‘Best face mask’ prize up for grabs in Kadayawan’s Indak-Indak event

The Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) is pushing for a new feature in the Kadayawan Festival  Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan event by putting up a prize for the “Best Face Mask” of the street dancing participants.

Chief Tourism Officer Generose Tecson bared this on the Davao City Disaster Radio Tuesday saying, the face mask is the newest Kadayawan festival feature that her office 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 (We do not have new activities, maybe the newest is that we are all wearing masks. For the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan we included the face mask as part of the competition of the costumes and we will be giving prizes for the best mask in synchrony with the costume),” Tecson said.

Apart from Indak-Indak, the CTOO has also proposed for the face-to-face Pamulak sa Kadayawan, Pitik sa Kadayawan, and Sayaw Kadayawan which are tourists attractions.

She said that CTOO has 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. Hiyas ng Kadayawan will also be back.

According to Tecson, the official announcement for the schedule of the events from August 15-21 will be announced soon.

“We are the first biggest festival in the country which will hold a face-to-face activity,” Tecson said, adding that the city 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 sponsors (It is all planned – at least in our office on what the activities would be. It is just a matter of approval from the Execom so that we can go on with the processing of papers for our sponsors),” she said.

Tecson is optimistic that the festival would help revive the city’s tourism industry, including the hotels, as it would bring in tourists to the city.  

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.

Tecson said that 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.

“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 (for our unity and cooperation), she said. CIO