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One Day in the
Life of a Davao Traveler
The city has become so many different things to so many different people. From merely the Nueva Guipuzcoa province, Nueva Vergara city, for the first Spaniards who arrived here, to the Japanese' “Little Tokyo” before the war, it has become an eco-tourism destination, offering a host of packages featuring such adventure sports like scuba diving, mountain climbing, spelunking, kayaking, caving. |
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Davao City (A Brief Introduction)
Far from the Moro settlement that the Spaniards found when they first arrived here in 1848, the city of Davao has grown into a trading and financial hub of Mindanao and that of the East Asean Growth Area (Eaga).
Its international airport is Mindanao's busiest, with direct flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur and Manado, Indonesia. As the center and staging point for the four Eaga countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines), Davao has opened new direct air links and shipping routes connecting key cities of the four countries to each other, fueling trade and investments over the past years. |
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The Davao Region (an introduction)
DAVAO CITY – The Davao region – also known as Region 11 or Southern Mindanao Region -- is divided into four provinces, the largest of which is Davao Oriental, then Compostela Valley, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte.
There are five cities in the region: Panabo, Island Garden City of Samal, and Tagum cities, which are in Davao del Norte while Digos City is in Davao del Sur.
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Windows to Davao's Soul
DAVAO CITY – This city has a number of places where every traveler can get the chance to better understand and appreciate it. And we're not just talking about museums.
Somewhere in the city's unmarked streets, inside the homes of many old families and the abodes of indigenous tribes of the vast lands here, lie the repositories of Davao's soul that are waiting to be discovered. |
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Of Cats and Dogs and
Squares and Promenades
 DAVAO CITY -- Entertainment centers are mushrooming in Davao City. Aside from bars located inside hotels, there are bars clustered in entertainment arcades in certain districts in downtown Davao. These have become regular venues for both local and Manila-based performances.
Among these are the Matina Town Square in Matina District, the Rizal Promenade on Rizal Street, the Damosa Gateway along J.P. Laurel and The Venue along Quirino Avenue. These have various bars to choose, all under one roof. These holes either offer live and acoustic band performances, discos, videokes, billiards halls, or simply a cozy place to hang out with friends. |
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Easy Travel
DAVAO CITY -- Traveling is not a problem in the city of Davao as there are various means of public transportation.
For visitors from outside Davao, there are available regular flights from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, Bacolod, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa. There are also flights from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. If you want to travel by sea, there are passenger ships with fare rates ranging from as low as 560 pesos to as high as 8,000 pesos, depending on the type of accommodation. |
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 To Market,
To Market
DAVAO CITY -- If you are a first-timer here -- if, let's say, you don't have any idea about this city except its tough-talking mayor, the beaches, the white sand -- try visiting the public markets, where you will discover this metropolis's naked allure.
Try it -- and you will find the ingenuity of a people trying to eke out a living, the prices that are lower compared to those in air-conditioned malls, the luscious fruits on the stands, the fresh flowers lining up the sidewalks, greeting you with their warmth.
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 The 'Ukay-Ukay' Hunt
DAVAO CITY -- Shopping malls are aplenty in Davao City. But for those who are on a tight budget or do not want to be caught wearing the same outfit as the next person in the jeepney, there are alternative places to shop. One of these are the ukay-ukay (used clothes) stores. “Ukay-ukay” is a Visayan term that means to rummage.
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 Tudaya's Allure
TUDAYA, Davao del Sur -- The height and power of Tudaya Falls can leave you awed and breathless. It has a way of making you forget the difficulties of going there, when you trudged the hills, crossed the rivers, slipped on the muddy road and sprained a hand and tortured your butt. Tudaya Falls makes you realize it was all worth the trouble.
Tudaya Falls is 150-foot tall, one of the tallest in the country.
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 White Water
Adventure at Sibulan
SIBULAN, Davao del Sur -- For the adventurous soul who dares brave the strong, harsh waters of a running river, there's always the whitewater tubing facility in this village, in Darong town, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, to check out. The tubing facility is located inside the Ayala compound, a 700-hectare coconut plantation owned by the Ayala-Zobels. Sibulan is an hour's drive from Davao City.
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 Take a Hike
DAVAO CITY -- If living the city life in Davao may lose some of its appeal and excitement after sometime, retreating to the boondocks might be a good alternative. The surrounding areas of metro Davao have much to offer. To the northwest and southwest of the city are the mountains and hills of Calinan and Toril, which are set with long trails, rough terrains and both short and long climbs that are sure to delight the hiking enthusiast.
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 Davao's
Dive Spots
DAVAO CITY -- If you are looking for fun and exciting aqua-sport here, scuba diving is one of the options.
There are several dive sites in the Davao Gulf, which are only 45 minutes to 120 minutes away from the city proper. You can choose from the following dive spots: Ligid Islad, Aundanao, Tagbobo, Pangubatan, Mushroom Rock, Paet Point, Coral Garden, Isla Reta, Talisay Wall, Angel's Cave, Mansud Wall, Malipano Island, Pearl Farm, Punta del Sol, and Paradise Island.
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 How Davao
Became ‘Little Tokyo'
DAVAO CITY – On a wall in one of the galleries of the Davao Museum has an interesting exhibit on how Davao became a city.
Accordingly, Davao became a city out of fear of Japanese control. The account says that “during the constitutional convention in 1934, one delegate in the person of Pantaleon Pelayo Sr. denounced the control of Japanese in Davao and their unlimited acquisition of land. |
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Mayor Rodrigo Duterte likes to regale his guests with the story of how, one time, using a piece of firewood, he crushed the hands of a man accused of stealing hand-held radios. The problem with the story, as the mayor himself would tell his visitors, is that he had actually punished the wrong man.
Duterte laughed out loud when he narrated this story one evening last week, during dinner with friends and journalists. He used the story to drive home the point that he hates thieves and criminals.
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The Rise and Rise of Rodrigo Duterte
To those who fear him, Duterte is “the punisher,” as Time magazine described him three years ago. To those who respect him, he is the man who keeps the peace. To his political adversaries, he plays dirty. To others whose lives he touched through his generosity, his is a heart of gold. To keen political observers, he is nothing but a shrewd politician who knows how to play the game. |
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Teenagers Perish in Davao's Killing Fields
By Carlos H. Conde
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
In one of the many hovels crammed inside Bankerohan, this city's largest public market, Christmas is about to come and go unnoticed once more. While the Alia family is no stranger to a joyless Christmas, this year's yuletide has been exceptionally sad. The family is still mourning the death of yet another Alia child, who last month was added to a growing list of teenagers sacrificed in a brutal war against crime. |
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In Full Control
In his 17 years in Davao City politics, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has wielded his power so well that he practically holds the whole City Council under his thumb. His control is so thorough that councilors hardly question his actions or proposed legislative measures, especially those that have something to do with peace and order. |
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Why the Media Love ‘Digong’
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's actions and his stance on issues -- from his indignation over the hanging of Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion in the 1990s which led to his burning of the Singapore flag, to his penchant to give quick-fix solutions to problems of the poor -- have a way of attracting attention. He is comfortable around journalists, who are, in turn, easily fascinated by him.
But are the Davao media too cozy with Duterte that they often fail to check against reality the image that he projects? More to the point, do the people of Davao benefit from this love affair between Duterte and members of the press?
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Diwalwal Folk Caught in the
Grip of Violence, Greed
By Daisy C. Gonzales
and Carlos H. Conde
Bulatlat.com
Mt. Diwalwal is said to hold the Philippines' largest gold deposit, perhaps one of the largest in the world, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Years were when a miner can earn a few thousand bucks in a day. With the new-found wealth, however, has come the problem of peace and order.
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