Thinner crowds at security-packed Indak-Indak

More cops than watchers at the start of the parade along San Pedro Street (davaotoday.com photo by Jandy Lizondra)

More cops than watchers at the start of the parade along San Pedro Street (davaotoday.com photo by Jandy Ken C. Lizondra)

DAVAO CITY – The city celebrated Kadayawan’s major parade, the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan, with tight security and a noticeably thin crowd.

Sta. Ana Police Senior Supt. Caezar Cabuhat estimated the crowd was 33% less than last year’s attendance and attributed the dip to security concerns.

Despite this, revelry was still up in the air. Onlookers posed with street dance performers. “For our Facebook,” said Bernadette Sousa, who actually brought her four kids all the way from Zamboanga City to witness this year’s Kadayawan.

“Nanawag gani akong mama nga dili lang lagi daw mi manuroy. Pati akong bana, pero giingnan nako sa kilid-kilid lang gud mi (My mom called that I shouldn’t go out. My husband told me that too, but I said I would just stay at the sidelines),” Sousa said.

She added, “Wala man guy ingon-ani sa Zamboanga. Naa ray mga street dance during Araw celebrations, pero dili gyud ingon ani ka nindot (There’s nothing like this in Zamboanga. We only had street dance in our founding day celebration, but not as colorful as this).

Another visitor, Marvin from Pampanga, experienced his first Kadayawan today. “Ok lang naman kasi makikita ko naman na medyo dinagdagan naman nila ang security. Palagay ko dito sa Davao, given na si Mayor Duterte, strict way, palagay ko safe dito. (It looks okay since I can see additional security forces were added. I guess here in Davao, with Mayor Duterte’s strict way, we are safe).”

There were 23 contingents from the city and from neighboring provinces that took part in the competition for the Davao City and Open categories.

Participants were already in formation as early as 5 am, occupying the streets in CM Recto, Roxas Boulevard, Bangoy (Ponciano) and San Pedro. The parade started thirty minutes late from its appointed schedule of 8:30.

Most contingents came in bright colorful garbs and used props symbolizing Mindanao’s bounty such as bananas, durians, and coconuts and indigenous designs. They also mounted huge backrdops. Some though had to make do with small props due to limited budget.

Davao Category champion Holy Cross of Calinan College (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)

The open category champion was Panay National High School from Sto. Niño, South Cotabato, followed by Tribo Sulalan from Polomolok, South Cotabato for first runner-up and Tribo Talaingod, Davao del Norte came in second runner-up.

Winning the Davao category was Holy Cross College of Calinan, 1st runner-up was Magallanes Elementary School, 2nd runner-up was Sta. Ana National High School.

Sidebar:

A Kadayawan experience
By LAURA WISE

(Laura Wise is a young adult missionary of the United Methodist Church, New York USA.)

I can hear the beating of the drums from blocks away. I see men, women and children in beautiful, bright colored tribal costumes. There is singing, dancing and smiling faces in every direction. It is my first Kadayawan festival and I’m delighted to be in the midst of the excitement in the city this weekend.

This modern day festival that I am experiencing is a celebration adapted from the original thanksgiving rituals practiced by Davao’s various ethnic tribes (so says my research J). Historically, various farm-related items where displayed on mats while tribe members paid their respects and gave thanks for the season’s plentiful harvest to the ‘Manama’, or supreme being. Many years have passed, and the festival has continued to evolve, but I can see that the tradition of thanksgiving and strong cultural identity lives on here among the people of Davao.

Through my work as a missionary for the United Methodist Church, and living here in Davao over the past year working for an NGO, I’ve learned quite a bit about the indigenous culture of Mindanao.

This has been an exciting day for me, what a beautiful celebration it has been. Yet I can’t help but think about the deep-rooted concept of thanksgiving and culture in the same vein as I examine the plight of the indigenous people of Mindanao today.

As I celebrate and take part in the festivities, I realize that just a few kilometers away is a group of roughly 500 Manobo indigenous people, from Agusan del Sur who evacuated from their community due to intensifying military violence, and who are now seeking refuge in the city. I wonder how these evacuated Manobos view the Kadayawan celebration—a celebration of their culture? I wonder what harvest they have to be thankful for this year in the midst of their most recent struggles? What a coincidence that the Monobo evacuees would be in the city at such a time as this! The parallel between the celebration of the culture, and the actual situation, ironically visible in the city at this time should not be overlooked.

As I strolled through Rizal Park, looking at the indigenous merchandise for sale, I can’t help but wonder if the money from the sale of such items is going to provide for indigenous families in need. It was hard for me to pay attention to the fun of the celebration while Lumad women in their tribal costumes were asking me for money to feed their visibly hungry baby’s sitting on their hips.

Still, I commend the city of Davao for putting on this amazing event celebrating the history and culture of Dabawenyos; for paying homage to the indigenous roots that run through the blood of the people here. In turn, I would also like to remind the people of Davao to familiarize with the real situation of indigenous people here in Mindanao.

Also, if Kadayawan is truly a celebration of the various ethnic groups and indigenous culture that comprise Mindanao I would recommend getting groups to work for the indigenous people here in Mindanao, to tackle on the issues that are most important to their survival and the survival of their culture. There are various people’s organizations that have dedicated their lives to the plight of the indigenous people. They deserve a voice in such events.

As a visitor here, the underlying issues are heavy in my heart, the concern for the people. But my spirits remain high and I am thankful to be able to witness the culture of the people here first hand. I’m looking forward to the remaining festival events this weekend. Happy Kadayawan 2013, Davao!

Security was tight as police, soldiers and intelligence were already patrolling all over the city since 12:00 midnight. Cars were blocked from entering the parade routes. Barangay tanods in uniforms were spread out along with police and soldiers.

Police enforced the no-backpack and no-camera bag rules. Few people carried the usually ubiquitous backpacks.

But one photographer, Jonathan Reyes from Pangasinan, complained that the police was not consistent in enforcing the rule.

“Sinita kami dahil may mga dala kaming (camera bag) pero pagdating dito, may nakalusot, inconsistent. (We were frisked because we carried (camera bag), but when I got here some still carried bags. They were inconsistent),” he told Davao Today.

Even vendors such as Jordan, a buko juice vendor, were frisked for items that they used for their business.

“Layo ra kaayo karon. Kay pati amo tinda check-upon, di makasulod kung di ma chek-up. Sa seguridad, higpit, lisod pud ug dili higpitan kay simba ko ba og naay kanang bomba. Maayo nang gibuhat karon kumpara sa una. (It was different now because even our items were all checked. We can’t go in the streets without going through a check-up. Security was strict, but it would be difficult if the authorities were not strict; God forbid a bomb might go off. So what they’re doing now was better than last year),” Jordan said.

But the sparse crowd affected sales of vendors. Jay Neil Olanolan, who sells bottled water by the road, observes the goods in his ice box were hardly sold at around ten am. “Sa una, ingon arong orasa, hurot-hurot na, (Last time, my items are sold around this time),” Jay Neil said. One ice box contains about 70 bottles of mineral water.

“Dili gyud pareha ka daghan sa una, kay gani, mapansin nimo sa una, nagbutang pa man gani to og cordon para dili molapas ang mga tawo, pero karun luag gyud ang sidewalk (It’s not like before where the police would place a cordon so that people can’t cross the streets. But now the sidewalks are bare),” Jay Neil shared.

Around five Boy Scouts from Davao Christian High School were seen distributing free ice water to participants along CM Recto. Scout head Joel Lamatan observed that only few parents allowed their children to join given the security concerns.

The parade lasted until 3 pm. Present at the VIP near the showdown area in San Pedro were city councilors Al Ryan Alejandre, Tomas Monteverde IV, Danilo Dayanghirang, Joanne Bonguyan, Melchor Quitain, Small Abella and Indigenous Peoples representative Berino Mamboo.

Also present were deputy mayors representing the city’s ten tribes, Davao historian Macario Tiu and Hiyas ng Kadayawan 2013 winner Noemi Mongcal Abregana of the Matigsalog Tribe joined by her entourage.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte took a helicopter to view the parade from the sky. Later he appeared at the Roxas Boulevard area and said he was thankful the parade went along peacefully.

The Kadayawan festivity was initiated in 1970 by the late Mayor Elias B. Lopez, a Bagobo leader, to demonstrate the thanksgiving and rituals of indigenous peoples and Moro tribes in Mindanao. It later evolved in 1986 to “Apo Duwaling” to signify the Davawenyos’ unity after Martial Law.

The festivity changed its name back to Kadayawan in 1988 by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and has evolved into a festival of parades, exhibits and competition showcasing indigenous peoples and Moro tribes’ culture boosting local trade and tourism. (Earl O. Condeza, Cheryll D. Fiel, John Rizle L. Saligumba And Tyrone A. Velez/davaotoday.com)