DAVAO CITY (PIA) -- Artists from the indigenous communities are among the top 25 finalists in the recently revived Habi Kadayawan.

Habi Kadayawan is a fashion design competition held as part of the Kadayawan Festival in Davao. It has two categories, the luxe wear apparel and fashion accessories. This year’s staging carries the theme “MindaNow and Beyond.”

The 2023 Habi Kadayawan has 25 finalists. 10 in the luxe wear apparel category and 15 in the fashion accessory category.

The fashion accessory category is further subdivided into three subcategories: commercial, youth and the community which consists of  indigenous peoples artisans.

 The indigenous community finalists include:

1.     Crocheted Neckpiece Warmer by the Samahan ng may iba’t-ibang Kakayahan sa Dabaw (SADAKAB), represented by Bajinting, Edelberta- Region XI, Davao City 

2.     “Langkus” by the Namnam Kouyagan Eco-tourism Aribal Association (NAMKE-TTA), represented by Masaloon, Okya- Region X, Bukidnon

3.     “Guzo” Evening Bag by the Association of Panabo United Crafters (APUC Association), represented by Yambao, Rowena- Region XI, Panabo

4.     "Son’neng" Bag by the Bagobo Tagabawa Pangulabe Association (BTPA), represented by- Aalazar, Joseph- Region XI, Toril, Davao City  

5.     “Bakutal” Tagakalo Women’s Bag by the Datu Dawata Women’s Association (DDWA), represented by Labis Lolita- Region XI, Davao Occidental

He added that this will not be a Kadayawan only affair but the engagement will be year-round with capacity building trainings, business incubation, and product exposures.

“In that manner, we are able to empower them to training, capacity, capability building workshop and also at the same time exposure to various trade platforms so they become self-sufficient,” Englis said.

Habi Kadayawan 2023 is co-organized by the City Tourism Operations Office and the Davao Fashion and Design Council Foundation, Inc., and supported by the Department of Trade and Industry Region XI, Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation, Inc., Ayala Malls Abreeza , Alagang Ayala Program, and Philippine Women’s College of Davao’s Bio-Circular-Green Technology Business Incubator in Creative Hub for Industry 4.0 or CHI+, a DOST-funded Technology Business Incubation program.

The Grand Prize winner from the apparel competition will get P200,000, the first runner-up P150,000 and the second runner-up P75,000.

In the accessories competition, the three grand winners from the three sub-categories will each receive P150,000 and a P10,000 consolation prize from the non-winners in the sub-categories.

Aside from the cash prize, all the winners will have a million peso-worth of business incubation perks, which include entrepreneurial mentoring, product development coaching and exposure to trade fairs and exhibits, which include a three-month pop up space at Abreeza Mall courtesy of the Alagang Ayala program. (RGA/PIA Davao)