10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Davao

Davao City

Visit Davao.  Where Life is Here. *

Why Visit Davao?

I'll tell you why.

I'm a local. I was born here and lived here for 20-something years already and I'll try to make this article as bias-free, as possible.  But what the heck.  I'll tell you what I know about my place of birth.  If you ask me if you should come over to Davao, I would think... hmmm... where should I take you?  If you are that urban person and you want something different, then come over.  If you want to go here to party then it's not the place for you.  

You see, Davao is a quaint city.  Although its the biggest city in the Philippines in terms of land area, we are still way behind development.  But I must say investors are coming in to shell out some money.  There are a lot of malls and buildings that are being erected in the last few years.  That should be a good sign that Davao is indeed getting better.  We might be behind development but we have plenty of other things to boast.  

1.  We've got the cleanest city and water. 

We have been dubbed by the WHO as having the cleanest water in the world.   Aside from having clean waters, our streets are generally clean too.  I remembered our city was featured on national tv.  The reporter tried to ambush the streets to prove the claims and went around the city with his camera on.  And we didn't fail him.  It was indeed garbage-free, well for the most part.

2. We've got some kick-ass Mayor.  

I think much of the improvements in the city are due to the fact that we are under a very good governance by our very infamous mayor, Rodrigo Duterte.  He is known to be very strict and isvery aggressive in implementing laws.  He would even go out of his way to make sure the laws are followed.  One time he went out in his car to this busy party street along Torres, and brought out his megaphone and shouted at the party goers and bar owners to shut down the place.  It was past 2am and bars should be closed by then.  After the incident, the bars were forced to close in 2 weeks until they could process papers to pass the criteria for operation.  And ever since then, all bars close until 2am.  We have Smoking Ban here so smokers are only allowed to smoke in designated smoking areas only, if caught smoking someplace else they have to pay P10,000 fine.  Firing fire works are also not allowed during Christmas and New Year.  What we do to make a lot of noise is that we just blow our horns, strike our pans and shout, after that, we either eat or  sleep.  But I guess it's the safest way to greet the year.

Inday Sarah Duterte *

Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte *

3. We're typhoon-free. 

Typhoon has been hitting the Philippines plenty of times.  True, but in Davao we don't experience typhoon that much.  They said that's because Mt. Apo is shielding us, but I'm not really sure of that.   We've got an almost predictable weather here.  According to my boss from Manila, he notices that it's summer everyday in Davao.  Well yeah, that's because even on rainy season, it's still sunny during the day, but the only difference is, it rains at night.  This usually happens during the ber months.

4. We've got 911. 

We are the only city in Asia that has this.  Only ours is for free and is totally subsidized by the local government.  Other than Davao, 911 can also be found in Canada and US. I heard that one foreigner didn't believe it so he tried calling 911, after someone from 911 responded, he became a believer.  Truly, we don't only have people to respond to our emergency needs but they are also well equipped with up-to-date facilities and medical paraphernalia.  I had been once inside the 911 emergency van and my-god it was big and new.  And by the looks of it, it's expensive.

Davao 911*

5. Diverse set of people could be found. 

We are home to at least 10 indigenous tribes and expats and tourists go over here as well.  And more and more tourists are coming over as time goes by.  Every now and then you'll see indigenous people playing their traditional instruments in the streets, trying to make a living.  If you happen to see people with blonde hair and selling pearls in a transparent plastic box, they're Badgaos, and they are known to be good divers for pearls and they sell these in the city proper to make some money.

Tribal dances *

6. We have very cheap food. 

Being in an island that thrives mostly on agriculture and being bordered by oceans, we are blessed to have an abundance of affordable food.  To give you an idea as to how cheap our food is, if you ever go to the wet market, talong (eggplant) costs P10 per dozen, and even more.  You try to go to Bangkerohan Market. It's the main drop off point of all veggies and fishes in the city, and it's the source of goods of fish vendors and veggie vendors from all across town.  The cheapest place to get veggies are the ones along the streets.  They are the ones not paying rent for spaces.  It's located near Magallanes Street. It's the extension from the main Bangkerohan area. When you go there don't be surprise when the vendors are willing to give you more than you paid for.  This is especially true when it's already 8am and they need to pack up before more jeepneys are coming by.  So I suggest you go there earlier.

Bangkerohan Market *

7. We have eco-adventures, zoos and nature parks. 

If you are in our city, what's really great to check out here is our recreational areas like museums, nature parks and zoos.  We also have a lot of activities for people who love adventure.  You can go scuba diving for as low as P750-P850, island hopping for only P1200-P1500, wake boarding (P350) and white water rafting.  The longest zipline in the Philippines is found here as well, stretching up to 850meters, along with it is tree rappelling. You can also try climbing the highest peak in the Philippines, Mt. Apo, towering at 10,311 feet.

8.  It's where you could find the cheapest price for durians.  

In off peak season which is around May to July, durians are selling for as cheap as 30pesos/kilo.  If you buy it in Mintal area or Calinan area which are first drop off areas for durians, it could be sold for only 15-20pesos/kilo.  During peak season, which is some time around March to September, durian price doubles and could reach as high as 60pesos/kilo.  Not so bad considering these are sold as high as 120pesos/kilo or even more in Manila.

9. The safest place to be. 

Davao is rank as the safest place in the Philippines and  one of the world's lowest crime rate averaging at 0.8 in every 10,000 persons per month.  Our police are the ones to take credit for this because they have served as excellent watchdogs.  Mindanao is actually known to be the home of the majority of Muslims in our country.  And to correct what people usually think about Muslims, they are really peace-loving individuals. There are just terrorists that are linked to some Muslim individuals but should never be identified with Muslims in general.  Both Muslims and Christians however, tend to live peacefully here in our city.

10.  Fantastic beaches.  

Well not everybody knows that we've got really good beaches.  Take for example, Samal.  It's 15mins. boat ride away from the city itself, and it's said to be developed like Hongkong but that will be way far in the future.  It is the home of the renowned Pearl Farm.  Not far away from the island is another amazing small island called Talicud.  It's an hour away from the city but it has the finest sand and loveliest beach line.  There are not much resorts here as it's just recently been developed yet a lot of beach goers flock here to have an excellent time with friends and colleagues.

Beachline in Samal Island

So why should you visit Davao?

You go to Davao if you have the heart for adventure, fascination for nature, interest for indigenous tribes, appetite for fruits and have enough time to enjoy all these.

UPDATE [ September 26, 2016] : In Sulu, the Abu Sayyaf a notorious terrorist group, is now under sieged by the full force of the government's military.   Along side this was a bombing incident within the Davao city itself.  Even though the outskirts of the city is heavily guarded and the city is under the watchful eyes of policemen dispersed in strategic areas, locals are encouraged to be vigilant and to refrain from going to crowded areas.  As of today, there are already 20 Abu Sayyaf who surrendered themselves to authorities, however there are still some who have remained fighting.    While this is going on, business is still as usual in Davao, however proper precautions and vigilance are being observed by everybody. 

Source: Davao Philippines: Your Guide to a DaWoW Experience
* Image note mine