Participate and see for yourselves the greatness of the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan, Floral Float parade and other Kadayawan activities. Davao City has plenty of affordable and high quality hotels and inns for you to stay in!
“Nahiusang Katawhan Nakigdait sa Kalibutan” (“One People in Communion with the Earth”)
The life and culture of the indigenous peoples have always been linked to the land. Since time immemorial, Davao has been the homeland of the Indigenous Peoples and land has become the core of their existence. If their land is lost, so is their culture and traditions. Thus, there is a need to defend the indigenous peoples’ ancestral lands for them to continually live and practice their way of life- consulting the spirits, working with nature and sharing with others. This is the main reason of celebrating the Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2009.
FESTIVAL EVENTS
This year’s celebration has two main components:
Lumadnong Kasaulogan (Indigenous Peoples Festival) - the core of the Kadayawan Festival showcasing our indigenous peoples’ culture and arts.
Subay sa Lumadnong Kagikan (Contemporary Indigenous-motivated Celebrations) - showcases the impact of the indigenous culture and traditions to contemporary artists and communities.
Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte with Vice-Mayor Sara Duterte, Councilor Susabel Reta, and the Kadayawan Tourist Assitance Counter volunteers during the grand launching of the 2008 Kadayawan Festival and the City Tourism Culture and Arts program called DaWOW! last August 2008
MESSAGE FROM THE CITY MAYOR
Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival 2009
The multi-cultural peoples of Davao City are once again celebrating our world-renowned Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival 2009 on August 17 to 23, 2009 in Davao City.
Our festival theme is “One People in Communion with the Earth” which demonstrates the unity of our diverse peoples in our stewardship of our shared planet. With global warming and climate change a very real phenomenon in our lives now, we need to look to our indigenous peoples for wisdom and guidance as they have always been respectful towards their relationship with the Earth.
As nature teaches us everyday, all things and beings are interrelated and interconnected. What I do impacts you and vice-versa. A true communion with the earth can only happen when we as human beings realize that all beings in nature are equally important to the health of our planet.
That is why this year we celebrate our Indigenous Peoples Day during the Kadayawan Festival near the Davao River – the source of our city’s life, the place where we all started. It is “duhwow,” or what the Bagobo tribe refers to as “the place beyond the high grounds,” which is the mouth of Davao River. It is where our hero, Datu Bago, made his home.
As we gather around our Davao River for Kadayawan, we give thanks for the bounty and diversity of our nature and culture as we also renew our commitment to the preservation and conservation of the same.
Duhwow, DaWOW, Davao!
MESSSAGE FROM THE VICE-MAYOR
Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival 2009
The Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival is our annual thanksgiving celebration for our bountiful harvest. This is a ritual we adopted from our indigenous tribes, who have a special bond with nature.
For our indigenous peoples, land and the environment are inseparable entities. They derive their livelihood and survival from the land and the resources within. For them, our natural resources are not sources of profit or capital, but are shared for the common good and conserved for future generations
In recent years, global warming and climate change and the host of problems they bring have taken a heavy toll on the lives and livelihood not only of our indigenous peoples, but of all of us. The survival of our tribal people is threatened by aggressive and unregulated development. They become more vulnerable not only to manipulation by big profit-driven corporations who take away their land, but also to calamities brought by environmental degradation caused by unbridled greed and sheer neglect.
It is my hope that I am able to provide the leadership our City Council needs to be more responsive to these urgent concerns. This is my commitment to all our peoples as I challenge all our elected officials and fellow workers in government to back up their rhetoric with decisive action.
As we give thanks during our Kadayawan Festival, we must also act to save our indigenous peoples and our planet. Because what affects them, affects all of us.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR
Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival 2009
It is my honor to represent Davao’s business community and lead the private sector efforts in supporting our Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival 2009.
We are proud to report that we have more active private sector participation this year, despite the global economic crisis. This is a demonstration of true Dabawenyo spirit where everybody cooperates for the good of all peoples – our Lumad and Muslim tribes, our mostly Christian migrant settlers, and even our international community in the city.
This is a credit to the leadership of our City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who has always been able to mobilize private sector support for city programs, projects, and activitie
The business community voluntarily contributes because they have faith in our city government and they are grateful forthe conducive business climate it created that everyone now benefits from.
The private sector has a lot to be thankful for this Kadayawan and we want to share these blessings with all of the people of Davao, especially our indigenous tribes. Times may be difficult, but we have managed to pull through because we are fortunate to be in the Most Competitive City to do Business in the Philippines and one of the top Most Livable Cities in Asia.
