Kadayawan Festival

What is Kadayawan?

Greetings! Madayaw!

A warm and friendly greeting derived from the Dabawenyo word “dayaw” that means good, valuable, superior or beautiful. Such is “Kadayawan”, a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living.

Although already a customary practice of the indigenous people of Davao the thanksgiving festival was institutionalized in 1986 to unite the Dabawenyos after the turbulent Martial Law years. It was then called “Apo Duwaling”, a contraction of the famous icons of the city – namely Mt. Apo, Durian and Waling-waling. Two years later, it was renamed “Kadayawan sa Dabaw” to better reflect the merry spirit and indigenous theme of the celebration.Today, Kadayawan has metamorphosed into a festival of festivals, the mother of many other festivals in the region as it honors Davao’s artistic, cultural and historical heritage, its past personified by the ancestral “lumads”, its people as they celebrate on the streets, and its floral industry as they parade in full regalia in thanksgiving for the blessings bestowed on the city.

“Kadayawan sa Dabaw” is an enriching experience with a difference as its explores the past, present and future of the Davaoeños, the Mindanaoans, the Filipinos. Its sights and sounds remain unparalleled.

While chanting these lines:

“Du-aw na sa Dabaw! Duyog sa Kadayawan! Maglingaw-lingaw ta!”

Ric chanced upon getting these shots while roaming the streets of Davao City just to witness the Indak Indak sa Kadalanan. The first part that took place in the morning was the parade of the kids and youngsters dressed as indigenous people in their tribal costumes.

Notice the pretty painted faces?

This man is marching with his boobs *winks* hanging and moving.

Very colorful as the parade seemed so be, the performers were so scorched by the heat of the sun while marching along San Pedro St., and passing through Claveria until their last pit.

I want to share to you the colorful culture of Davao City through the pictures I am posting. Coming from General Santos City, being 3 hours away from Davao, we can always catch a bus and pay P250 for an air-conditioned non-stop bus going to the beautiful city of Davao and taste the delicious and most favorite durian.

The Indak-indak sa Kadalanan

- is a Street Dancing Showcase where the contingents are to perform continuously in
forward moving fashion their street dance pieces. Only in three designated areas
will the contingents have to perform stationery in a mini street showdown of two
minutes. Wearing their costumes and some in their painted faces, many of these images showcase the tribal colors and the headdresses these tribes wear in their daily lives.

The Ten Tribal Groups of Davao City namely Uvu Manuvu, Ata, Tagabawa,
K’lata, Sama, Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug and Kalagan are being held in one arena while they dance their festivities away!













A Celebration of Life and Thanksgiving, Davao City showcases many of the things they are so proud of, and we, in our own little way, must support these festivals in our country. Ika nga, "huwag tayong maging dayuhan sa ating sariling bayan".

Next is Gensan's 10th Tuna Festival, coming this September 5, 2008.

Remember our culture, forget not our history, re-live our ancestry.
Be proud of being FIlipino.