Kadayawan Festival

The Kadayawan Festival is an annual festival in the city of Davao in the Philippines. Its name derives from
the friendly greeting "Madayaw", from the Dabawenyo word "dayaw", meaning good, valuable, superior
or beautiful. The festival is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of
culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living. It is held every third week of August[2].

Kadayawan

Indak-indak sa Kadalanan

"Indak-indak sa kadalanan" or the Street dancing competition, part of Kadayawan Festival celebration.

Observed by

Davao City

Type

Thanksgiving / Cultural

Date

Third Week of August

2018 date

August 10–19, 2018[1]

History

This ritual serves as their thanksgiving to the gods particularly to the "Manama" (the Supreme Being)
and Bulan (a moon deity) that the first gathering was on a night of a full moon, It was said that, long
time ago, Ancient Visayans and Davao's ethnic tribes residing at the foot of Mount Apo would converge
during a bountiful harvest and had to celebrate the full moon because they believed "the diwata came
to earth at that time" so did the other islanders and tribesmen. The full moon was greeted with a variety
of names- 'paghipono', 'takdul', 'ugsar'- but most significantly as "dayaw" [at present it is kadayaw in
some Bisayan Islands], perfect or praiseworthy, fit recognition of its spectacular shape and sunset-to-
sunrise brilliance. It was so beautiful that the pre-colonial people praised and believed it was the reason
for their bountiful harvest
Various farming implements, fruits, flowers, vegetables, rice and corn grains were displayed on mats as
villagers give their respect and thanks for the year's abundance. Singing, dancing and offerings to their
divine protectors are the highlights of this ritual.

Although times have changed, this practice of thanksgiving or "pahinungod" is still very much practiced
by modern-day Davaoeños. This tradition flourished and evolved into an annual festival of thanksgiving.

In the 1970s, Mayor Elias B. Lopez, a Bagobo, initiated tribal festivals featuring the Lumad and the
Muslim tribes of Davao City where they showcase their dances and rituals of thanksgiving.

Later in 1986, a program called "Unlad Proyekto Davao" was initiated by the government which was
aimed to unite the Dabawenyos after the turbulent Martial Law era. At that time, the festival was called
"Apo Duwaling," a name created from the famous icons of Davao: Mt. Apo, the country's highest peak;
Durian, the king of fruits; and Waling-waling, the queen of orchids.

"Apo Duwaling" was meant to showcase the city as a peaceful destination to visit and to do business
after 1986 EDSA Revolution.

Finally in 1988, City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte renamed the festival as "Kadayawan sa Dabaw" to celebrate
the bountiful harvest of Davao's flowers, fruits and other produce as well as the wealth of the city's
cultures. To this day, the festival continues to honor the city's richness and diverse artistic, cultural and
historical heritage in a grand celebration of thanksgiving for all of Davao City's blessings.

Today

Cultural and historical heritage, its past personified by the ancestral Lumad people, its people as they
celebrate on the streets, and its floral industry as its representatives parade in full regalia in thanksgiving
for the blessings granted on the city. A celebration that interfaces the three aspects: tribal; industrial
and; arts and entertainment. The festivities are highlighted with floral floats, street-dancing
competitions and exhibits that showcases the island's tourism products and services.

Today, the recognized original tribes of Davao are here for political reasons. They are recognized
because of their present-day influence since they have organized themselves well. They are given
deputy mayors to be their representatives to the political powers of Davao City. The present tribes of
Davao is not based on historical accounts of the original inhabitants at all. They have removed the
Mansakas and Mandayas from the list and replaced them with the Muslim tribes like Maranao, Tausug,
and Maguindanao. Their reason is Mansaka is from Davao del norte and Mandaya is from Davao
Oriental. What they didn't notice is the places they said have "Davao" in their names while the
Maguindanaos, Tausugs and Maranaos are obviously not from a place called Davao. What is more ironic
is that Mandaya and Mansaka have the word "madayaw" in their dialects from which the "Kadayawan
Festival" is derived.

If the tribes are recognized because of their present numbers in a city then the Muslim tribes (especially
the Maranaos) must have been also recognized as original tribes by other cities and municipalities since
they are found in numbers in every city and municipality in the Philippines.

Davao River Festival

This year bears witness to the revival of the Davao River Festival. The tribes will have their own floats
and will be introduced in the fluvial parade along DaWOW AMAZING (Davao) River on August 16. The
parade of these colorful floats is not to be missed because the last time there was such an event was in
2008.

Sayaw Mindanaw

Davao City takes pride of its tribal and ethnic roots. Each of the 11 tribes has its own set of dances,
rituals, and customs. These are showcased in the dance competition, although the participants are not
necessarily a representative of a tribe.

Lumadnong Bantawan

The indigenous people of Davao City offer performances that depict the life, history, culture, and
numerous talents. Each of the tribes is given the chance to offer the performance of a lifetime in
different timeslots and location in a series of shows.

Tunog Mindanaw

This is a songwriting competition open to the public but focuses on the unique sounds and
instrumentations of the region. Songwriters create Mindanaoan-inspired music that gives you a glimpse
of the rich culture of Davao City and its neighbors.
Hiyas sa Kadayawan

The tribes pick their most talented and beautiful women to represent them, a regnant search for that
distinctive indigenous young lady who is knowledgeable of her native culture and wisdom through a
pageantry of Mindanaoan myths and legends. These gorgeous women will also join the parade and
shower smiles.

Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan

This street parade is a must-see in the festival, with the city’s major thoroughfares closed off to traffic
for the entire event. This colorful parade features graceful dancers decked in splendid, colorful costumes
and dancing to the beat of ethnic-inspired music. This happens on August 17. The streets come alive
with millions of stunning colors from the dancers and their glorious costumes and props. The
competition showcases local talents whose dancing prowess can make you dance to the beat of their
music. It is a day of cheers and smiles – prepare to be amazed.

Pamulak sa Kadalanan

On August 18, Pamulak sa Kadalanan brings parades to a whole new level, introducing a colorful parade
of majestic floral floats that offer a wide range of stunning designs and intricate craftsmanship. The
event was designed to showcase the beautiful flowers and abundant vegetation grown across the city.

T he festival is celebrated in the month of August with floats of fresh flowers and fruits, and indak-indak
sa kadalanan or street dancing in colorful costumes. A variety of tribes parade the streets with their
tribal costumes and jewelry. The city of Davao comes alive every year in August when it holds it yearly
harvest festival. The streets are adorned with local fruit & vegetables while people hold street dances
with abandon for four days. The harbour is the venue for native & power boat races. Everybody fights
for seats to watch the Horse Fighting wherein stallions fight each other over the rights to mate with a
mare. The crowd is sometimes tracked by the horses if they get too close. The last day the street is full
of costumed dancers dancing to the local beat & decorated floats with glamorous Mindanao girls as eye
candy. It's a time of fun & abandon. The festivity is not complete without the Bya'Neng ng Kadayawan or
the Miss Kadayawan beauty contest. There is also the horsefight, a tribal animal show similar to the
bullfight.
Davao City is known for a lot of things: the country’s highest peak in Mt. Apo, its transformation from a
troubled city to a rapidly developing urban metropolis, the tribes that call it home, and the first
Mindanawan president of the country, His Excellency Rodrido Duterte.

Indak-indak_sa_Kadalanan

INDAK-INDAK SA KADALAN. One of the highlights of Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival, held every third
week of August.

It’s also known for its wildly colorful thanksgiving festival, known as the Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival,
held every third week of August.

Kadayawan sa Dabaw started as a festival that celebrated the many tribes of Davao City. It is a
thanksgiving festival that has been celebrated since time immemorial, giving thanks to their tribal gods.
V1970 saw a change in the festival as then Mayor Elias B. Lopez sought to bring together Davao City’s
many tribes for a showcase of these thanksgiving rituals and dances. 1986 was when the festival started
to resemble what we know today as the Kadayawan sa Dabaw, the name given by then-City Mayor
Duterte in 1988. It was then called the Apo Duwaling Festival, named after Davao’s three most famous
icons: Mt. Apo, Durian, and the Waling-Waling.

Pamulak_sa_Kadalanan

PAMULAK SA KADAYAWAN. A parade of flowers on floats also gets people in gear during the
Kadayawan.

Kadayawan is highlighted by several events, including the Hiyas sa Kadayawan, a contest to find the
most beautiful maiden
among the city’s ten indigenous
tribes. There’s also the
Lumadnong events:
Lumadnong Gama
and Lumadnong
Bantawan, both of which
showcase the tribal people’s
artifacts, wares, and
performances.

Other highlights include

the Indak- Indak sa Kadalan,
the Pamulak sa
Kadayawan, and the
Hudyakaan sa
Kadayawan, a three-week-long food and beverage market showcasing some of Davao City’s best in local
cuisine.

There’s no official schedule as of today, but festivities should start sometime in August. Bookmark this
page for the latest updates on the Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival.