Kadayawan Davao.

The first gathering was on the night of a full moon, It had been said that, a very long time ago, Ancient Visayans and Davao’s ethnic tribes residing at the foot of Mount Apo, would converge and experience a  bountiful harvest, and had to celebrate the entire moon because they believed “the diwata found earth in those days”. The entire moon was greeted with a number of brands- ‘paghipono’, ‘takdul’, ‘ugsar’- but most substantially as “dayaw”. At present it really is kadayaw in a few Bisayan Islands, fit acknowledgement of its spectacular splendor, and it’s sunset-to-sunrise brilliance. It had been so fabulous that the pre-colonial persons praised it dearly, and thought it was the reason behind their bountiful harvests.

Many farming implements, fruits, flowers, vegetables, rice and corn grains were displayed in mats as villagers gave their respect and thanks for the year’s abundant crops. Singing, dancing and offerings unto  their divine protectors wiould be the highlights of the ritual.

Although times have changed, this practice of thanksgiving or “pahinungod” continues to be quite faithfully practiced by modern-day Davaoeños. These traditions flourished and progressed into an amazing, annual festival of thanksgiving.

In the 1970s, Mayor Elias B. Lopez, a Bagobo, initiated tribal festivals offering invitations to the Lumad and the Muslim tribes of Davao, where they showcased their dancing and their rituals of thanksgiving.

Later in 1986, an application called “Unlad Proyekto Davao” was first initiated by the federal government, and was aimed to unite the peoples of Davao following the turbulent Martial Law era. In those days, the festival was referred to as “Apo Duwaling,” a name produced from the renowned 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 designed to showcase Metro Davao as a calm destination to visit and conduct business after the 1986 Revolution.

Finally in 1988, City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte renamed the festival simply,  “Kadayawan sa Dabaw” to celebrate the bountiful harvest of Davao’s flowers, fruits and other produce plus the wealth of the city’s cultures. Even today, the festival proceeds to honor the city’s richness and different artistic, cultural and historic heritage in a grand special event of thanksgiving for most of Davao City’s blessings.

Today, it has transformed into a event of festivals, with several spin-off festivals in the community. The event honors Davao’s creative, cultural and historic heritage, its past personified by the ancestral Lumad peoples. They celebrate on the roads, and its own floral market and it’s representatives parade in complete regalia. A thanksgiving for the blessings granted on the town. A special event that interfaces the three elements: tribal; professional and; arts and entertainment. The festivities are always to be highlighted with floral floats, street-dancing competitions and exhibits that showcases the island’s tourism services and products.