Kadayawan Festival 2012: Some Tips To Get You By (updated)

Posted on 4 August, 2012 by nikkacorsino

Our trip to Davao City for Kadayawan last year had been my first time in Mindanao, and though it was a very short stay, we had a grand time taking photos of the two-day parade, bingeing on humongous crabs, and tasting a banana split that was partly durian-flavored. We also managed to squeeze in a quick sidetrip to Samal Island, which was a five-minute boat ride from the mainland.

The term “Kadayawan” is derived from the Mandaya word “madayaw”, a warm and friendly greeting used to explain a thing that is valuable, superior, beautiful, good, or profitable. ~www.kadayawan.com

Kadayawan is Davao City’s annual thanksgiving festival. The highlight of this fiesta is a two-day parade participated in by the ten indigenous tribes of Mindanao: the Ata, Matigsalug, Ovu-Manuvo, Klata-Djangan, Tagabawa, Tausog, Maguindanao, Maranao, Kagan, and Sama.

Young and old tribesmen will come parading down the streets in their indigenous garb, with some playing the kulintang and larger gongs. Women will come clothed in their tribe’s respective woven patterns and beaded pieces, from headdresses to necklaces and bracelets. On a separate trip to Samal Island earlier this year, we had met a local weaver at a resort who told us that weaving one dagmay cloth measuring about 4 feet by 3 feet would take a whole month.

2012 SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FROM Davao City Tourism

kadayawan 2012 schedule of activities

TIPS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SHOOT DURING THE PARADES:

1. Watch out for the Indak Indak sa Kadalanan on August 18 and the Pamulak Kadayawan on August 19. Both parades started at 8 AM last year and lasted two to three hours. You’d need a media pass for this one. Which leads me to>>

2. Get a media pass from the Duaw Davao Foundation.

We applied last year as photographers and paid P300 each for an ordinary pass, although if I remember right, this was ‘upgraded’ to an all-access pass later on. The ordinary pass would give you access to the two-day parade only, while the all-access covers all Kadayawan activities for the whole month.

UPDATE (August 12, 2012): According to Ms. Joyce Mariscal, who was with the festival secretariat last year, those who want to secure media passes will need to contact:

Mr. Jason Magnaye, Head, City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO)
Doors 7 & 8, Magsaysay Park Complex, Magsaysay Ave., DVO
info@kadayawan.com | (082) 222-1956 | (022) 222-1957
Kadayawan 2012 Secretariat

Their IDs are HUGE–pwedeng pamaypay. LOL.

2. The area along Marco Polo Davao is a good vantage point since dancers stop at this area to perform, but prepare to be squashed by bigger, burlier photographers. You may also station yourself at the final stage (last year it was in front of the city hall) where all tribes will perform before the judges. BUT you need to be early as there are only limited seats for ID holders.

See: My photos of Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2011

And watch out, you may also meet one of your idols along the streets. >>

We stopped shooting the parade just so we could catch up after Lito Sy and have this photo taken.

3. Davao is a big city. Be prepared to take very long walks and very very very long jeepney and cab rides.

RESTAURANTS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Sagay Restaurant (Casa Leticia, Camus St., Davao City)
Try their refreshing Halaan Soup, their very creamy Sizzling Sisig, and their Durian Pie. Owen wasn’t very keen on the pie but I liked it. Its subtle flavor grows on you, so the only way to really appreciate it is to eat the whole thing.

Sagay Restaurant’s Durian Pie

Sagay Restaurant’s Halaan Soup and Sizzling Sisig, said to be the best one in Davao City.

Glamour Restaurant (along J. Camus Extension, near Sampaguita Inn 1)
Big, all-you-can-eat crabs. A year after and we’re still not over it. Best crab fest yet! Check out my separate post for more.

ACTIVITIES TO TRY OUT
1. Ride one of their e-trikes! Last year the city government had all the e-trikes give free rides to all the major spots in the city. It was as fast as its gas-powered counterparts but this one’s engine was very quiet. According to our trike driver, an eight-hour charge is enough for an eight-hour field day and costs P50.

We rode one to Aldevinco Shopping Center, a square of pasalubong shops selling everything from woven bags to durian treats. This is across Marco Polo Davao and Ateneo de Davao.

2. Spend at least half a day in Samal Island.

The nearest beach resorts in Samal Island are just five minutes from the mainland, although the boat rides could get really wobbly, as we have experienced in our two last visits. Our first trip was nothing really special, since the weather had not been favorable and we ended up eating ice cream while waiting for the boat back.

HOTEL SUGGESTIONS

We stayed at the Grand Men Seng Hotel because it was near the City Hall. The hotel is a bit old but the rooms were spacious and our stay was fairly comfortable. This is where we tried the banana split with durian-flavored ice cream, which was actually good—surprising, but good.

As it turned out, we also stayed a night at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, courtesy of PAL who canceled our departing flight to Manila and booked another flight a full day after our original schedule. They billeted all passengers in this boutique hotel, which was a consolation because of its tasty danggit. We ended up spending the whole day watching Rowena del Rosario’s storytelling par excellence on ANC.

You can also try checking out Casa Leticia and Sampaguita Inn.

USEFUL LINKS
Davao City Tourism | Kadayawan Dot Com | Davao Tourism

MAP

View Davao City in a larger map

Travel snap: Malipano Island 1.0

Posted on 30 March, 2012 by nikkacorsino

The Philippines is so beautiful you can practically hop on a boat and chance upon a palm-fringed island with white sand and clear waters anywhere you are, from the Visayas group of islands–arguably the one with the most popular beaches in the country–all the way to secluded spots in Luzon and Mindanao. In this case, it’s Malipano, an island that is part of a resort in Davao City, Philippines.

I’ve been to Samal Island last year–my first time–for all of two hours just to eat ice cream. But this wasn’t the case this time, and limited though the time I had to ‘enjoy’ the island, it was decidedly better than the first, not just because it was summertime.

This second of quick jaunts I had had in Davao City in less than a year was enough to convince me I need to be here next time for a longer stay. As to where, I’m not very sure. But I’m definitely coming back for the crabs, and perhaps another cold sweet date with a banana split. I’d also love to see some bats, taste Sagay’s durian pie once again, and maybe ride one of the city’s e-trikes.

The search for Davao’s all-you-can-eat crabs

Posted on 9 December, 2011 by nikkacorsino

You go to Davao for durian, but then sometimes you don’t.

For those of us (yes, us) who do not quite delight in the fruit, Davao has a surprisingly pleasant gastronomic diversion: all-you-can-eat everything. Even more, this city seems to put much thought to crabs, and unlike their counterparts elsewhere, these shelled orange delights come in relatively affordable prices.

Thanks to some online research and a local travel magazine, we were led to what was supposed to be one of Davao’s all-you-can-eat-crab haunts: Glamour Restaurant ‘n Caterer. Do not let the name fool you into thinking, though, that it is anywhere near Sofitel’s Spiral. Glamour, if I may be quite frank, does not have the trappings of a five-star hotel’s dinner buffet, contrary to its name. It’s roughly the size of a studio apartment and holds around 30 people at a time (thus, you have to reserve your seats beforehand). Painted in light shades of orange and green, it’s far from posh. It’s airconditioned, and the downside to this is the whole place smells of crab. Now, we all love crab meat and fat and all that, but we don’t want to be smelling crab now, do we?

Crabs bigger than my already big hands, yes they are.

A dinner buffet at Glamour (they open at 6 PM) will set you back Php 390 (around $9) per person. Aside from the all-you-can-eat (before-you-die-of-cholesterol) crabs, Glamour gives two to three other main viands—in our case, roast chicken and another beef dish I cannot remember—along with all-you-can-eat rice. They also have a variety of sweet treats for dessert (maja blanca, biko, brownies, etc) as well as fresh fruits and salad. You have to pay for your drinks though. The other dishes, including the desserts, were not particularly magical.

But the crabs more than made up for it. Cooked with gata and swimming in aligue, these steaming hot crustaceans are served dozens at a time. Personally, I like crabs just steamed, but Glamour’s rich-tasting recipe is a welcome change to an already-well-loved dish. The crabs were humongous; the amount of crab meat in a single serving can actually rival your average chicken leg.

Good things, however, have their ways of stripping you of energy, patience, and giving you all possible forms of physical torment even before you can enjoy them. In our case, this included an hour spent walking under the 12-noon heat but not finding the restaurant (and thus ending up eating in another restaurant, which was not so much a compromise because of the excellent food, but more on that later). Having resolved to get our plane tickets’ worth, we went for a second run in the afternoon after a quick trip to Samal Island [See: Two hours in Samal] and swore we would have nothing but crabs for dinner. But this resulted in yet another round of getting lost (and testy tempers in between) and getting soaked in the rain.

Turns out, if we had found it earlier at lunchtime, we would have been thoroughly disappointed, for the restaurant opens at 6 PM.

Testimonials of satisfied customers occupy half a wall inside the buffet restaurant.

We looked like we were gatecrashing a family party. The place, at least for that day, had balloons and other hanging trinkets that would give Ronald McDonald a run for his money. Just above the buffet table hung a tarpaulin greeting us a Happy Kadayawan (which explains the enthusiastic decor, I guess). On one side rests a huge tarpaulin where apparently satisfied diners have placed their generous comments on the restaurant. But as I had said, the crabs did not disappoint–and nothing else really mattered, at least to our needy stomachs.~

GET THERE ~~WITHOUT GETTING LOST~~

Have yourself dropped off at Sampaguita Inn 2 along Camus St. From there, Glamour is just 30 steps away. Note: There are 2 Sampaguita Inns along Camus. Sampaguita Inn 2 is the newer building, and that’s the one nearer Glamour (because it was Kadayawan and the traffic route was different, we decided to take a cab for easier navigation).

Glamour is just one of the many–and I mean many–buffet restaurants in Davao City. We also ate at Kuya Ed’s just in front of the hotel we were staying. I was, however, unimpressed with the food, and there was just too many people when we went there (which was a Sunday). We had to wait for 10 15 minutes to get a cramped space to eat. But at a surprising P135 each, I really would not have expected anything more. If you don’t like 1) crowds 2)crowds and 3)crowds, then you’re better off elsewhere with much better food. Trust me, Davao has lots more (and better) to offer. And for that, you can consult this list.

But Davao is more than just that. One of the more popular attractions in this big city is its annual festival, Kadayawan.

The different faces of Mindanao: Kadayawan sa Dabaw

Posted on 18 November, 2011 by nikkacorsino

Kadayawan is Davao City’s annual thanksgiving festival. Davao is home to many of the Philippines’ wonders, including its highest peak, Mt. Apo; the Philippine Eagle; durian and pomelo; and the orchid waling-waling.

Two hours in Samal

Posted on 7 September, 2011 by nikkacorsino

Who would go all the way to an island to have an overpriced cup of ice cream that Henry Sy gladly sells in his supermarkets in the first place?
I wouldn’t.

But I did. Not purposefully, at least.

But to Samal Island we went, after a whirlwind trip from Baguio City in Northern Luzon to Davao City in Southwestern Mindanao; a festival; and getting lost in search for all-you-can-eat crabs. This also included a jeepney ride that had taken forever, and a wobbly boat ride that took longer than that (imagine how much longer than forever took).

So you could forgive our dogging heads and gaping mouths as we slept inside a crowded jeepney whose driver stepped on the breaks like his day’s earnings depended on it.

Samal Island, according to some blogs, is a short ride from the city proper, and that already includes the water part. Apparently I’ve overlooked the fact that Davao is more than thrice the size of Singapore, so getting from one spot to another may not exactly fit my idea of ‘near’ (I guess Baguio spoils me too much, and this isn’t the first time).

Now, I love white-sand beaches and blue waters—make no mistake about it—but I dislike being waterborne. I’ve repeatedly told this to anybody who would care to listen: I’d rather die in a plane crash than find myself swimming to save my life from either the water or the sharks.

Nothing like Boracay’s water sports, but worthwhile all the same.

So the moment that banca, which carried around 30 of us, began to sway rather violently, I found myself regretting a decision very very seriously after a good many years. How could I not, when that was all I could do in the middle of all that water?

We managed to disembark with what was left of my enthusiasm and energy shortly after 3 PM, which didn’t seem the best time of the day to visit Samal, especially for the first time. Twigs were floating all over, and the water didn’t even look inviting enough, but then again I could blame many things for that: it was August, it was nearing dark, rains loomed, and it wasn’t exactly sunshiny the past few days to begin with.

Now this is what Boracay doesn’t have: uniformly designed souvenir shops.

Despite these, Samal’s immaculate white sand deserves mention. It’s exactly how Boracay sand looks and feels, only that there’s less of everything here—noise, people, and the water activities that the Philippines’ party capital is famous for (hey, I can live without the banana boats and the spelunking).

Samal (or that part of it we visited) looked perfect for families who can spare a whole day simply eating and swimming, two pursuits we undoubtedly do not mind doing on a Saturday or Sunday.

Even Koreans will agree: Samal deserves your day.

Rates are affordable (the boat ride cost us P15 each, and resort entrance was at P100 each, P25 of which was consumable*). Amenities differ with the resort of your choice (I’ve read about one that has slides and all that, perfect to keep kids busy and out of the way), and you can opt to simply pay resort entrance fees if you’re not staying overnight.

So what did we do? We chose to lounge in its cogon-covered dining area (yeah, we went there to retire like old people) and waited for the 5 PM boat to take us back to the mainland. The sights were nevertheless not a waste of time. It was like looking at a Boracay years ago (no guys badgering you for island hopping here for every ten steps you take). And if only for that, I’m giving this another chance

No need for reflectors here; Samal’s white sand fits the bill to the hilt.

My favorite travel buddy who I can count on for vanity photos such as that one above. Thank you!

And this, it turned out, was to be what I came to Samal for. Oh well.

*This was at Paradise Island Resort. To get to the wharf where its boats wait for passengers, ride a jeep from the town proper (bad tourists like me forget the jeepney routes and the places, but this nevertheless leaves room for adventure when it’s your turn to ask).

All photos from this post, except the first one and that with him on it, are byOwen Ballesteros.

Davao on a plate

Posted on 6 September, 2011 by nikkacorsino

This was the closest I got to tasting Davao City’s* famous fruit, and it came with a banana.**

And it wasn’t even intentional.

Apparently, Grand Men Seng Hotel (where we obviously had the Banana Split a la Davao, a moniker I’m especially giving it) substituted the traditional vanilla, which goes really well with ube and chocolate, in this common dessert. So you can imagine the surprise of having that strange taste register mentally after expecting the more familiar, not to mention preferred, vanilla (which, by the way, makes the banana less of a bore than it is).

Davao does things differently, and that includes its banana split.

But hey, it wasn’t bad at all.

It was actually, unbelievably, delicious. Definitely better than the durian-flavored candies we purchased from souvenir shops earlier (which we got to taste after the gelato). And many times more so because it didn’t have that repulsive smell this fruit is notorious for.

It looked like the perfect cap to a brief visit then, having consumed this before we left for the airport to take us back to Manila , if only our flag carrier did not decide to have us stay an extra 24 hours. But then again, that’s another story.

Under the right circumstances, i.e., having just come from a long afternoon walk with a five-kilo box of pomelo in tow, one can consume this high-calorie dessert faster than you can say “Oh, it’s Sara Duterte!”***

—
*Davao City is located in Mindanao in southern Philippines. It recently celebrated its annual thanksgiving festival, Kadayawan.
**The author does not particularly like the potassium-rich fruit, finds it boring in fact. Why did she order then? She didn’t. This was her companion’s dessert. She had a rather large serving of the good old halo-halo which she gobbled and didn’t bother taking a picture of.
***Did I say she was on the table next to ours?
Photos in this entry are by Owen Ballesteros.