Madayaw Agaw

Mayor Elias Lopez created the Kadayawan festival as an integral part of the city’s yearly program of activities in 1985. The purpose is to honor the Lumads or indigenous tribes of Davao who in August hold religious rituals as a way of thanking the heavens for the bountiful harvests.

The 244,000 hectares of Davao City is home to the Philippines’ biggest number of lumad tribes: Bagobo, Tagabawa, Ata, Matigsalog, Klata, Kalagan and Tagacaolo. Since the beginning, all civilizations have had traditions of thanking their Gods for the harvests that will allow them to survive until next year’s harvests. The Jews have the festival of booths, while Americans celebrate every November a thanksgiving week. The theme is universal. We should show our gratitude to God by way of religious festivals. This then is the Kadayawan, a simple way of the Lumads of Davao City to thank God for his goodness.