US firm eyes SMEs in Davao

By Nelson C. Bagaforo
Sunstar Davao

AN AMERICAN firm that manufactures power backup systems is seeking partnership with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Davao Region, offering products and services specifically designed for SME clients.

Emerson Network Power, which started its business operations in the Philippines in 2001, launched Friday a whole line of products and services that would address power protection needs, not only of large corporations, but also of other sectors, such as manufacturing, telecom, banking, and small and medium enterprises, which comprise more than 90 percent of businesses in Davao Region, and even individual personal computer users.

Emerson also launched its uptime partner program in Davao to better serve SMEs and other targeted partners, such as government agencies and business process outsourcing (BPOs).

"We want to keep their equipment work all the time...to boost their productivity and competitiveness," Emerson Network Power (Philippines) Inc. managing director Laurence Chan said.

He said Emerson intends to gain a bigger share of the market in the region, adding that they have embarked on similar product launches in Metro Manila in May and Cebu on Wednesday to tap SMEs, the fastest growing sector in the region.

"We would like to get a piece of that market," Chan said.

Emerson Network products are distributed in the Philippines by Lamco International Trading Co., but Friday's launch here was also meant to bring in more resellers.

Lamco is the country's largest IT distributors in the country, distributing computers and computer-related products to value-added resellers, systems integrators and retailers.

Emerson, on the other hand, provides a full spectrum of reliable power, connectivity, and precision cooling solutions for computers, communications, healthcare and industrial system.

Hitesh R. Prajapati, Emerson's channel business director, said the company has operations and distributorship in almost all parts of the world. It has three manufacturing plants in Asia, including one in Philippines located in Rosario, Cavite.

He said the company posted a sale $17.3 billion for fiscal year 2005.

Prajapati said he foresees Emerson's remarkable growth in the next few years as more sectors realize the need to protect equipment, products, and data from power supply interruptions.

He said the prices of Emerson Network Power products are "very competitive" but there are more value-added benefits in purchasing the systems.

Chan said customer care services, which Emerson has outsourced to Sykes, also provides 24-hour technical support to buyers.

He expressed confidence about the company's technology, saying the company has been consistently named among Forbes top 400 most admired companies in the world.

In 2005, Emerson also landed on no. 2 spot as world's most admired companies as listed by Fortune magazine, behind General Electric (GE). On the third spot was Sony.

Emerson Network's customers include Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Dell, IBM, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Nokia, Siemens and Citibank.

Arroyo to open trade exhibit 2006

Sunstar Davao

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to open the Davao Trade Exhibit (Date) 2006 and lead the launching of the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (Nerbac) at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Davao City on September 15.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) president Bienvenido Cariaga announced during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Monday that the President will be the keynote speaker and will delve on the growth of small and medium entrepreneurs.

Cariaga said other personalities invited to the event are Budget and Management Secretary Rolando G. Andaya Jr., Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban.

Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and other local officials will be among those who will join the President's party during the opening of the trade exhibit.

Cariaga said they are expecting about 5,000 participants coming from all parts of Mindanao and from the Visayas and Manila to attend the affair.

There will be foreign participants who will join the round table discussion on global opportunities and among those who confirmed are from the embassies of Britain, US, Sweden, and Indonesia.

He said they are still awaiting confirmation from the embassies of Malaysia, Japan, India, Australia, Canada and Taiwan.

Of the 140 target exhibitors, 90 percent of those invited already confirmed and have signed contracts and the remaining 10 percent are with reservations.

Figures released by DCCCII showed that Date in 2005 had an income through sales generated from business of P82 million or 32 percent higher in 2004 with only P55.5 million, which was much higher with 55 percent over the 2003 sales of only P36 million.

Cariaga said they projected an increase in sales this year by 20 percent as against that of 2005.

Aside from the exhibit, the other activities are business matching, product and service presentation, jobs fair, and reverse trade fair.

Robinsons plans 5 malls, hotel

Inquirer
Last updated 09:58pm (Mla time) 09/03/2006

Published on page B4 of the September 4, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

ROBINSONS LAND CORP. of taipan John Gokongwei is building new malls and possibly a new hotel in Tagaytay City in the next two to three years as it continues to remain bullish on the economy.

In a draft prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), RLC identified five new malls that may open between 2007 and 2008: in Paco (Manila), Davao City (Davao del Sur), Tagaytay City, Dumaguete City (Negros Oriental), and Pulilan (Bulacan).

These sites will add 130,000 square meters in terms of gross floor area to the company's existing 18 malls with a total floor area of 1.2 million square meters.

RLC said it was also expanding Robinsons Place Manila by another 62,672 square meters to include boutiques with luxury brands and a first-class restaurant. The expansion of Robinsons Manila may be completed in the first quarter of 2008.

Expansion of Robinsons Place in Bacolod is also ongoing to include themed retail areas that may showcase regional Philippine cuisine, brands and products and other retail services. This will result in an additional 5,529 square meters and may be completed by the third quarter of 2008.

RLC's commercial center division, which develops, leases and manages shopping malls, accounted for 49 percent of RLC's total revenues as of the first half of 2006 and roughly 68 percent of total income in the same period.

RLC is also beefing up its hotel portfolio with plans to build one in Tagaytay City. The hotel is currently in the design phase and may be completed in 2009. The proposed hotel will consist of 54 hotel rooms, 36 serviced apartments, five luxury villas and conference facilities. As of June 30, RLC's hotel division accounted for 13.6 percent of its total revenues. The property giant now has three hotels and an apartelle offering a total of 820 rooms. These are Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila (263 rooms), Holiday Inn Galleria (285 rooms), Cebu Midtown Hotel (197 rooms) and Robinsons Apartelle (75 rooms).

It’s garden show time in Davao City

Manila Bulletin Online
August 25, 2006

It is garden show time in Davao City as the city celebrates its yearly Kadayawan Festival. Ven Gallego and other members of the Minfed (Mindanao Federation of Orchid and Ornamental Plant Growers) opened their yearly garden show yesterday at the back of Davao City SM Mall.

Exhibited are some of their most beautiful orchids and ornamentals. Topping the plants on exhibit is the Sansevieria Samurai of Lucy Halasan which was adjudged the Best-in-Show. The variegated Palisota of Ching Chua, on the other hand, was adjudged the first prize winner in the ornamentals category. Also notable is the Platycerium grande, the famous staghorn that is native to Davao. The judges included Fr. Felix Hora, Alfonso Ponce Enrile III, Francis Gener, Rey Santos and Zac B. Sarian. The best orchid in the show is the Grammatophyllum measuresianum.

Also notable among the winning ornamentals are the variegated Pink Ravenia, Arenga hookeriana, a profusely blooming bougainvillea, Alcantarea odorata, and others.

The exhibitors executed beautiful landscape booths. The first prize went to the booth of Ven Gallego which featured red grasses among other ornamentals. The second prize was garnered by the booth of Dr. Linda Martinez while the third prize went to the booth of Cirilo "Ching" Chua.

Over 200 commercial growers and hobbyists are selling their plants in the commercial section. A lot of sansevierias, bromeliads, ferns, aglaonemas, bougainvilleas, euphorbias and many other ornamentals and orchids are available at reasonable prices. The show will run through August 20.

Complementing the Kadayawan Garden Show of Minfed is the plant exhibition and special sale being conducted by members of the Floriculture Industry of Davao Inc. (FIDI) in front of SM Davao. The place is a new selling area of some 19 members of FIDI. During this special exhibition, an additional 20 members are also selling their products.

The FIDI exhibition is part of the promotional activity of FIDI to help the members market their products. Business is good, according to Vicky Jimenez of FIDI. In fact, she sold three of her cycads (Dioon mejiae) for R45,000 to a Davao businessman.

The FIDI is also sponsoring free lectures starting yesterday when Rose Sonora conducted a lecture-demonstration on flower arrangement. Today, Fr. Urbano Salada will lecture on basic bonsai culture.

Tomorrow, a lecture on basic orchid culture will be conducted by Sally U. Leuenberger. Sally is a CPA who went into commercial production of orchids. On August 17, Vangie Go will conduct a lecture on importing and exporting ornamental plants. Other topics are also scheduled up to August 21.

The best

By Rene Lizada
Papa's Table

Sunstar Davao

I AM doing this for our Kadayawan visitors. Sometimes when you go to a different city you ask yourself where to go, what to do and of course what to eat.

I have gathered some of the best whatever it is Davao can offer and I am sharing them with you. Most of these "bests" are a compilation of my favorites and that of my friends. When we did this it was a lot of fun and yes I also discovered things that I did not know about Davao. So I guess this is for all of us.

And oh if you do not know where these places are, ask any Dabawenyo, they will know. Happy Kadayawan everyone!

Best steak -- Claude's
Best hopia -- Davao Star Bakery
Best Fried Chicken -- Papa Ching's and Royale House
Best Durian -- The native kind
Best Place to buy durian -- Magsaysay Park, take your pick from the stalls
Best way to eat durian -- with the hands, then wash it down with cold cold water or icy coke Best way to take away the smell of durian -- wash your hands in the shell
Best Pancit Canton -- Ah Fat (yes, the seafood noodles)
Best Bijon Tostado -- Dencia's
Best Hot and Sour Soup -- the recipe of my barkada Jona (Johnna). You should taste it.
Best buffet spread (breakfast lunch and dinner) -- Marco Polo
Best Japanese food -- Tsuru
Best Chocolate Cake -- Humberto's
Best place top get stuffed -- Penong's
Best inihaw na pusit -- Harana
Best cheese pizza -- Picobello's, too bad I am lactose intolerant!
Best Coffee -- TUMP, NCCC Mall, under the escalators, Try the coffee!!!
Best Pan de sal -- Davao Best, but you can get them only in the mornings.
Best kinilaw -- too many to mention.
Best paksiw na tuna -- Petron Bajada
Best place to view city -- Jack's Ridge
Best place to meditate -- The Shrine just across Jack's Ridge by the way!
Best Eight Treasure Soup -- Sea Urchin
Best cheesecake -- Marco Polo
Best pancit malabon -- Tita Mira's
Best place to drink -- buy a case, then go to one of the beaches
Best halo halo -- Aling Foping's at MTS
Best Sans Rival -- Lachi's
Tokwa and Lugaw- Dencia's
Best Chinese empanada -- Rose Cua
Best Pancit Luglug -- Azon's at the Bangkerohan Market
Best mini-siopao -- Kuilan's
Best overstuffed siopao -- Mandarin Tea Garden and ask for the brown sauce.
Best Fresh Lumpia -- Cecil's
Best Grilled Pork Ribs -- Lachi's
Best crispy buntot ng tuna -- Suka't Sili
Best mangosteen jam -- Lorenzo's
Best Hungarian Sausage and other deli items -- Swiss Deli/Swiss Gourmet
Best Durian Candy -- Linda's
Best Cinnamon Rolls -- Annipie Bakeshop
Best Local Burger -- Space Burger
Best Durian Cheesecake -- Bo's Coffee shop
Best Shrimp Dumplings -- Mandarin Tea Garden
Best Garlic Tuyo -- Tiny Kitchen
Best Salad -- Eden Nature Park
Best place to hang out -- that really depends kung ano ang trip mo.
Best Dimsum -- Marco Polo
Best puttanesca -- my wife's!

Well I hope you have fun time in Davao. Enjoy!

‘Kaan Dawet’ food fest opens Friday

KAAN Dawet, one of the most awaited activities during the Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2006, will be open to the public starting Friday, along M. Roxas Avenue.

Local hotel and restaurant food outlets, food chains, food processors, and caterers will participate in the annual event.

Almost a hundred food booths will be set up for the food street party.

Joining this year's festivities are Takoyaki, Rebisco Group, Jolin's, Colasa's BBQ, Letrolay Foods, Armando's Grill, Que-Zone, United Nations Bar, Popoy's Grill, Isa's Grill Station, Loring's Lechon, Alop's Ihaw-ihaw, 88 D, Beer 101, Golden Lechon, Matchbox Resto, Gwyn's Ratz Key, Paterno's, Profile Food, Usep-MBA, Tab's, Quatro Kan2s, Kimzai Fastfood, Beerkadahan, Thryza Variety Fruits, Imnanan ni Tomas, Hang Oh Beer, Marilou's BBQ, Jayprox, JVC, Barokkan Ihaw-ihaw, KR Kamayan, Platop's, Dimsum Diner, Ferdie's, Aida's, Double C, Potato Corner, JAD, Chikara Tabermono Takoyaki, Shirypit Food Catering Services, Skelter, Hiro's Place, D'Latoyz, Zalvaje, among others.

More concessionaires are expected to join the food fest in time for its opening on this weekend.

Kaan Dawet is a food and music fiesta where all can feast on Davao cuisine, dance all night to the beats of contemporary music bands, and have fun in games and surprises.

It is also considered the biggest food party in the region and one of the most awaited events of the Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival.

Kaan Dawet is open daily from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. from August 11 to 21.

A night of fashion and glamor

Sunstar Davao
August 7, 2006

TO USHER in the start of the Kadayawan Festivities, a complete fashion collection by world-renowned designer Toni Galang was shown on July 27 here in Davao City.

Toni Galang, one of the prime movers in the fashion industry, poured truckloads of artistry and ingenuity into his craft, making him a force to reckon with in the international arena. His show at The Marco Polo Davao proved this certainly and that no Filipiniana event is ever complete without a Toni Galang.

His complete collection, was worn by some of Davao's beautiful and handsome faces, like Tiffy Gener, Monique Santos, Rachel Sunglao, Ann Angeles, Marzy Luga, Michael Chord, Jay Barroquillo and Mutya ng Davao 2006 Johanna Guirgen.

Other important personalities like Grace Yap, Annamae Zabala, Rossano Luga, Eileen May Bangayan, Annali Estremera and Ma. Aurora "Baby" Pasion also grace the show. The "invites only" event also topbilled Manila's models, Patty Betita, Marina Benipayo and Ariel Atendido.

Professional models from Davao City also grace this very important catwalk event.

The 75 pieces collection dubbed, "Toni Galang 2006" was made up of five segments: "Black & White" resort wear, a first in a Toni Galang show; "Dangles & Bangles", butterflies-and-flowers inspired gowns; "Black & White" cocktail collection featuring the Little Black Dress (LBD); his trademark "Filipiniana" in vibrant colors; and "Champagne Collection", evening gowns including a bridal ensemble, which was be the show's finale.

Upgraded Davao Airport Ready for More Passengers, Bigger Aircraft

DAVAO CITY – With air transportation crucial to economic and social connectivity in the Philippine archipelago, the new $128 million state-of-the-art international airport in this city is a welcome development. It is now fully operational and is raring to take in more passengers and bigger aircraft.

With financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Davao airport has been upgraded and expanded to provide reliable and safe all-weather operations that meet international standards and remove infrastructure bottlenecks which were constraining the growth of domestic and international air services. It will also enhance Davao’s access to nearby markets and improve the overall economic prospects of the Southern Philippines, and could be considered one vital link for the intermodal transport network essential for this area.

Last year, actual passenger volume already surpassed one million domestic passengers flown in by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and Asian Spirit out of 14 daily local flights. International passengers to and from Manado and Singapore reached almost 25,000. But Davao’s spacious and modern terminal building is designed to accommodate much more, and can easily accommodate up to twice its designed minimum passenger capacity of one million passengers.

The old airport terminal accommodated less than one million passengers in its last year of operation. It did not attract international flights and the city therefore fell short of its strategic role in the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). The passenger terminal had exceeded its capacity and the instrument landing system was not usable for precision approaches and landings. As a result, international flights did not fly to and from Davao, and international passengers heading for or leaving Davao were forced to use Manila as a transfer point.

Today, its present daily passenger volume is roughly 1,500, with the early morning peak hour servicing the bulk of that number. The succeeding flights do not have as much passenger traffic. But even at its peak, the airport can handle the steady inflow of passengers with its 14 domestic and 14 international check-in counters, almost double than its previous number of counters. The Check-in counters are equipped with electronic weighing scales and conveyors and its baggage handling system is also computerized.

The upgraded airport was funded through a loan from the ADB, approved in 1994, which provided $41 million while the European Investment Bank provided $23 million. The original cost of the project was $105 million but due to foreign exchange escalation costs, the Asian financial crisis, and land acquisition costs, total cost of the Project reached $128 million.

The airport, officially named Francisco Bangoy International Airport, opened on Dec. 2, 2003. The 209-hectare airport development for both airside and landside civil works was constructed in four years’ time. The airport upgrading consisted of runway extension of 500 meters, achieving a usable take-off length of 3,000 meters that could now accommodate currently operated wide-body aircraft of major airlines, even 747s. The installation of a new landing instrumentation system (ILS) for both Runways 05 and 23 upgraded its compliance to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) operating category - Precision Approach Category 1, similar to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It can accommodate 8 to 10 aircraft landings per hour, depending on the size, and has the equivalent 8 gate holding areas for those aircraft.

“The Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower is considered the most advanced here in the Philippines, even more sophisticated than NAIA’s,” boasts assistant airport manager Joey Saddam who was then the project manager of the airport construction.

The project also covers the construction of a new Malay architecture-inspired terminal building which cost P1 billion and is four times bigger than the old airport terminal. It is highly computerized, more secure, and has more commercial spaces for concessionaires at approximately 9,000 sq. m. It has four new units of boarding bridges for passengers. Airport Manager Frederick San Felix considers their security system quite strict. Baggage is regularly screened three times prior to passenger check-in/boarding. “It’s better that you know that all the baggages have been thoroughly checked… for your own protection,” he stresses.

Besides the main terminal building, there are also new support facilities like the Administration Building, the Central Plant Building, Airfield Maintenance Building, and Fire/Crash/Rescue Building. It has a 688-slot car parking area and 4 slots for shuttle buses. It has a 3-megawatt standby power generator.

The Energy Management Control System for the centralized air conditioning system, electrical and lights system, is now located in just one room. Its Access Control System ensures that not all airport personnel have access to all areas of the airport such that certain cards can only enter selected doors and everybody entering them is registered.

It also has a Flight Information Display System and Closed Circuit Television System complementing the terminal’s security system. The Cargo Terminal Building covers almost 5,580 sq. meters and can handle up to 84,600 tons a year. In 2005, actual cargo volume was almost 44,000 tons.

With such modern facilities, the Davao City airport officials feel they can justify their proposed five-fold increase in terminal fees from P40 to P200 per passenger, the same as the fee being charged in Manila and Cebu airports. Rentals are also proposed to be increased to raise the airport’s revenues, which only grossed almost P120 million in 2005, for its future sustainability.
With a modern international airport in place, it is hoped that the vast economic potentials of Mindanao will finally be unlocked and optimized to the fullest after decades-long peace and order problems and poverty concerns.

(Rita Festin/Asian Development Bank)
Published on davaotoday.com on June 17, 2006

Beijing, meet Davao

By Cheche Moral
Inquirer
Last updated 11:58am (Mla time) 07/13/2006

All bases were covered when the Philippines returned to China recently to make its pitch once again at the 3rd Beijing International Tourism Expo.

With inbound Chinese now venturing beyond their favored destinations in the Philippines—Pagsanjan and Tagaytay— and trooping farther into the islands for sun-and-sand respite, our Department of Tourism (DOT) was emboldened to highlight a specific haunt on this trip, to woo not just holiday-makers but investors.

Davao, the featured city, came prepared, with a 10-day Philippine food festival held at the Marco Polo Xidan, Beijing; a fashion and cultural show underscoring the province’s ethnic roots and honeymoon destination features; and a trade and investment presentation.

There’s reason for DOT’s optimism about this market. In 2004, China didn’t even count among the Philippines’ top 10 sources of tourist arrivals. By the following year, over 107,000 tourists (many of them repeat visitors) surpassed the DOT’s 70,000 Chinese arrival target, putting China in No. 5 spot. In the first quarter of this year, arrivals from the mainland had already exceeded Taiwan, making China No. 4. The target figure is 350,000 tourists from China by 2010.

The DOT largely credits its presence in Beijing for this development, two years since the establishment of a tourism office there.

“[Chinese travel operators] are focused on profits,” says tourism attaché Jazmin Esguerra. “Once you assure them of that, they’re really easy to deal with.”

The Philippine embassy in Beijing is also closely complementing DOT efforts. Incentives are awarded to specific tour groups, according to Ambassador Sonia Cataumber Brady. Visa applications can also be downloaded from the Internet now, and the Chinese enjoy a visa-upon-arrival scheme.

The envoy, whose last posting was Thailand, expressed her approval of the DOT’s endeavors. “You need money for what Thailand is doing,” she said. “We don’t have that... Let’s make do with what we have. The government is doing its best.”

Unlike the previous year when the DOT introduced new campaign collaterals in the capital city — posters in bus stops, clips on video walls, billboards— this time Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano focused on new infrastructure for Chinese travelers.

In his speech to travel operators, he highlighted the shopping and entertainment destinations in Metro Manila and introduced the jeepney city tour. Dubbed “Hop In, Hop Off,” the tour has two routes: the Manila loop that covers the new SM Mall of Asia, the Cultural Center, the Coconut Palace, the Walled City and Luneta; and the Makati loop that plies Ayala, The Fort, Tiendesitas, and The Spa in Eastwood, Libis. A ride on one of these jeepneys costs around P150.
Davao as “most peaceful city”

Davao, for its part, stressed its sometime award as the “most peaceful city in Southeast Asia” and one of the “cleanest and greenest in the Philippines.” At present the city enjoys good Korean and domestic tourist arrivals, says Roberto Teo, head of the Davao Tourism and Investment Center.

The city mayor Rodrigo Duterte, once described by Time magazine as “the punisher” for his iron-fist management style, was prevented from joining this trip by his duties as head of the Presidential Anti-Terror Task Force. But the Davao contingent, with the head of city hall’s legal department, Melchor Quitain, did its best to make its presence felt in the Chinese capital.

On the invitation of the tourism attaché, Manila designer Renee Salud presented 25 pieces of T’Boli-inspired clothes, resort wear, contemporary evening gowns and bridal wear at the expo and the Philippine Tourism Conference at the Marco Polo Xidan. The show directed by Jackie Aquino highlighted both Davao’s tribal past and its modernity. The bridal wear modeled by five Filipina beauty queens (and two male models) emphasized Davao as a honeymoon destination, with performances by dancers of the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group interspersed with the catwalk numbers.

An exchange on food

Three visiting Filipino chefs from Marco Polo Davao did more than introduce their Beijing sister hotel’s guests to Philippine cuisine. The trip turned into an exchange of know-how with their Chinese counterparts.

“They have very interesting presentation, and the food is good,” said Chef Swat, a sous chef at Xidan hotel’s Café Marco. “I can see that our Chinese guests would love the desserts,” he added, referring to a buffet spread that included leche flan, halo-halo, puto and suman.

The grilled seafood section was a hit with the guests, with its improvisation on Davao’s famed tuna belly. The kilawin station had a similar response: cooks from the South brought their own spin by mixing grilled pork and fresh fish.

But the Davao chefs had to make do with available ingredients while trying to be faithful to the original dishes’ flavor. The Chinese soy sauce, they complained, was “mapakla” (acrid); the vinegar too sweetish for Filipino dishes.

“If they want to serve our dishes here, they have to import the ingredients from us,” Frederick Carcedo, a sous chef at the Davao hotel, said in Filipino. “After all, that’s what we do when we hold international food fests back home; we import the ingredients. Only then can you get the real flavor.”

For his part, the chef of Marco Polo’s Chinese restaurant Lotus Court learned that dumplings are best boiled. “I realized that now, that when you steam a dumpling it shrinks,” said Nestor Cubradilla. “Their dumplings are all fresh. It’s like an assembly line, one is tasked to do each step. Even their dumpling wrappers are freshly made. When it’s frozen it loses flavor.”

“We’ve had visiting chefs in Davao, but we’ve never gotten this kind of response,” said Carcedo. “They’re attentive and quite willing to learn. They’re taking photos of the dishes... They didn’t know that you need flame to make banana leaves supple. They like that the dishes are flavorful.”

Smiling people and good food are, of course, the winning ingredients to entice the Chinese into our islands. And the DOT is confident that, in Beijing alone, there are enough tourists to go around.

10 Things to See or Do in Davao

Philippine Eagle Nature Center

The Philippine Eagle Nature Centre in Calinan treats visitors to a rare glimpse of one of the world’s most endangered bird species, the Philippine Eagle or Pithecophaga Jefferyi. Now close to extinction, the Philippine Eagle’s last remaining natural abode is in the Mt Apo range.The Philippine eagle stands a metre tall and has a wingspan of two metres, making it the second largest eagle in the world. Distinguishing characteristics include bluish eyes, a warlike headdress of spiky feathers, and a large, sharp, curved beak.The centre, which breeds and cares for this valuable national icon, is home to more than 30 Philippine Eagles, including Pag-Asa, the world’s first Philippine Eagle born in captivity by artificial insemination.

Culture and Heritage

Davao City may now be a sprawling metropolis but its roots are steeped in Mindanao culture. The city was originally inhabited by eight tribes, including the Bagobos, Mandayas, Manobos and T’bolis. The cultural inheritance of Davao City is showcased at the Davao Museum at Insular Village. Here can be seen costumes, accessories and implements of the different tribes of Davao.

The tribes of Davao have elevated their weaving to an art form, with each tribe having distinct patterns and techniques. The T’boli weaving centre at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao features the production of the colourful Tinalak fabric, while the Dagmay weaving technique of the Mandaya tribe takes centrestage at the Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

The Aldevinco Shopping Center in downtown Davao houses several shops selling the arts, crafts and fashions of southern Philippines.

Fruits

Mindanao is the food of the Philippines; Davao, its fresh fruit platter. Davao City’s many farms are major exporters of bananas, pineapples, mangosteens, durians, and pomelos, among others. These fruits are abundant in the markets and stalls lining the city’s streets at a fraction of their price elsewhere in the country.

The Davao Durian has several varieties, most popular ones being the Arancillo and the Puyat, and is known to be stronger and a tad more bitter than its Malaysian counterpart. So plentiful is this exotic “King of Fruits” in Davao City that it has penetrated the market for everything from ice cream and candy bars to jams and coffee.

The Malagos Garden Resort

This 12-hectare resort in the Davao City highlands offers more than just accommodation. The Malagos Garden Resort is dedicated to the protection and conservation of the environment, and this commitment shines through in its various attractions and activities.

Permanent fixtures include a butterfly sanctuary, horseback-riding trails, orchid farm, petting zoo, and works of Philippine national artist for sculpture Napoleon Abueva. An accredited wildlife farm, the resort also has the world’s only waling waling forest, the latter being the Philippines’ most important orchid species. Malagos Garden Resort holds various interactive wildlife shows every weekend.

Eden Nature Park & Resort

At 2,500 feet above sea level, this mountain resort has some of the best views of Davao City and the Davao Gulf. Nestled in the city’s lone pine forest, the 40-hectare Eden Nature Park & Resort is perched on the slopes of Mt Talomo.Touted as Davao City’s natural paradise, the resort has hiking trails of varying difficulty, a horse park, a multi-purpose sports field, a fishing village, flower gardens, greenhouses, vegetable and garden herb terraces, and fruit orchards.

Faint lights twinkle at the firefly sanctuary, birds sing in the aviaries, while deer dart about in a designated area.

Island Garden City of Samal

Some 700 metres south of Davao City is the Island Garden City of Samal, an archipelago of nine islands in the Davao Gulf. Pride of the place on Samal island belongs to the Pearl Farm Beach Resort, a 45-minute boat ride from Davao City. The 14-hectare resort was once, as its name suggests, a pearl farm where thousands of white-lipped oysters transported from the Sulu Sea were cultivated for their pink, white and gold pearls. Now transformed into a luxury resort, Pearl Farm remains luminescent with its promise of privacy, elegance and comfort.

The attractions of the Island Garden City of Samal extend beyond white sand beaches and posh resorts. Samal’s underwater vistas have made it one of the country’s top destinations for diving. Dive sites in the area include the Coral Garden & Marine Park, Ligid Island, and Talicud Island. Samal Island’s many caves allow for spelunking, while its inland rugged terrain make hiking and mountain-bike expeditions popular options.

Mount Apo

The Philippines’ highest peak at 2,594 metres, the majestic Mt Apo is a favourite of hiking and adventure travel enthusiasts.While the ultimate reward is the breathtaking view from atop Mt Apo, the journey itself serves up its own share of wonders such as hidden waterfalls, rapids, lakes, hot springs, sulphur pillars, and endangered plant and animal species, including the Philippine Eagle and the waling waling orchid known scientifically as the Vanda Sanderiana.

The trek to the summit of the extinct volcano takes around four days. The most established trail is the Kidapawan trail, approximately four hours by land from Davao City.

courtesy of www.atf2006.com

Madayaw Dabaw!

Madayaw!

Greetings! A warm and friendly greeting derived from the Dabawenyo word “dayaw” that means good, valuable, superior or beautiful. Such is “Kadayawan”, a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living.

Although already a customary practice of the indigenous people of Davao the thanksgiving festival was institutionalized in 1986 to unite the Dabawenyos after the turbulent Martial Law years. It was then called “Apo Duwaling”, a contraction of the famous icons of the city – namely Mt. Apo, Durian and Waling-waling. Two years later, it was renamed “Kadayawan sa Dabaw” to better reflect the merry spirit and indigenous theme of the celebration.

Today, Kadayawan has metamorphosed into a festival of festivals, the mother of many other festivals in the region as it honors Davao’s artistic, cultural and historical heritage, its past personified by the ancestral “lumads”, its people as they celebrate on the streets, and its floral industry as they parade in full regalia in thanksgiving for the blessings bestowed on the city.“Kadayawan sa Dabaw” is an enriching experience with a difference as its explores the past, present and future of the Davaoeños, the Mindanaoans, the Filipinos. Its sights and sounds remain unparalleled. Be part of the experience.“Du-aw na sa Dabaw! Duyog sa Kadayawan! Maglingaw-lingaw ta!”

(courtesy: www.davaoweb.com)

Madayaw!

This blog is intended to promote the Durian Republic, Davao City. This will feature events, news, and all other information about the cleanest, greenest and most livable city in the Philippines.

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