Davao is RP’s new gastronomic destination

The city has a reputation for being one of the best destinations when it comes to adventure tourism. However, no one will argue that it is also fast becoming one of the country’s top gastronomic destinations.

Those who have visited Davao City for the past ten years will tell you never to leave without trying Luz Kinilaw’s sinugbang panga and buntot. The budget-conscious foodies also raved about Taps and the fastfood’s famous vinegar and pepper sauce. And who can forget eating durian along the sidewalks of Uyanguren?

With the construction of malls in the city came the various specialty restaurants and fastfoods from Manila. While the newbies provided a variety of gustatory options for Dabawenyos and their visitors, the homegrown food providers still kept to their traditions and prevailed.

“We are becoming the country’s new gastronomic destination thanks to the many home-grown food entrepreneurs in the city,” Department of Tourism (DOT) XI Regional Director Art Boncato said. This, he added, has never been more emphasized than during the Kadayawan Festival which is a celebration of good harvest for Dabawenyos.

photo courtesy of DOT XI

Kadayawan street food festival

One of the very first components of the Kadayawan when it started in 1986 is the street food festival which was held at the junction of Roxas Avenue and C.M. Recto Street. “This was a Kadayawan staple which has been replicated every year,” Mr. Boncato said. The street food festival was actually an extended and a more glamorous version of the various barbecue stalls in the city.

Kadayawan, which is celebrated during the month of August every year, is itself all about the bountiful harvest of food including the fresh seafood, vegetables and fruits that abound in the city. After all, it is during this month and hereafter that you will see the streets with bukags (the native baskets) filled with colorful and delicious fruits in seas. During this month, it is natural to see trees alongside the streets teeming with luscious red rambutan and durian. It is easy to be tempted to just pick up the fruits from these trees as they hang beyond the gates.

Mr. Boncato said through the years, the city has developed its own unique blend of gustatory concoctions that can only be referred to as the Davao flavor. Kadayawan 2008 started featuring the local food choices through Ka-an Mindanao or the Indigenous Food Fiesta. This featured the indigenous cuisine of the city.

Durian Festival

Another Festival staple is the 15-day Durian Festival slated from August 10 to 25, 2013 at the SM Premier in Lanang. “We wanted to feature the different varieties of durian not only to let people taste these varieties but also to educate them,” Durian Industry Council of Davao City chairperson Larry Miculob said.

Visitors to the city can get their fill of fresh durian through the eat-all-you-can-durian at P150. For those who just want to satisfy their craving without overindulging, the P40 per kilo price for durian is good enough. The agricultural fair at Ecoland also features a durian booth where visitors can buy durian at P50 per kilo and eat the fruit at the durian tents provided by the exhibitor.

Mr. Boncato said the Davao Fruit Craze also opened at Abreeza Mall just in time for the Kadayawan. “Visitors will get the chance to enjoy all their favorite fruits including pomelo, mangosteen, banana and other fruits in season right at the mall,” he said. This is clearly a proof that August is indeed a season of harvest in Davao, he added.

One of the events that showcased Davao as a real gastronomic destination not only during the Kadayawan Festival but all throughout the year is the three-day Gourmet Collective which opened at SM Lanang Friday.

“This is the first effort to gather the gourmet chefs of Davao to showcase their tastiest specialties,” Mr. Boncato said. Among the food choices on display are the concoctions of Bangkok Wok which showcased Thai Cuisine, Cellar de Boca which served Spanish-inspired food using Davao’s very own brown rice and Monica Floirendo which served Mexican-inspired food.

Improved BIMP-EAGA air connectivity eyed as Davao hosts 3 EAGA air summits

A stronger air connectivity within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), an economic cooperation among the four regional economies, is expected as Davao hosts three very important summits this year.

“The three events are not big in terms of size but big in terms of the quality of the participants, most of them are decision-makers,” Department of Tourism XI director Art Boncato said.

Boncato said the Asia Air Access Forum will be participated in by regulatory bodies and airline officials who will present their plans for the region, The Airline CEO Summit will be a venue for the Chief Executive Officers of the airlines to meet and discuss the strategies and plans of connecting EAGA. The Air Network Forum will allow players to conduct a business to business interaction.

There will be an exhibit during the three Summits, where free exhibit space will be given to all airlines. The Airline Summit will include Garuda Airlines of Indonesia, Malaysia Airline, MAS Wings, Royal Brunei Airline and the airlines operating in the Philippines including PAL, Cebu Pacific, Zest Airline, Air Philippines and Sea Air.

“We are expecting around 200 participants mostly tourism players and the civil aviation authorities,” Boncato said. Other countries involved in the BIMP-EAGA will also be invited including China, Japan and Australia.

Boncato said the Southern Mindanao’s tourism sector is excited about the vibrant prospects for tourism considering the traditional markets for Davao tourism including the United States, Japan and South Korea. He said there are plans to explore the emerging tourism market in China and Singapore.

“There is a big potential for Davao in China as shown by the result of our trip to Beijing last year where Davao was a featured destination,” he said. They are also confident about Singapore as a tourism market for Davao as two airlines are already flying in and out to Singapore, he added.

He said the region’s tourism sector is serious in its bid to connect Manado and Davao. Boncato said Lion Air of Indonesia previously expressed its interest in coming to Davao and they have already met with DOT and Mindanao Development Authority. However, there was a lull in the talks “so we are seriously following this up.”

“The past year was much better than 2011 tourism-wise,” Boncato said. Davao’s major tourism market is still the MICE market or the Meeting, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibits.

Davao is eyeing the next Ad Congress, with additional 4,000 people that can be accommodated by the new facilities that will be built in the city this year, Boncato said.