The City Government of Davao, through the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) feted the best individual singer and dance group across Davao during the Kanta Dabawenyo and Sayaw Dabawenyo Grand Finals held on Friday.
Hailed as the grand winner for Kanta Dabawenyo is Edward Encabo, the pride of Barangay 74-A Matina Crossing.
On the second place for Kanta Dabawenyo was Vhelchir Jorolan from Barangay Leon Garcia Sr., while third place was Roxanne Jamora from Barangay Centro Agdao.
The grand winner of Sayaw Dabawenyo is The Villain Champions, with their powerful showcase of creativity, precision, and passion, truly bringing the stage to life.
SQ 1 bagged the second place, while Team MOS placed third.
During the event, the final Top 10 for each contest, who qualified during the semi-finals, competed for each title.
Wadab Babao, event organizer, said in an earlier interview that Kanta Dabawenyo is being staged for the first time as a standalone singing competition dedicated to Davao-based talents.
The Kanta Dabawenyo category is exclusive to Davao City residents. However, non-residents who have been studying or working in the city for at least one year may also join, provided they secure a barangay certification.
Meanwhile, Sayaw Dabawenyo, a modern dance competition first introduced in 2024, is open to participants aged 15 years old and above. Unlike the singing category, the dance competition welcomed participants from nearby cities and provinces within the Davao Region.
Winners in both categories received substantial cash prizes. For Kanta Dabawenyo, the grand winner took home P50,000, second place P30,000, and third place P20,000, while the rest received consolation prizes.
For Sayaw Dabawenyo, the grand winner received P100,000, second place P70,000, and third place P30,000. The finalists also received consolation prizes.
All of the final performances were livestreamed on the official Araw ng Dabaw page, allowing local and international audiences to witness the performances. CIO
Written by: K.Cañedo
Edited by: A.Nawal
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