The City Government of Davao was hailed as the winner of Best Booth and People’s Choice Award at the Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino 2026, held from April 24 to 26 at Ayala Malls Abreeza.
Willenito P. Tormis Jr., Officer-in-Charge of the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), told the City Information Office that the city’s booth is more than a showcase of flavors, it became a living stage of food and culture reaffirming the city’s place as a premier culinary and tourism destination.
“We really gave our all in order for us to really captivate people to join us diri sa Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino. Makita ninyo atoang booth, nagka lain na mga prutas ang atoang gipakita, siyempre as the fruit basket of the Philippines. Nisuporta pod ta sa atoang mga local SMEs, naa ta from Gran Verde Farm ug naa pod ta Daveco Women enterprise nga nagpakita sa ilahang mga produkto ug naga highlight sa ilahang mga practices sai lahang nagkadaiyang farm (We gave our all in order to truly captivate people to join us here in the Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino. You can see our booth, we showcased various fruits, of course, as the fruit basket of the Philippines. We also supported our local SMEs, we have Gran Verde Farm and Daveco Women Enterprise showcasing their products and highlighting their practices from their various farms),” he said.
At the heart of the celebration was Davao’s official dish, Humba with Langka. A well-loved Filipino classic reimagined with a distinctly Davao character, tender, slow-braised pork is paired with the natural sweetness of young jackfruit.
In addition to the cuisine, the booth provided a unique experience in which visitors were welcomed with food tastings, cultural presentations, and interactive games, as well as the opportunity to win hotel accommodations, making it one of the most engaging attractions at the event.
He emphasized that Davao’s booth was not only a cultural showcase as it also gave local entrepreneurs a strong platform with exhibitors reporting impressive sales and enthusiastic support from visitors throughout the three-day event.
“Taas ang sales sa mga merchants and sa atoang mga exhibitors. Happy kaayo ta kay nakatabang ta sa ilaha kay sa 3 days, taas gyud ang ilahang sales. Karon nakatabang ta sa ilaha ug happy pod ta kay daghan tag mga makuha na mga nagka lain lain na mga reactions sa tao nga nagingon na nindot ang Davao City booth (The sales are high for our merchants and our exhibitors. We are very happy because we were able to help them, and in just 3 days, their sales really increased. We are also happy because we received various reactions from people saying that the Davao City booth is beautiful),” he added.
Tormis also said that the award showcased the dedication of the staff, the resilience of Davao’s SMEs, and the overwhelming support of the Dabawenyo community, with nearly 500 votes securing the Best Booth, People’s Choice awards.
“Happy kaayo mi kay nakadaog ang Davao City og best booth, people’s choice award. Grabe kaayo ang suporta. Daghan kaayo and almost 400 to 500 people ang nag vote sa Davao city as best booth. Tungod ana, napakita namo nga gwapo ang atoang gibuhat og grabe ang effort na gihatag sa atoang City Tourism Operations Office staff (We are very happy because Davao City won the best booth, people’s choice award. The support was overwhelming. There are almost 400 to 500 people voted for Davao City as the best booth. Because of that, we showed that what we did was great and the tremendous effort put forth by our City Tourism Operations Office employees),” he said.
“Mapasalamaton pod ko not just to Dabawenyos but also to our team kay sila gyud ang nag hatag og nagbuhat aning tanan. Happy gyud mi kay ang amoang gihagoan kay nag resulta gyud. Congratulations, Davao city for winning best booth, people’s choice award (I am also grateful not just to the people of Davao but also to our team because they are the ones who gave and did all of this. We are really happy because our hard work has truly paid off. Congratulations, Davao City, for winning the Best Booth and People’s Choice award),” he furthered. CIO
Written by: K. Malasado
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo by: Davao City Tourism Operations Office