Kadayawan Festival: Celebrating Unity and Abundance in Davao City

The Kadayawan Festival, celebrated annually in Davao City, is a week-long event that honors the city's rich cultural heritage, vibrant indigenous practices, and the bountiful harvest. Named after the Mandaya word 'madayaw', which means 'valuable' or 'treasured', the festival is a testament to the unity and diversity of the city's inhabitants.

History and Evolution

According to historical accounts cited by Dr. Gemima Valderrama in her article, the Kadayawan Festival began with Mayor Elias B. Lopez encouraging the Davao tribes to showcase their thankfulness rituals back in 1970. In 1986, the focus shifted to promoting unity among the people during the tumultuous period of martial law. Then, the festival was known as the Apo Duwaling Festival, an amalgamation of the reverence for Mount Apo, the famous durian fruit, and the waling-waling orchid. However, it wasn't until 1988 under then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's tenure that the festival was formally rebranded as the Kadayawan Festival, reflecting its deep roots in the city's spiritual and material abundance.

Cultural Significance

Central to the festival is the recognition and appreciation of Davao's indigenous tribes, collectively referred to as the lumad. In the early days, these tribes would gather at harvest time for a communal celebration in gratitude to their deities and nature. The rituals involved offerings of fruits, vegetables, flowers, rice grains, and a feast that reflected the season's bounty.

Celebration Highlights

One of the most popular activities during Kadayawan is the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan or street dancing parade, where various indigenous communities come together to perform energetic dances in their traditional attire. This colorful spectacle showcases the diverse cultural heritage of Mindanao and attracts locals and tourists alike.

The festival also features a Floral Parade, which displays an impressive array of Davao's beautiful flora, reflecting the city's natural wealth. Additionally, there are food festivals, trade fairs, and other artistic performances that celebrate the unique aspects of Davao City's culture and tradition.

In recent years, the scope of the Kadayawan Festival has expanded beyond the third week of August, with events running from August 10 to 17 in 2019. Despite this change, the core essence of unity in diversity remains unchanged, embodying the spirit of appreciation for life's gifts, the richness of local cultures, and the thanksgiving for the harvest.