Kasadya sa Kadagayaan: 45th Araw ng Davao del Norte celebration

AS part of the 45th Araw ng Davao del Norte celebration, I was invited to be a judge in one of the highlights of the celebration, the Shirt Design contest, which happened at the same time with the Community Singing and Dancing, and Drum, Bugle and Lyre Competition.

Arriving from Davao City with fellow judges in different competitions, we were seated on a makeshift stage in the open area of the Provincial Capitol Ground in Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City.

Participants in order of appearance were the local government units of Talaingod, New Corella, Asuncion, Kapalong, San Isidro, Dujali, Panabo, Tagum, and Sto. Tomas. Government officials, department heads and employees were expected to attend, and points were automatically added if the Mayor and Vice Mayor show up to participate.

For the Community Singing and Dancing, as well as the Drum, Bugle and Lyre competition, the winning entries went to Panabo (2nd runner up), Tagum (1st runner up) and Sto. Tomas as the champion, who received P50,000 in cash prize.

The winners of the T-shirt Design Competition were Panabo (2nd runner up), Sto. Tomas (1st runner up), and Kapalong as the champion.

The success of the event was supervised by Provincial Tourism Officer Noel Daquioag who is my good friend, and Romulo Tagalo, the Assistant Provincial Administrator, with the staff busy and efficient to provide our needs.

As the show continued, storm clouds were brewing, but these did not mar the ongoing merriment. Instead, it became a good backdrop for me to establish my shot when both provincial Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario and Vice Gov. Victorio R. Suaybaguio, Jr. arrived and took shelter in our tiny stage. Both officials were smiling good-naturedly while a dramatic background of stormy skies was forming. Despite the sudden winds and rain, and a pep speech by the Governor, the show went on after the sudden downpour calmed down to a drizzle.

Davao del Norte is certainly blessed with many natural resources and potential tourist destinations. This year’s celebration is focused on the theme, “Convergence and Solidarity”, successfully pushing the province to be one of Mindanao’s showcases for good governance and ecotourism.- By Jojie Alcantara

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on July 23, 2012.

Source Link from Sunstar