Kadayawan Festival

“Thanksgiving is a special day. A day we share the joy.”

— Anonymous

Kadayawan Festival is an annual celebration in the City of Davao. Every third 3rd week of August, the Davaoeños celebrates life, give thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, and the bounties of the year’s harvest. This festival focuses on the mix of Davao and Mindanao’s indigenous communities as well as its migrant settlers which make up the rich cultural heritage of this island.

It was said that, long time ago, Davao’s ethnic tribes residing at the foot of Mount Apo would converge during a bountiful harvest to perform a ritual that serves as their thanksgiving to the gods particularly to the “Manama” (the Supreme Being). In this ritual, 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. The ethnic tribes would sing, dance and give offerings to their divine protectors. With modern times these rituals have changed but this practice of thanksgiving or “pahinungod” is still very much practiced by modern day Davaoeños.

Few weeks before August, the Dabawenyos (locals of Davao) are already busy in preparing for the City’s biggest and grandeur event. And starting the second week of August, the month-long celebration filled with smiles, music, arts, colors, food and everything blissful begin, it is how Kadayawan Festival is known for.

What’s more to see in Kadayawan Festival:

There are three must-see and is the most awaited program in Kadayaman: The Floral Float Parade, Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan and Hiyas ng Kadayawan.

• Floral Float Parade

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The Floral Float Parade or PAMULAK is a parade of floats of competing and non-competing contingents and bands from different schools and companies in Davao City. It is a road show of various creatively designed mobile floats of very colorful and stunning Flowers of Davao. Using different flowers and with incorporation of fruits of different sizes, shades and colors, are formed into different images and structures. 

• Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan

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Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan means “street dancing.” It is one of Kadayawan Festival’s highlights. The downtown streets of Davao City suddenly throbs with vivid colors, beat of the drums, and the genteel yet lively kulintang and agung music.

While it focuses on Davao’s “Ten Tribes,” Indak-Indak also showcases out of town contingents, which comes from different provinces and cities all over Mindanao.

The event really shows the festival’s mood of “different tribes in one vibe.” Such wonderful myriad of different cultures can create one of the best things Davao, Mindanao, and even our country has!

• Hiyas ng Kadayawan

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Gathering the best and beautiful ladies from different barrios and barangays in Davao, Hiyas ng Kadayawan is a battle of beauty, talent and brains that will become ambassadress of the celebration.

 The Hiyas sa Kadayawan focuses on the cultural uniqueness of each indigenous tribe and their muse’s knowledge of their tribe’s cultural identity. 

Kadayawan Festival is a celebration that interfaces the three aspects: tribal; industrial and; arts and entertainment which is shown in highlights of the festival, and in its activities.

Aside from the events that are mentioned above, there are a lot more reasons to witness Kadayawan. With your visit to Davao for the Kadayawan Festival, you’ll also enjoy the majestic wonders of nature, delicious food, friendly people and rich culture. So mark your calendars and take the chance to experience it! Kadayawan Festival is a celebration that interfaces the three aspects: tribal; industrial and; arts and entertainment which is shown in highlights of the festival, and in its activities.