THE CITY Government of Davao officially opened the annual Kadayawan Festival themed “We are One, KadayaONE!” on Friday evening, Aug. 7, celebrating the unity of the 11 ethnolinguistic tribes, vibrant cultures, and agricultural abundance.
Vice President Sara Z. Duterte led the ceremonial banging of the gong to kick off the biggest month-long Kadayawan celebration so far, featuring a total of 26 events.
“The Kadayawan festival is more than a colorful celebration of culture, harvest, and gratitude. It reflects the strength and resilience of the people of Davao City, especially in the face of economic and political struggles,” Duterte said in her opening remarks.
Duterte was also joined by Vice Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” S. Duterte II along with the 11 tribal deputy mayors.
The creative direction for this year’s festival is “Banig sa Kagikan,” which conceptualizes a woven mat as the image representing the city’s IP communities.
Highlights of Kadayawan 2026 will include the highly anticipated Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan competition and Pamulak ug Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan parade set for Aug 16.
According to the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), Indak-Indak’s grand winner in the open category will receive P1.5M, while the school-based category will receive P1 million. The winner for the Pamulak float parade will also bring home P1 million.
Hiyas sa Kadayawan, Davao City’s annual cultural pageant, features 11 candidates representing their tribes who will compete to become the next crowned “Hiyas sa Kadayawan 2026” as well as titles for “Hiyas sa Panaghiusa” and “Hiyas sa Kalambuan”.
The grand coronation will take place at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) Gymnasium and Cultural Center on Aug 13.
Other events for the arts and music scene will also have “Tunog Kadayawan” on Aug 8, “Dayaw Arts, Culture, and Film Festival” on Aug 10 to 13, “Agong ug Kulintangan sa Kadayawan” on Aug 14, and finally “Konsierto Kadayawan” on Aug 15.
