wellness centers.
The city’s tour operators are also taking part in this year’s fun sale and offers discounts for customers on fun and adventure trips.
DOT 11 director Roberto P. Alabado III said the executive committee of VDFS will be participating the Easter Egg Hunt event of malls as part of its launch at the locality.
“There will be special eggs that contains prizes like free and discounted tours,” he told Edge Davao in an interview yesterday.
Alabado said this year’s event is bigger because of the cooperation of the various tourism-related establishments not only in Davao City but also in nearby provinces.
“We would like to position Davao City as a key destination to food, dining, adventure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibits),” Alabado said.
Alabado said that with the collaboration of different establishments here, he expects around 10,000 domestic and foreign tourists during the summer period.
DOT 11 recorded a total of 195,713 tourists from March 14 to April 16 last year, which is higher than the 190,334 tourist arrival in the same period of 2013.
“We assume that the additional 5,000 tourist recorded last summer was because of the Davao Fun Sale,” Alabado said.
A total of nine malls and retail establishments in Davao City will give up to 70 percent discounts on their products. These are the Abreeza Ayala Mall, Gaisano Mall of Davao in Bajada and Toril, NCCC Mall, S&R shopping center, Robinsons Abreeza, SM City Davao-Ecoland, SM Lanang Premier, Victoria Plaza and Aldevinco Souvenir Shop.
Benjie Lizada, chief of the Restaurant Owners Association of Davao, said said the association has listed more than 100 restaurants from north to south of Davao City and grouped into 12 clusters that are participating in the seven-week fun sale.
Participating dining clusters are Matina Town Square, Damosa Gateway, Phoenix Mega Station, The Peak of GMall of Davao, Lanang Business Park, Bricklane and Obrero, Victoria Plaza Carpark, Rizal Street, Torres Street, Quimpo Boulevard, Roxas Street (with Aldevinco Souvenir Center), Eden Nature Park area, and Calinan area (Malagos Mountain Resort and Philippine Eagle Center) .
SM Lanang Premier’s Vikings will offer up to 25 percent discount to a group of four diners who will be able to present a VDFS passport.
“Vikings is offering one passport holder free for every group of four, so effectively 25 percent yun,” Lizada said.
Another sector of the tourism industry that will participate in this year’s fun sale is the health and wellness sector headed by Davao Wellness and Spa Association president Fides Bernabe.
Bernabe said a toptal of 30 owners of different spa establishments in the city will offer the “Madayaw Massage Promo” during the fun sale.
“We will be offering a 30 minute dry massage for P100 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April 3 to May 17,” she said.
Hotels and accommodation establishments will also offer packages to both local and foreign tourists.
Meanwhile, Alabado said Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines will continue to offer seat sale during the VDFS durantion.
Tourism officer Lissette Marques estimated that the city would be able to earn P3 billion revenue from the sales and discount event that was an offshoot of the 2014 Big Davao Fun Sale.