Davao is gearing up for a bigger and better Kadayawan Festival, ongoing until from Aug. 19. Taking its name from the greeting “madayaw,” the festival of harvest looks forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to the city to celebrate.
MANILA, Philippines — As the organizers proudly announced at a pre-Kadayawan event held at Seda Abreeza hotel, aside from the usual street dancing, parade and trade fairs, there are several new and unique events prepared for visitors to enjoy at the festival.
To highlight Davao’s diverse indigenous culture and heritage, the festival will begin with Subang Singdanan and Panagtagbo, depicting the convergence of the city’s 11 ethno-linguistic groups.
The grand street-dancing competition Indak Indak sa Kadayawan, which is often a major highlight of festivals, will be on Aug. 18, while the Pamulak sa Kadayawan parade will take place on Aug. 19, both spanning from Magsaysay Avenue to San Pedro Square.
Some unique events include Lumad Games, a Kadayawan Village, dragonboat festival, Kadayawan Ball and a Philippine Eagle Kosplay event.
Aside from the standard fiesta pageant and coronation night, there will be a drum beating contest, Kadayawan fashion accessories design competition, songwriting competition and more.
Malagos dark chocolate cheesecake
The Kadayawan Festival celebrates bounty and sure enough, Davao is a cornucopia of fresh produce. A stroll down to the Magsaysay Fruit Market will yield a bountiful selection of fruits including pomelo, longgan, langka and, of course, Davao’s (in)famous durian which visitors can devour (or just nibble) at tables right then and there.
Davao has 12 different varieties of durian, some more pungent than others. Arancillo may be the most friendly of the bunch. It could be the best for hesitant beginners or newbies who just want a taste of the durian. The sweetness and smooth texture could be the gateway to acquiring a taste for the King of Fruits.
King of Fruits durian
Davao is likewise home to several fruit plantations, including Tadeco or the Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. in Panobo City, some three hours out of Davao City. The flagship company of Anglo Group of Companies, Tadeo produces export-grade Cavendish bananas that are up to the stringent standards of international brands.
Aside from being one of the top banana plantations, Tadeo also has several livelihood programs. With nothing going to waste, Tadeo Home produces paper products like gift wrap and notebooks out of banana fibers, as well as elegant home decor, bags and more made of abaca and other natural materials.
Cheese
Taking part in the festivities, Seda Abreeza has prepared several special offerings for the month of Kadayawan, together with its partners Malagos Farmhouse Cheese, Malagos Chocolate and the Philippine Eagle Foundation, among others.
A fiesta is never complete without delicious food. In line with this, Seda Abreeza will offer a menu that highlights Davao’s best produce including the Malagos kesong puti and crispy adobo flakes pizza, pomelo and prawn salad, Kadayawan crispy prawns, a luxurious Malagos cheese plate, durian panna cotta and the hotel’s new signature dessert, the Malagos dark chocolate cheesecake.
Chocolate selections
With award-winning companies like Malagos, which produces high quality chocolate, Davao is becoming “the new epicenter in the Philippines for chocolate making,” according to Seda general manager Ken Kapulong. Both Malagos cheeses and chocolates are available exclusively for Seda Abreeza guests to order directly at the hotel, ready to take home.
At the pre-festival event, Kapulong renewed the hotel’s commitment to the Philippine Eagle Foundation by raising funds through bookings at all Seda hotels nationwide.
Tadeco paper products
The Seda Abreeza hotel lobby display this month pays tribute to Diola, a Philippine Eagle. Diola was the first captive Philippine Eagle taken to the Mt. Apo National Park. In 1992, Diola was successful in breeding two hatchlings, Pag-asa and Pagkakaisa, giving hope to the future of the species.
The Kadayawan festival highlights the region’s bountiful produce, highlights its cultural diversity and honors Diola, Pag-asa and the other Philippine Eagles that are protected there as symbols of Davao as it continues to soar higher and mightier.