wall mural

Youthful artists begin the task of repainting murals to a wall in a busy downtown area. The wall is actually an enclosure of a mental hospital in which the mural will provide a presentable facade amid the hustle and bustle outside.

Rock jam

A local alternative rock band jams its way through a small but attentive crowd inside an equally small and unassuming pub. Composed mostly of youthful members, they express angst and aspirations about the world they move with.

Christmas party and dance

Christmas had just arrived in the city. In this country where it is celebrated the longest in the world, it also means parties and more parties! This Christmas party is graced with the talents of little girls performing a Hawaiian dance number. Actually, they were the daughters of my childhood classmate. She often did the same during her elementary days too.

showbiz showdown!

Here is one of the, er, screaming scenarios from a basketball showdown with moviestars held in a downtown gym last Dec. 5. With 12 gorgeous showbiz hunks shooting it out in a court, what else do you expect?

Missed it? Too bad, wanna part 2?

talents, talents

Recently, a Writers' Night was held at a university in the city sponsored by the NBDB (National Book Development Board) for the 13th Book Development Month with the special participation of the Davao Writers Guild and other local talents.

And whoa, were there talents!






Aside from the "seat-glue" readings of DWG members,









the university's choir group also rendered their ethereal voices. Nice, very nice.





Then there's the performances of a theatrical group led by their painter-writer-musician choreographer, and so do other talents from the city, including dance interpretation performances from another university north of downtown. Great!

basketball showdown with moviestars!

plug-in :)

SPCT87 Promotions

Presents






ALL STARS BASKETBALL SHOWDOWN!

Featuring:

Movie stars Basketball team
Philip Salvador, Joros Gamboa, Dennis Padilla, Ian Veneracion, Joko Diaz, Jestoni Alarcon, Carlos Morales, Onyok Velasco,Jong Helario,Patrick de la Rosa,Jordan Herrera

VS

SPCT ALL STARS

Plus exhibition game of CMO versus Fabian’s Catering

DEC. 5,(Saturday), 2009 5:00PM @ the Holy Cross of Davao College Gymnasium
Tickets: P100.00 General Admission/ P300-VIP



For tickets contact 0917.7189878 / 0919.5050161





For the benefit of the children of KARDAMS Inc. (Kabatan-onan nga Aktibo ug Responsableng Dabawenyo Andam Moalagad sa Sosyodad)


Major Sponsors

THE ROYAL MANDAYA HOTEL REP. ISIDRO UNGAB
HARI ROYAL SUITES GRAND MEN SENG HOTEL
VICE GOV. RAMIL GENTUGAYA FABIAN’S CATERING
BANGKA BUFFET RESTAURANT AQUABEST
JS DAVTRADE INTERNATIONAL JCR PRINTING PRESS
EOS-JR FIRST ENTERPRISES TANDUAY
MR.ERNARD & MRS. ARLENE STEINER



Minor Sponsors

Chowking Victoria Plaza branch Mayor Rody Duterte
New Hope Trading SPCT87 USA Ladies
St. Joseph Technical School Academy EMCOR
DMMA Atty. Nonoy Villa-Abrille
Ms. Jocelyn Moreno Allan Alforque Saloon
Cecil’s Snack Inn Uraya Land Development Inc.
Chippens Garden Oases Resort and Restaurant
Bureau of Customs Mayor Zander Khan
Ms. Ratna Wangkay



Benefactors

Kar Asia Inc. 5 Star Surplus
Joji Ilagan-Bian Center Gian’s Breakfast Club
Marie’s Fastfood L and D Function and Catering Services
Hon. Mabel Acosta Green Valley Enterprises
Metrolifestyle Gym and Spa Three N One Trading
NUG Trading Third I Construction
F Avala Construction

free wifi!

This popular mall south of the downtown area recently offered free wifi access to mallers

burger with wifi

This is the outdoor ambiance of a popular Philippine-based burger joint in the downtown area, succesful enough to expand its branches to other countries. This branch offers free wifi access to consumers.

chinatown arch

This is the Peace Gateway Arch, the 3rd such arch built in the chinatown district of the city (the other two being Unity and Friendship archs). Recently, a cultural show for the town's first Chinese Mid-Summer Autumn Festival was held here. Davao's Chinatown district is said to be the country's (or even the world's) largest, covering about 44 hectares of the downtown area.

ridiculous traffic

Not everything in Davao is seeming 'paradise' though. In Toril, a populated district about 15kms. south of downtown, ridiculous traffic jams tend to occur despite being a comparably small town in size primarily due to ploriferation of "trisikads" (a combination of prefix tri being three-wheeled and vernacular "sikad," meaning "to pedal"), an ingenious passenger vehicle contraption composed of motorcycle and sidecar with just an umbrella for roof, clogging the major roads. Supposedly, these are not allowed to ply along major streets, but a local politician was said to be behind the unchecked proliferation of their numbers for his credit business interest (it's illegal for public officials to do so) that demand exorbitant rates for the motorcycle loan, forcing its debtors to defy the prohibition of plying major streets to make ends meet and pay for debts. The dilemma occuring in Toril streets seemed a contradiction of Davao trying to project an image as one of the more disciplined cities in the country.

exotic flora

Being in a typhoon-free zone and having volcanic rich soil, Davao is host to varied flora profusely growing around the city that range from endemic waling-waling orchid to exotic dragon fruit and imported strawberries. Here also are some strange, exotic ornamental plants I witnessed during the agri-trade fair held during the Kadayawan Festival:

indigenized

The Kadayawan celebration often showcases the proud indigenous cultures that flourish in the Davao region as witnessed in exhibits and performances. The ethnic culture had predated and survived the country's pre-colonial era that spanned for many centuries. This indigenous contribution further enriches the city's already varied mix of cultures contributed by pioneering migrants from the Visayas and Luzon, such that Davao is dubbed with an "indigenized" culture, in contrast to the rest of the country with its "colonized" culture.

floral floats

On 3rd sundays of August, revelers in the city are treated with floral float parade as one of the major attractions of the Kadayawan Festival. The competing floats must be made of orchid and various flowers, leaves, vegetables, fruit skins and other indigenous materials found in the region. These are some pics of the floats.

nature fair

The ongoing trade fair located at the back of a Mall south of the city showcased colorful varieties of plants celebrating nature's bounty in this fertile region. Some of the exotic plant species may perhaps even be witnessed as one's first encounter of its kind. The 24th Kadayawan Festival is ongoing in the city.

pangil

This croc, aptly named as "Pangil," which means fangs, one of the main attractions of a crocodile park just few minutes drive from downtown, is considered to be the country's largest captive crocodile with a whooping length of 18 feet. To elicit excitement among the crowds, the caretaker would deliberately poke at it, causing the irritated predator (wonders what he thinks) to swish its powerful tail for a dose of their unceremonious bath.