Davao Festival (Kadayawan Festival)

Davao City is known as one of the most celebrated tourist destinations here in our country. Aside from its natural wonders and structures of the city, the festivals that are celebrated here are even more exhilarating and fun. Every year a lot of people flock from different places to experience the ceremonies and rituals of these festivals. As a tourist, you would feel the essence of the culture of Davao festivals and at the same time understand the way of life and history of the Davaoeños.

Facts about Davao City

Davao City is located in the Philippines which is the capital of Region XI or the Southern Mindanao region. It is considered to be the fastest-growing region in the country that consists of many provinces. Aside from the fact that the Philippines experiences several typhoons every year, Davao City is one of the places here in the country that is typhoon-free. The weather and climate here are perfect even when it experiences rainfall, temperature, and humidity all year round. Another interesting fact about Davao City is the smoke-free ordinance. Unlike most of the cities in the Philippines wherein you are allowed to smoke in public, In Davao city, you will be penalized once you get caught smoking in public places. When it comes to customs and traditions they have two main tribal festivals which are the Araw ng Dabaw which is celebrated every March and the Kadayawan Festival in August.

Kadayawan Festival

Kadayawan sa Dabaw is the biggest and grandest festival in Davao City. Aside from the fact that it is celebrated every third week of August, the festival is a week-long celebration of the Davaoeños. The word ‘’Kadayawan’’ is derived from the Mandaya word ‘’madayaw’’ which means a greeting that is usually used to explain a thing that is good, beautiful, or valuable. The Kadayawan Festival is also known as a thanksgiving of Davaoeños for nature’s bountiful harvest. The festival also offers a lot of activities and some of the most mouth-watering delicacies which you can try during the festival. One of the main attractions of the festival is the floral float festival. Aside from that, the tourists are also attracted by the dance competitions around the area, food stalls, and street performers throughout the city of Davao. Below is the list of activities during the Kadayawan Festival.