Welcome to Davao City!
When tourists hear 'Davao', and they have never been here, they usually back off. I am talking about foreign tourists and Filipinos alike. It is saddening that Davao City has been associated with Mindanao as a battle field.
I have lived in Davao for 30 years and I have always felt secure. Although Mindanao per se has not been good in its reputation, Davao has always seemed separate in its identity when it comes to peace and order and civilization.
I have been around Manila and Cebu. These are great cities in the Philippines where most tourists would go. Yet, I always find myself coming back to my hometown. Why? Let me point out a few of these reasonable reasons why I keep coming back.
1. The weather is great! Davao's storm-proof. We also get the best weather in the country. If you find Cebu too hot and Baguio too cold, Davao's just in between.
2. Water is rated 2nd most potable in Asia. And when I say this, I am not kidding. The reason why I have left Cebu after a year of living there is because water seems to be a very big problem in that area. Manila's all the same. In both places, you cant drink water out of a faucet. In Davao, we are abundant in supply. Sometimes, I feel guilty of having to run down water when I take a bath without conserving. But - that's one of the many things I enjoy living here!
3. People are polite. They are not rude. They are not trying to take advantage of you (at least this is minimal in this area) and they are hospitable (true to the filipino culture).
4. It's the country's Melting Pot. Come to Davao and you find people from almost about everywhere! Thus, inhabitants in this area speak Tagalog, Cebuano (Bisaya), Ilonggo and Arabic (for Muslims) and of course, English. The people also don't mind the accent. Because everybody's accent gets mixed up confusingly anyway because of the presence of the many dialects and languages. It will also be natural to find someone speaking Tagalog with a Bisaya accent. Sounds funny? Yup, but really, this is normal.
5. Food and Accommodation are cheap. And I mean really cheap! Where in Cebu or Manila can you find a hostel that charges you 700 pesos per night? And yes, this is clean, with room service, free breakfast and with a tub. It really looks like a 4 star hotel except amenities are not complete. But if you want to stay and live luxuriously, you can always opt for Marco Polo Davao, Insular Hotel, Grand Regal Hotel and others and pay 2,000 - 5,000 pesos per night. Speaking about food -- do you know that we supply most of the country's food? Yes, we are abundant in fruits and vegetables and other food supplies thus, they come cheap to our inhabitants. Speaking of great weather!
6. Great places to tour around. Yes, that includes beaches (white sand, luxurious or cheap - you name it). We have a whole island - Samal Island - devoted to resorts. Try Pearl Farm Beach Resort or just small resorts where you can spend the day under the sun. We even have a resort where you can opt to rent the whole island for the whole night ...yes, all to yourself!! But of course, that's expensive. My personal favorites also include Eden Garden Resort (there's a pool, activity area, cottages and a huge, wide and acres and acres of garden). You would be amazed when you see it. They host weddings there too or simply tour activities for the family.
7. Others I am not yet aware of and still plan of discovering.
I am a big fan of my city and not because it is where I grow up. Really, this is a great place to live in. ... for many reasons. As years pass, more and more tourists find themselves opting to settle in my city. Sometimes, I feel alienated but excited about what more this place have in store for both its locals and tourists for the years to c0me.
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Hi Cherry - Very informative post you have there. I grew up in Manila, worked as an IT guy for the largest telco there and travelled small and big cities/towns across the country. I married a Davaoena and we have been living in Sydney for the last 9 years. In short, I have been to plenty of cities and experienced the various cultures that I feel I have a bit of authority to make judgments - personal that is.
ReplyDeleteBut guess what, we are seriously planning on returning to the Philippines in the next few years. Talk about reversing the tide but our reasons are more personal than economic - we love our families and love to help people! The little savings we have might be enough to kickstart our business plans. And talking about love, we both love Davao!
Being an outsider, I feel that Davao's best attributes are nature, people and food. Whilst I strongly emphasize the three I think you've already done a good job explaining why so I don't think I need to say more. Business friendliness and security need more support though from local government. I hear the promising local BPO sector feel that the local government is not doing enough to support its expansion and I still feel a 'very slight' fear of fundamentalist reprisal (owing to geography and general poverty in certain pockets of Mindanao) even though I am not as afraid to walk at night there versus where I grew up in Manila - strange eh. With politics, somehow I get the feeling the current mayor has done a good job keeping Davao safe - and feel a bit apprehensive when he steps down. Still, a new leadership might just be what Davao needs to put it to greater heights.
All the best in discovering more of what Davao's strong offerings and I look forward to your future posts
Popsie
Hello Sydneydude,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. Sorry for replying so late. I've been caught up between jobs but really trying to put up some more blogs in the next few days now that I'm finally able to breathe!
I'm glad you and your family's planning to visit Davao. This place sure could make an impression even on tourists.
About our mayor- well, looks like his clan's going to be on the seat for the next years. His daughter's vying for Mayor once her dad steps down and it looks like the people are agreeing with that thought. I don't have complaints but as you said, we do need a leader to focus on the economic side of things. Well, I hope the next Vice Mayor can handle that. In this city, it's always defined that way. The mayor for peace and order and the rest to take care of the city's income. But we need someone who is a visionary to do all that. However, looking back and then now, Davao's been improving. There have been many foreign investors in this area nowadays. What's funny is they're complaining about the slow pace and at the same time enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.
Do I want Davao to be as busy as Manila? No. But it looks like that's where it's heading. If you take a slow drive around the city, there are new building being constructed everywhere. Shopping malls are proliferating. Call centers are numerous and tourists are becoming a common sight.
Well, I'm happy but I hope the people's friendliness and Davao's unique atmosphere will not be corrupted.
Thanks again for reading my post.
Cherry