BY JERRY NIEL M. LORA/DNSC Intern
THE LOCAL government has allocated P50 million for the celebration of the 89th Araw ng Dabaw this March, with officials emphasizing new activities and the historic commemoration of the 100th year of the Davao City Hall.
Out of the P50 million budget, P41 million has been earmarked for overall events, while P9 million is dedicated to the security cluster to ensure the safety and orderly conduct of activities throughout the month-long celebration.
Willenito P. Tormis Jr., City Tourism Operations Office head, said, “There’s a slight increase in our budget for this year, but not as much as 1 million. The increase is probably less than P500,000.”
Despite the minimal adjustment, the city introduced strategic changes in the lineup of events, including the new activities such as Kanta ug Sayaw Dabawenyo and Salida Dabawenyo, an inter-school short film competition aimed at showcasing the creativity and storytelling skills of Dabawenyo students.
Meanwhile, the major highlight of this year’s celebration is the centennial anniversary of City Hall. In line with this milestone, a 3D projection will be shown at City Hall from March 1 to 31, complementing the repainting and enhancement of the historic building.
The lineup of activities for this year’s Araw ng Dabaw includes Misa Pasasalamat, Pasiugdang Pagsaulog or the grand opening ceremony, The Araw ng Dabaw Trade Fair and Bazaar, Kundiman at Harana sa Araw ng Dabaw, Mutya ng Dabaw 2026 (Preliminaries, Interview Rounds, and Grand Coronation Night), and Salida Dabawenyo: Inter-School Short Film Competition.
Dabawenyo Ko: School-Based Tour Araw ng Dabaw sa Distrito, Dabawenyo Ko Heritage Walking Tour – City Hall, Pasidungog 2026: Garbo sa Dabaw, The 54th Conferment of Datu Bago Awards, 2GO Gwapa Dabawenya, RLC Ironkids Davao Duathlon, BYD Ironman 70.3 Davao, Araw ng mga Empleyado, Mercado Dabawenyo, Kanta ug Sayaw Dabawenyo Grand Finals, Parada Dabawenyo, and Konsierto Dabawenyo.
Organizers underscored that the celebration is a collaborative effort between the city government and private partners, while sponsors and benefactors also contributed to ensure the success of the annual festival.
