Kadayawan Festival now includes ‘Best Face Mask’ competition

DAVAO CITY – In an effort to advocate the use of face masks as a protection against the deadly Covid-19 disease and to further promote tourism here, the local government has included the “Best Face Mask” in the Kadayawan Festival Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan.

Chief Tourism Officer Generose Tecson said the face mask is the newest Kadayawan festival feature that her office has proposed, and to make it part of the judging in the street dancing competition.

“Wala po tayong bago na activities maybe yung pinakabago is that naka-mask tayong lahat. For the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan sinali po natin ang mask as part of the competition of their costume and we will be giving prizes for the best mask in-sync with the costume,” Tecson said.

Apart from Indak-Indak, the City Tourism Operations Office has also proposed for the face-to-face Pamulak sa Kadayawan, Pitik sa Kadayawan, and Sayaw Kadayawan which are all tourist attractions.

She said they also proposed to build the tribal village and this has been discussed with the different tribes. The Bantawan Stage located at Magsaysay Park is already finished and ready as a venue for the Bantawan Cultural Shows, and that Hiyas ng Kadayawan will also be back.

The official announcement for the schedule of the events from August 15-21 will be announced soon, according to Tecson. “We are the first biggest festival in the country which will hold a face-to-face activity,” she said, adding the local government also allocated a lesser budget for the festival budget and lesser participants in group competitions.

“Planadong-planado na po at least ang sa office namin kung ano ang activities. It is just a matter of approval from the Execom (Executive Committee) so that we can go on with the processing of papers para sa ating,” she said.

Tecson said she is optimistic the festival would help revive the city’s tourism industry, including the hotels, as it would bring in tourists here. She said that while there are no restrictions on coming to Davao, not even a vaccination card, they still encourage people to be vaccinated and get booster shots besides the mandated wearing of a face mask and practicing hand hygiene.

This year’s Kadayawan 2022 will mean more than just a thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, but also a way of thanking the public for cooperating in ensuring the health standards, she said. “It is also the cooperation and support of the public that we are celebrating Kadayawan. This is a thanksgiving not just for a bountiful harvest but para sa pagsasama natin at pagtutulungan natin,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)