Along the bends of the Davao River, historical heritage unfolds as different cultures of the Davao City’s 11 ethnolinguistic groups converge in the time-honored tradition of the Subang Sinugdanan ug Panagtabo.
Held during the sunrise of August 7 at the Tionko bend of the Davao River to welcome the month-long celebration of Kadayawan Festival 2026, the Subang Sinugdanan ug Panagtagbo is a symbolic reenactment of traditional barter systems among the 11 ethnolinguistic groups.
Pre-colonial Davao bore witness to the thriving trading industry of its ethnolinguistic groups along coastal areas, major rivers, and traditional upland-lowland trade settlement along Davao Gulf.
Long before formal borders and paved venues existed, the Davao River was a grand arterial highway for culture, a sanctuary of trade and dynamic history. It served as a strategic channel where merchants barter goods, exchange abundant harvest, and forge early economic ties.
The fluvial parade started from the Magallanes bend of the Davao River and concluded at the Tionko Field riverbend.
During the brief ceremony, the six Indigenous People’s groups represented by the deputy mayors of the Ata, Bagobo Klata, Bagobo Tagabawa, Matigsalug, Ovu Manobo, and the Kalagan (now Bangsa Kagan after the tribe embraced Islam) arrived at the jetty in the Tionko Field where they later met with the Bangsa Moro represented by the deputy mayors from Bangsa Iranun, Bangsa Maguindanaon, Bangsa Meranaw, Bangsa Tausug, and Bangsa Sama.
Following the convergence is the reenactment of the barter tradition where they symbolically exchanged the pananam or traditional delicacies of their cultural community.
In a message delivered by City Councilor Myrna L’Dalodo-Ortiz, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte emphasized that the Kadayawan Festival is not just a celebration of bountiful harvests, cultures, and traditions, but also a festival that honors the journey of the 11 ethnolinguistic groups, their resilience, and the peace brought by their unity amid diversity.
“Over the years, our indigenous cultural communities have created a vibrant and diverse tapestry of history, culture, and traditions in Davao becoming a vital pillar of our city’s identity as a thriving Dabawenyo community,” he also said. CIO
Written by: J. Villaluz
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo by: J. Faelnar