Hiyas ng Kadayawan search requires cultural skills for candidates

The 2009 Search for Hiyas ng Kadayawan is expected to be more challenging for the candidates as they will need to exhibit more knowledge and skills about the culture they are representing.

“The Search for Hiyas ng Kadayawan 2009 will be more challenging because the candidates will be required to demonstrate a skill akin to the culture they are representing like playing the kulintang, agong and other musical instruments live on stage,” councillor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chair of the Kadayawan Lumadnong Kasaulogan or Indigenous Peoples Festival.

She said the Kadayawan is no longer just a beauty search but it has become a more significant display of the culture of the ten tribes representing Davao City. Among the ten focus tribes during the Kadayawan celebration are the Ata, Diangan, Obo Manobo, Matigsalog and Tagabawa for the Lumads and then the Muslim, Maranaw, Kalagan, Sama, Tausug and Maguindanao for the Muslims.

“The Hiyas ng Kadayawan contestants are required to be 50% Lumad or Muslim, depending on what tribe they are representing,” she said. The winner should have a great understanding of her culture and tradition to include the tribe’s history and language.

Dalodo-Ortiz said the Hiyas ng Kadayawan will be chosen based on a winning personality and character. “We are not showing an ordinary Dabawenya here but a unique Dabawenya who is representing her tribe,” she added.

She said the selection process for the tribal representatives to the Hiyas ng Kadayawan is a long process. The deputy mayors for each tribe will endorse the representative of each tribe to the committee. However, she added, this is only done after the community has chosen a candidate fit to represent their tribe.

Those who want to experience how the different tribes in Davao live are adviced to visit the Cultural Village located at the Crocodile Park in Diversion Road.

Kahalaan Festival Today

The various indigenous tribes of Mindanao have launched their own festivities today named "Kahalaan Festival". Kahalaan Festival is much like the Kadayawan since it is a festival of thanksgiving but only a lot smaller in scale. While the Kadayawan festival is big budgeted, the Kahalaan Festival is low profile and still unestablished.

However, while the Kadayawan Festival includes the Muslims, the Kahalaan Festival is exclusive to the Ata-Manobos, Mandaya and the Manguwangans. The festival, which is open to the public, features native handicrafts. The native houses were also transferred to the park beside the Crocodile Park in Diversion Road as part of the Festival celebration which will last up to December 27.

"December is a time for Christmas challenges and we are celebrating it here through the Festival," Festival chair Bai Norma Rivera said.

Businessman and Crocodile Park owner Phillip Dizon, who is celebrating his birthday today, said he wants to establish a partnership with the Indigenous Peoples and want them to further enrich their culture through the Village called "Tribu Kamindanawan" which is annexed to the Park.