Davao City has once again secured its spot on the Philippine festival calendar as the celebration of the Kadayawan Festival this year concluded with resounding success after two years of no celebrations due to the COVID pandemic.

As customary and serving as the opening highlight of the two-day celebration, the “Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan” street dance competition set the tone with its vibrant, jubilant and colorful festivities, delighting throngs of eager spectators.

The competition started to turn into an epic dance battle when performers staged snippets of their routines in two satellite performance areas at C.M. Recto corner Roxas Ave. and Legaspi-Bonifacio junction in front of Apo View Hotel.

The grand showdown performances took place at the San Pedro Square in San Pedro St., where other Kadayawan highlights like the Hudyaka and Pamulak sa Kadayawan Floral Floats Parade were also staged.

The Indak-Indak this year was regarded as one of the most competitive editions since champions from other festivals in Mindanao, as well as past champion coaches and choreographers from previous Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan competed in the Open category.

The Sindac Anib Performing Ensemble remained undefeated as they emerged as the grand champion in the Open Category, making them hall of famer this year. The group first won as grand champion in 2019, and successfully defended its title in 2022.

Aside from the grandiose title that they claimed in this year’s edition of the competition, the ensemble also received P1 million as grand prize. They also bagged special awards including the best in music and best choreographer.

For the Davao City School-based category, the Davao City National High School Sining Sayon Dawet Cultural Ensemble was hailed as grand champion. The Catalunan Pequeno National High School Sining Mananayaw Ensemble, meanwhile, came in second.

The DCNHS performers graced the stage with their bright-colorful Maguindanaon costumes, as their significant pieces of props and cultural backdrop resembled accurately to the flow their storyline of Datu Panutiman as he traveled to Bangsamoro Mindanao with his three wives. Datu Panutiman later on married and fell in love with a dancer in Bangsa Kagan leading to a festive wedding in Davao City resembling all the Bangsamoro’s tribe.

The Indak-Indak also featured guest performers from the distant province of Ilocos Norte --the Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival of Festivals.

Indak-Indak is a celebration of people coming from the ethnolinguistic tribes of Davao, it is a commemoration of culture and diversity, and a driving force towards embracing culture through modernity. (ITL/PIA-Davao)