Kadayawan sa Davao, Day 2: Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan, Kadayawan Tribal Village & Bantawan Cultural Presentations

Hello, I'm back! Sorry for the delay, a lot happened and my focus shifted to other things. Huhu, sorry about that. But finally, here's the 2nd installment of my Kadayawan sa Davao posts As mentioned in my first post, Cebu Pacific flew travel bloggers & online journalists to the wonderful city of Davao to experience and witness the 37th Kadayawan Festival. It was my first time there so I was super excited. It was also interesting & fascinating to learn more about the 11 different ethnolinguistic tribes of Davao -- their culture, history, heritage, and way of life. Read on to know more...

The festival’s name is derived from the Mandaya word “madayaw,” meaning treasured or valuable, as the locals use this time to give thanks for the season’s bountiful harvest. Back in the day, the ethnic tribes of Davao would come together to celebrate abundant crops, performing rituals that paid tribute to the nature gods.

In the 1970s, former Mayor Elias B. Lopez encouraged the different Davao tribes to showcase their thanksgiving rituals. In 1986, the Davao City government launched a project that aimed to unite the people during the turbulent times of Martial Law. Back then, the name of the festival was called Apo Duwaling, after three natural wonders you can find in the region: Mt. Apo, Durian, and Waling-waling.

It was first officially renamed the Kadayawan Festival in 1988 by then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and now, over 30 years later, it’s still being celebrated. (source)

Early birds! 

1st Stop: Indak-Indak sa Dalan

One of the highlights of the Kadayawan Festival is the "Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan", which translates to street dancing. More than the dance, amazing performances, unique costumes, spectacular props, and beautiful floats, it is first & foremost a striking showcase of the diverse indigenous cultures of the region. The festivities feature different communities in Mindanao dancing in vibrant costumes that highlight their indigenous history, culture & heritage. 

A glimpse of the street dance competition 

Media box!

Sta. Ana National High School Performing Arts Guild

Wow!!!

Dona Carmen Denia National High School

Love their performance 

My fave performance...

...by Bernardo Carpio National HS! They were declared the winner too!

2nd Stop: Marina Tuna Seafood Restaurant for Lunch

Davao is also known for its delicious & fresh seafood, especially tuna, so why not eat at one of the most famous tuna restos in the city? You can't miss this out! They serve all kinds of tuna dishes, I was shookt--but in a good way! All I was thinking of while eating was how much Nico would LOVE the place. The food is delish! 

All kinds of tuna dishes were served! 

3rd Stop: Kadayawan Tribal Village at Magsaysay Park 

In an effort to protect and preserve our country’s beautiful and colorful culture for future generations, the Davao City Tourism Office created a cultural peace hub in Davao’s Ramon Magsaysay Park where the cultural homes of the Lumad and Moro groups were relocated and reconstructed. It is a striking display of Philippine architecture from the eleven Indigenous and Moro groups. The Kadayawan tribal village also goes beyond the architecture, it also delves deeper into the different cultures of the 11 ethnolinguistic tribes in Davao by showcasing their home, clothing, food, art, livelihood, etc. (ctto: source) 

Before I show you the place let me share with you first the 11 tribes in Davao...

Ata, Iranun, Kagan, Bagobo Klata, Maranao, Matigsalug, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Sama, Obu Manuvu, Tausug, Maguindanaoan.

Cutest kids from Ata Tribe. <3

We also tried a few of their snacks and dishes! So delicious :)

Matigsalug Tribe

Matigsalug food! 

Obu-Manuvu elders with Ms. Tanya Rabat-Tan, DOT Region 11 Director

Bagobo-Tagabawa bags & accessories 

Live weaving

I tried their black coffee made of rice and it's so good!

On the other side of the park is the Bangsamoro tribal village. Love the colorful houses!

Inside a Maguindanaoan house

Tausug food!

Visiting this tribal village and just this whole experience was honestly one of the best parts of this trip. The things I learned in school during history class, I was able to experience (even just a tiny fraction of it) there. It's truly beautiful & eye-opening. I can't wait to go back and learn more! 

4th Stop: Agong Kulintangan at Bantawan Theater

To celebrate each tribe's musical & artistic history, a new competition was launched this year. Agong Kulntangan is a musical competition where different indigenous groups show different performances using traditional musical instruments like gong, kulintang & drums/tambol. This year, 7 groups joined showcasing beautiful performances accompanied by dancing and unique stunts like playing the instruments blindfolded. I loved watching each and every one of them! 

5th Stop: Balik Bukid Farm & Kitchen

For dinner, we ate at Balik Bukid, a farm-to-table Maguindanaoan restaurant that promotes natural farming & sustainable living. They serve amazing local dishes that came from family recipes passed down from generations. The restaurant's beautiful interiors are mostly from  recycled & upcycled materials.

The food was amazing! My favorite the whole trip. :)

Met the famous Mindanaoan artist Kublai Millan!!! So starstrucked haha. I told him I saw his beautiful artworks at Tag Resort Coron. 

Also had a brief chat with Department of Tourism Regional 11 Director, Ms. Tanya Rabat-Tan! Thank you Mam for having us and for the box of pomelos! :)

Headed home after dinner and called it a night! Part 3 coming up next. Thanks for reading! And thank you again Cebu Pacific Air for bringing us to Davao & DOT-XI for touring us around. :) Thank you for reading!

*Cebu Pacific currently flies 8x daily from Manila to Davao, thrice daily from Davao to Cebu, thrice weekly from Davao to Bohol (every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday); twice weekly from Davao to Cagayan de Oro(every Thursday and Saturday; and daily from Davao to Iloilo. CEB will increase its flight frequency between Davao and Zamboanga, from five times to seven times weekly starting August 24.

The airline continues to offer its guaranteed low fares to stimulate travel across its widest domestic network, and continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety. Fly easy, going online is key!

Visit www.cebupacificair.com to learn more about their latest offerings, safety protocols and travel reminders.