Awesome Kadayawan Festival in Davao: 13 Things to Do

This article describes Kadayawan Festival, a fruit festival in Davao City, the third largest city in the Philippines. Read on to find out what happens during the annual celebration in the most populous city in Mindanao.

Mindanao is known as the Land of Promise due to its wonderful climate, fertile soil, and vast agricultural land area; both, for its biodiversity and natural resources. Mindanao is indeed blessed with a lot of range of land and agriculture. Thus, a variety of appetizing foods, delectable fruits, and heavenly flowers abound!

This bounty of fruits and flowers reveals itself during the fruit festival in Davao. Jovial KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL is a Fruit Festivity celebrated annually on the long month of August in Davao City by the entire Local and International Tourists alike! Undeniably, the most awaited one in Mindanao.

Davao is known for its bustling economic activities, build-up of urban and modern amenities—- one of the most important economies in the Mindanao Region and the 3rd most important urban center, in the Philippines.

Kadayawan is exceedingly full of merriment because it is a form of heartfelt thanksgiving to the Almighty God, Jehovah Jireh, our Eminent Provider, for the vast abundance of the harvest of fruits and flowers alike.

Ceremonial Parade Highlights

A wonderful prime floral parade transpires in August! 

A legion of people flocks on the road and streets to watch and be simply amazed by the grandeur and beauty of such a ceremonial parade. A diverse group of companies, organizations, cities, and municipalities gladly participates in this annual, joyous competition.

Each float is uniquely adorned, furnished, and decorated with distinctive flowers, orchids, and fruits. These floats are adorned with Anthurium, vanda, dendrobiums, cattleya, waling-waling, phalaenopsis, and a whole lot more of the Orchidea family. Freshly harvested yummy Durian, Lanzones, Mangosteen, Rambutan, Sweet Mangoes, the wonderful smell of Marang, Bananas, Pineapple, Guyabano, and a whole lot more attract curious onlookers.

Bountiful Harvest of Fruits

Who can ever resist the ever tasty Marang, Mangosteen, and Lansones? Who can ever say no to the ever-famous sweet and creamy Durian and Mango???

Not me and my entire clan.

Fruits are everywhere in the city and at the farm — oh, such a colorful, busy month for the entire City of Davao.

Places to Enjoy the Durian During the Fruit Festival

Where to go in Davao for Durian?

The following are famous places to go:

1. Yum Durian Coffee at Blugre, the uptown area of Bajada, Pryce Tower, 
2. Torres Street for a buffet of Durian, 
3. Magsaysay Fruits for an Eat all You can Durian, 
4. Ayala Davao Fruit Foodcourt,
5. Malagos Farm,
6. Bangkerohan Wet Market where many flock to taste yummy fruits, especially the King of Fruits—Durian. 

You’re an Asian by heart if you truly love creamy Durian and sweet Mangoes. Durian Fruit trees are ultimately grown in the more sheltered island of Mindanao in the South. The fruit is quite well known for its so-called odor —- repugnant aroma.

Mindanao Region is the top producer of Durian Fruit for the Philippines. Although Thailand ranked as the world’s number one exporter of Durian.

On August Kadayawan month—you can see and buy Durian or Lansones or Mangosteen anywhere in the heart of the city of Davao; from the wet markets to almost every road, and even from all the grocery stores of both big and small mall businesses in Davao.

Big Sale During the Fruit Festival

During the fruit festival, all the malls in Davao go on a mall-wide sale all month long of August. Mostly from 50 to 70% off. Many people flock to the malls to buy goods on sale, as it’s more practical and you can save more. Big malls like Ayala, SM, and Gaisano go on a three-day mall-wide midnight sale on Kadayawan, aside from its one-month-long sale.

My tip for ladies, you can buy the imported Wacoal bras and panties for a 30% to 50% off on Kadayawan mall-wide Sale! A piece of Wacoal bra would regularly cost you a PhP1,700, which you can pay the price for only half at PhP850 only in August. This price drop makes me and my siblings so utterly happy. We do patronize Wacoal products for the past 15 years now.

Moreover, both the stores of Ace Hardware and Citi Hardware go on sale as well in August! My tips for men and women alike out there, you can always buy tools and appliances on big sale, where prices range from 10% to 40% off.

Not that bad at all. Why pay for materials expensively when you can always buy them at a much lesser price in August. A brand new gas range or even a new air-con that usually costs PhP30,000 to PhP50,000 would be on sale for 10 to 20% off by then. Sulit Talaga.

Remember gentlemen — A Happy Wife is a Happy Life indeed. Give your loving wife a precious gift of a lifetime in August – a brand new gas range or air-con and then book yourself and your entire family a flight to Davao on Kadayawan — she will love you more for it!

Tips to Travelers Visiting Davao During the Fruit Festival

Davao and Cotabato are both home to Mount Apo, the tallest mountain in the Philippines, as it lies in the center of Davao and North Cotabato where mountaineers go for some breathtaking adventure.

You ought to come and visit Davao on the Pinnacle Season of Fruits which runs from July month end to August month-end, as it is not ultra-expensive at all. At that time, durian costs PhP 30 to PhP 50 per kilo, in the entire vicinity of Davao and Cotabato.

After that period, prices go up, as durian prices climb from Php80 to Php130 per kilo in Mindanao, and PhP180 to PhP250 per kilo on SM Malls Manila, Ayala Malls Manila, and even on SM and Ayala Malls groceries in Cebu. Thus, you must often buy these delicious Fruits during Peak Season.

In addition, the orchid capital of the Philippines is none other than Davao. It has been known for a long time known as the city of the Philippines that produces a wide variety of flower orchids— vanda, dendrobiums, etc. Ten thousand (10,000) of which can only be found in the tropical ecosystems, out of the thirty thousand (30,000) species in this beautiful world that we live in.

The Phalaenopsis orchids could cost from US$50 to US$60 and US$25 for the small ones. Here in the Philippines, we are blessed with 1,100 orchids species. Orchids may live for a lifetime —100 years or more to be exact.

13 Things to Do During the Fruit Festival

Why not indulge in the festive merrymaking and different activities of Davao on Kadayawan Fest. Here are the things you can do:

1. eat and dine out,
2. go shopping, 
3. go for a swim at the Samal Island and savor its white sandy beach and fresh seafood,
4. drop by at the Magsaysay fruit market,
5. stay at Marco Polo Hotel, Insular Waterfront Hotel, or Royal Mandaya Hotel, 
6. buy tickets for a concert,
7. visit the Ayala fruit market food court for the tasty Durian, Lansones, Mangosteen, Rambutan, sweet Mangoes that we export abroad and a lot more,
8. watch the famous street parade and be mesmerized by the amazing endless floral parade along with the street dancing,
9. visit Eden Nature Park, 
10. visit the Japanese tunnel,
11. visit the Malagos Farm and its award-winning fine chocolate from premium cacao beans grown on their farm sites and exported abroad, 
12. go to Hijo Resort Farm, and
13. see D’Leonor Inland Resort and a whole lot more. 

EAT, LIVE AND LAUGH! It’s more Fun indeed in PH!