DAVAO Design Week, a first-of-its-kind design event in Davao, will bring designers and non-designers together on October 8–10 at La Herencia Davao to explore how design can help address real-world challenges and develop solutions for the complex problems facing communities.
Presented by Alsons Development and Investment Corporation, SKS Interiors, Inc., and La Herencia Davao, Davao Design Week 2026 carries the theme “DESIGNDUMP: From The People.” The event is held in alignment with the Design Center of the Philippines’ Design Week Philippines, an annual celebration under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This year’s Design Week Philippines theme, “SAMA ALL,” calls on people to come together in shaping a better, design-led future.
Bringing this spirit to Davao, Davao Design Week highlights participatory design, a process that involves the people who experience a problem in developing solutions to it. Its call to action, “Life is Better When We Design Together,” reflects the idea that design can be shaped not only by designers, but also by the people and communities who experience the challenges it seeks to address.
The need for such an approach becomes increasingly relevant as cities face complex challenges that cannot be addressed by any single organization, government agency, or individual. From urban flooding and waste management to traffic, environmental concerns, and the wellbeing of communities, these interconnected challenges require people from different disciplines and sectors to work together.
Over three days, Davao Design Week will offer a range of ways for the public to experience and engage with design.
The Design Forum, a 200-seat space for open conversations, will bring together more than 30 speakers and performers around the themes of Community, Harmony, and Beauty & Redemption. Instead of traditional lectures, the forum will feature informal conversations where participants can engage directly with practitioners from different fields.
Among the featured speakers are Christine Buyco-Sy, a Singapore-based Dabawenya architect and founder of Avally Design Studio, which received one of the top honors at the 2025 World Architecture Festival; Sudarshan V. Khadka, architect and co-curator of Muhon, the Philippines’ first pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and a Philippine representative at the 2017 World Architecture Festival; and Jun Gines, architect, anthropologist, architectural theorist, and museum and exhibition designer from the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Architecture.
Beyond the forum, visitors can also take part in a Micro-Retreat, a 10-minute guided meditation activity designed to offer a moment of pause and reflection, and browse the Makers Market, which will feature locally designed merchandise, food, and beverages.
An exclusive Circular Futures Workshop will also be held on October 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Facilitated by KindMind President and Co-founder Abi Mapúa, the three-hour, hands-on workshop limited to 30 participants, will explore how circular economy principles can be applied to production, consumption, and governance.
Davao Design Week is also designed to be accessible to the wider public. One ticket provides multiple entry throughout all three days, with tickets starting at P149 for students, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens. General admission tickets are priced at P349 and come with a free Davao Design Week Charm Collector for the first 250 online registrants. A limited number of VIP tickets priced at P1,199 are also available, including reserved forum seats, a Davao Design Week Charm Collector, and P300 worth of gift certificates for the onsite market.
Davao Design Week is a not-for-profit event. Proceeds will cover operational costs, while any excess funds will support follow-up activities and help seed the proposed Davao Design Week 2027.
Ultimately, Davao Design Week aims to show that design is not limited to designers or aesthetics. It is a way of understanding problems, working with people, and developing solutions that can make a tangible difference in everyday life. Through its conversations, immersive activities, and opportunities to connect with local makers and practitioners, the event invites everyone to take part in this process because, “Life is Better When We Design Together.”
Davao Design Week 2026 runs from October 8–10, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at La Herencia Davao, Davao Convention Center Complex, Torres St, Davao City. Tickets are available through Eventsize or by searching “Davao Design Week” on ChatGPT. For more information, visit the Davao Design Week Facebook page.
