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The Davao Museum a.k.a Museo Dabawenyo

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It is about time that a 74-year old city that is also one of the country’s premier cities has its own honest-to-goodness museum. The Davao Museum, or officially Museo Dabawenyo, is just three years old (since 2008) and has yet to truly make its presence felt in the public’s consciousness.

Located along the Pinchon Street (popularly known as the Magallanes Avenue) just by the rotunda, the Museo Dabawenyo is housed in an old two-story building that has undergone various incarnations, such as the former hall of justice and a warehouse for non-functioning government equipment.

Up until Nanay Soling Duterte, a grand matriarch of the city and grandmother of current Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, pushed for an official repository of the city’s rich history.

Welcome In

Upon entry into the museum, one is welcomed by life-sized artwork and a wall that explains theories on the origin of the word Davao. The hall on the first floor showcases the ten tribes indigenous to the Davao Region. Five of these tribes are Islamic, the other five are classified as non-Islamic or pagans. Then there is a feature of a local hero during the Spanish occupation, Datu Bago who led the uprising against the Spanish colonizer Oyanguren. Datu Bago’s heroism has inspired the creation of the Datu Bago Foundation that annually recognizes the sons and daughters of Davao City who have made remarkable contributions in various field and industries. These awardees are then bestowed the Datu Bago honor during the celebration of Araw ng Dabaw.

In another part of this hall, a wax figure of Pres. Manuel Quezon is seen signing a piece of paper which signifies the creation of Davao as a city in October 1936. In March of 1937, the first inauguration of the City was held.

Davao Museum

In this same hall, one will see various photographs of how Davao City looked ages ago. Then, the San Pedro Cathedral was just a wooden structure and the City Hall was surrounded by coconut trees.

A photo mural of the first ever mansion built in Davao is also highlighted. Formerly known as the Dacudao Residence, the old mansion is now known as the Locsin Dance School along the Quirino Highway, and the family has maintained it well. One of its daughters, Agnes Locsin, a nationally renowned choreographer, is a Datu Bago Awardee as well.

Locsin Dance Studio -- Dacudao Residence -- first mansion in Davao City

Photographs and artifacts from war time are also exhibited in this hall. There is even a rusty bomb from the American airplanes on display.

There’s More Upstairs

The second floor of Museo Dabawenyo showcases artworks of the local artists. Paintings, sculptures, fashion designs, poems, music and anything that express the beautiful soul and creativity of the Davaoeno are exhibited to advantage.

There is a Filipiniana gown made of water lilies that was recognized on the fashion runways of Paris; music that celebrates womanhood, and sketches that remind you of dreams.

Mementoes from a time long gone are artfully placed around the hall.

A room on the second floor has also been assigned as a hall of peace. It is a library and meeting room that showcases peace efforts as manifested in photos of international relations and books tackling understanding of conflicts.

As one ends the tour of this Davao Museum, one gets a sense of enrichment that comes from the knowledge of what has brought us to the present time.

Museo Dabawenyo is open from Mondays to Saturdays, 8:30am to 5:30pm. Admission is free.

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“The Davao Museum a.k.a Museo Dabawenyo” is written by Vida Valderde.

A Hotel, A Restaurant, A Wavepool Under One Name: Emar’s

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Tucked away in the unassuming community of Times Beach at the Matina Aplaya is a resort that comes across as an oasis in the otherwise simple, down-to-earth area. Emar’s Hotel, Wavepool, Restaurant, & Beach Resort, as the name thoroughly states, gives Times Beach a jolt with its relatively upscale offerings. Their tagline says, “Luxury, Pleasure, Adventure” and Emar’s tries to live up to their hype admirably.

One first enters through the hotel lobby that is pleasantly welcoming with its cozy lounging area and cafe`. Immediately, one is transported away from the hustle and bustle of the city outside. Guests may choose to check into one of their rooms for overnight stays or just use the numerous cottages provided for day guests.

Emar’s has classified its accommodations as Hotel Rooms and Budget Travelers Room to give more options for relaxation. Under the Hotel Rooms:Standard Rooms cost Php1200; Family Room- Php1800; Condotel (Family)-Php 2800; and Condotel(Suite) – Php3200. For the Budget Rooms: Economy Non-Airconditioned Rooms with Cable TV can go for as low as Php350 and Airconditioned Deluxe Family for 4 persons for Php750. Thus, even if Emar’s markets its offerings as “luxury”, it is still fairly accommodating of those on a tighter budget.

emars hotel and wavepool in davao philippinesFor those who would just want to experience the wave pool for the day, separate entrance fees are charged. Php200 for adults and Php150 for kids. Cottages for rent just by the wave pool where one can see all the action is at Php500 for 12 persons and Php800 for 24 persons. Monobloc chairs and tables are also available for rent for a smaller group.

Set outdoors with a nice view of sun, sand , and sea, the wave pool is touted as the best and largest wave pool in Davao City. One can amp up enjoyment of the place by trolling around the wave pool in a paddle boat that is also up for rent. There is also a Jacuzzi pool area at the center of the larger wave pool for a quieter, more relaxed enjoyment of the water. There are also colorful slides in the pool that kids of all ages will love.

Photos From Emar’s Wavepool

To add to the tropical resort feel of the place, palm trees have have been strategically planted around the area. Furthermore, fine white sand cover the supposed beach area of the wave pool. This is kind of ironic because Times Beach naturally has dark coarse sand. Great effort has indeed been undertaken to give an other-world experience that is in contrast to the community to which Emar’s Hotel, Wavepool, Restaurant, and Beach Resort belongs to. The little touches like having white curtains in all its cottages and tropical plants and grasses included in the thoughtful landscaping are what give a nice lift to the resort. Taking a walk around the place is definitely another pleasure in itself.

Emar’s rounds out their offering with the various Filipino and international food served at the hotel restaurant. Function rooms are also available for corporate events, weddings, and the like.

Contact Emar’s Hotel

For more information, contact Emar’s at the following numbers:

(+63) (082) 299 – 1731
(+63) (082) 297 – 4053
(+63) (082) 302 – 9455

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This article about Emar’s Hotel and Restaurant is written by Vida Valverde.

Fitness Facilities in Davao City

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Davao City is on its way to being a full-fledged cosmopolitan city. One of its very telling indicators are the lifestyle hubs around the city featuring fitness centers, spas, hobby and specialty shops. More and more Davaoenos are taking the extra effort to be fit and healthy. The city has also been hit by the running bug as seen by the races held almost every other weekend. For exercise to be part of the lifestyle, there are several gyms and fitness facilities that may suit different fancies.

The Matina South Health Studio

In the South, there is the Matina South Health Studio located within Centerpoint Plaza at the Matina Crossing. MSHS offers various cardio and weights classes from Monday to Saturday. There is a spacious and ventilated weights room with decent enough equipment; not the high-end branded kind but serves the purpose well anyway. Cardio machines are in an airconditioned room equipped with TVs to keep you entertained while on the treadmill, stationary bike, rowing machine, or strider. A boxing ring and trainer are also available for the members. Monthly fee is Php800.

For more information, contact The Matina South Health Studio at 2972708.

Holiday Spa Fitness Center at The MetroLifestyle Complex

In the center of the city, along Torres St., are two of the more popular gyms – The Holiday Spa Fitness Center and the MetroLifestyle Fitness Center. Holiday boasts of a full-fledged fitness facility complete with a running track, swimming pool, boxing ring, badminton courts, sauna and spa on top of the regulation weights and cardio rooms. Numerous aero classes in the morning and in the afternoon round out their offering. Monthly fee is Php 2000. MetroLifestyle is just a few hundred meters away from Holiday. It is in a Complex that features the Fitness Center, Bahia Spa & Wellness, Dermalife Facial and Slimming, Krua Thai Restaurant, and Bo’s Coffee Shop. Thus, hanging out after working out is an added plus. MetroLifestyle has the basic amenities of a relatively upscale fitness facility with a running track and jacuzzi. Monthly fee is P1200 exclusive of use of jacuzzi and towels. If one enrolls in 3, 6, or 12-month package, then one is entitled to the extras without an added fee.

For more information, contact them at 2286180-82.

fitness gym in davao city

Smashville Fitness Center

In the heart of Davao’s Chinatown is Smashville. Located at AGL Building, R. Magsaysay Ave., this fitness facility showcases eight badminton courts, hence the name. It has the same spacious and airy weights room as that of MSHS, ( MSHS and Smashville belong to one company.) and similar aero classes as well.

For more information, contact Smash Ville at 30559999.

Planet Infinity

On the northern part of the city is the recently opened Planet Infinity. Located at EastWest Centrum, Jomat Bldg, Km 6, Lanang, Planet Infinity is invading the Davao fitness scene as this is an upscale fitness brand from Manila. Equipped with the state-of-the-art machines, Planet Infinity gives one a sense of privilege that heightens the drive for health and fitness.

For more information on their rates, contact Planet Infinity at 2330770.

Fitness At The Corners of Davao

However, we may also choose to exercise outdoors for a more natural feel. The People’s Park is actually conducive to running and walking with a well-laid out path made more interesting by the scenery. Then there is also the Riverfront Corporate Center along the Diversion Highway but is more popularly referred to as Crocodile Park. One may safely go biking, running, or walking in the yet unoccupied tracts of land. It is thus that fitness can indeed be a lifestyle in Davao City.

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Davao Fitness Facilities is written by Vida Valverde.

Website Is Moving To A New Server, Plus More Planned Features

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Hi Davao Traveler,

The month of March has always been super busy in Davao. A lot of people are coming in from all over the place:

  • from the nearby towns and cities
  • from the different parts of the Philippines
  • and of course, there are the tourists and foreigners

They all want to have fun here in Davao. They all know that March is a special month in Davao.

March 16 is Araw Ng Dabaw, but the fun seems to span the whole month of March.

This particular event attracts a lot of people into the city. And this implies that:

  • 🙂 Businesses will wearing their smiley faces
  • 🙁 Security forces of the government will be even more watchful
  • 😉 You and me – we’ll have some stuff to enjoy

And as expected DavaoTraveler.com will see a lot of web traffic coming in. Actually, we already saw a spike in the number of website visitors since the beginning of March.

If you have been here for a number of times, you may have noticed that in the past months or so, we experienced reaching our bandwidth limit. Now, Exceeding A Bandwidth Limit is a technical term which means we have so much visitors than we expected. It’s a little frustrating on the part of the website visitors, but let us assure you that it’s doubly frustrating on our part.

Starting March 2011, we promise it’s not going to happen anymore. We’re moving to a new server with no bandwidth limit.

Announcement

To this end, we would like to inform our website visitors to please bear with us as we make a few tweaks between the two different servers, transferring our files and databases.

It’s like we’re moving to a new house. But think about how Superman will do it. It’s going to be very quick! You may not even notice it. But if you do, please understand that we are in maintenance mode. Count with your fingers and your toes… and we’ll be up again before you finish counting to twenty.

Planned Updates

On a more serious note, we are also announcing a few changes to the website. Here are some we have in mind.

Web Design – What you are seeing here was the original design since 2007. We want to show you something different and better looking.

More Hotels and Resorts – We have been contacted by small hotel and resort owners to have their hotels listed on this website. Yes, there are newer ones popping up all over the city. We want to include them all, of course.

Events In Davao – A lot of visitors have requested that we include the events happening in Davao. We agree, it’s a relevant topic.

So, that’s it for now.

And remember: We’re moving to a new server very, very soon. Please bear with us.

Have fun in Davao,

Team DavaoTraveler.com

Looking For An Accomodation and On A Tight Budget? Go For St.Camillus Dormitel!

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Being in Davao City on a limited budget does not mean crappy lodging. St. Camillus Dormitel definitely gives the weary traveler a pleasant and affordable place to stay.

It is the Davao Dorm made better.

More often than not, as transients in the city, we would like to spend our time and money exploring the place or attending to what is necessary. At the end of the day, when resting and recharging is what we need, a cool and clean dormitel gets the job done.

St. Camillus Dormitel is located within the clean, green, and spacious grounds of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Bajada, Davao City. (SPMC is formerly known as the Davao Medical Center (DMC). But expansion and upgrades have made this state medical facility worthy of its new, more encompassing name.) The SPMC Cooperative Building houses the St. Camillus Dormitel, along with a foodcourt, a Chowking outlet, an internet café, and a beauty salon and spa. The necessities of a busy and stressful life all in one building give guests of St. Camillus an easy and comfortable residence. Moreover, trees and greenery in the parks beside and near the dormitel give refreshing air to balance living in a bustling city. One can choose to study, or hold small meetings, or just chill in the parks. A Holy Mass is celebrated daily at the chapel in the main SPMC building just a few meters away from the dormitel, for those of us who want to honor the Lord’s supreme sacrifice and seek spiritual strength and refreshment.

The region’s best doctors and medical professionals work in the SPMC (several of them live at St. Camillus) and are accessible from the dormitel, if ever need for medical attention arises. It is thus that your stay in Davao City is made more wonderful with lodging at St. Camillus.

Photos of St. Camillus Dormitel

Dormitel Capacity

St. Camillus Dormitel can accommodate 120 people in its 15 fully air-conditioned rooms equipped with double-deck beds, dresser, and cabinet.

Who Should Stay at St Camillus Dormitel And Why

This place is perfect for interns, reviewees, seminar and convention participants, and other transients. There is a lounging area with study tables, TV, and a snack bar highlighting Apo Natural Spring Water and Provida Sugarcane Juice for the enjoyment of the guests. Local and national newspapers are also provided daily to keep one abreast of current events.

Run by a kindly couple and friendly and efficient staff, St. Camillus Dormitel is a warm haven that previous visitors always return to. Sometimes, valuable relationships and friendships form in the hospitable atmosphere of the dormitel.

Ideas and information are freely exchanged by people who were previously strangers to each other. Students, artists, interns, lawyers, doctors, nurses, sales people, tourists, seminar participants, and many other transients have all found their way to St. Camillus and many of them have returned. They rave about the nice and clean accommodations, the very affordable rate, the friendliness of the management, and the convenience of the location. There are also others who have established temporary residence at the dormitel and pay monthly rates, apparently recognizing great value for money.

Affordable Rate

At the very friendly rate of PhP 180 / person / day, St. Camillus Dormitel can be a very pleasant home for you in Davao City.

Contact St Camillus Dormitel

For reservations and inquiries on your next accommodation in Davao, please contact St. Camillus Dormitel at:

St. Camillus Dormitel
Southern Philippines Medical Center Cooperative Building
Bajada, Davao City

Contact Person : Cherie S. Valverde
Phone : (082)301-9997/ 09179049032

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This article is written and shared by Vida Valverde.

The Kadayawan 2010 : What’s In Store For You?

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The month of August translates to Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. Officially, the Kadayawan is a week-long event that, this year, started last August 16 and will commemorate on August 22 with the much-awaited floral parade. I said officially, because for many of us here in Davao, Kadayawan really spans the whole month of August. That means roughly 30 days of fun and excitement.

For first time visitors of the city, the Kadayawan also provides the best opportunity of getting a feel of what real Davao City can be.

So for visitors and locals alike, the single, common question is, “What can we expect in Kadayawan 2010?”

The short answer is, “A lot.” There are so many to be enjoyed in the city this month. Here are some for you to consider.

Cultural Events

The Kadayawan Festival was really started by the natives of Davao. (informally though, because there was no Powers-That-Be to formalize it yet.) The local folks noticed that the month of August was really the month of fruits, vegetables and overall bountiful harvest. Naturally, they gave thanks and attribute their produce to a Higher Being.

In other words, it is the festival by the natives that we modern Dabawenyos have taken to a whole new level to make it more formal – and lively. Still, the spirit of the event is there. And thanks to our local government, the natives of the land are being honored and recognized for their contributions during this event.

So remember: Kadayawan is a celebration of a bountiful harvest and it is also a cultural festival. In fact, the Kadawayan Festival will be highlighted with the following Cultural Events the festival has been known for:

  • The Indak-Indak Sa Kadalanan — A street dancing show and competition. You’ll witness native dance steps accompanied by native tunes – all these while the dancers are taking the busy downtown roads of Davao; minus the jeepneys of course.
  • Pamulak (A Floral Float Parade) — This one is considered to be the main attraction of the festival. Flowers and orchids in full bloom will be showcased in beautiful colors and decorative designs. Expect to see this on Sunday, 22nd of August.

Fun and Parties

Now, I know party people would consider all those Cultural Events as kind of boring. And sure it’s difficult to argue with them.

There’s only one thing that can fire the adrenaline alive: Party. Of course, this it would be boring indeed if the Kadayawan will not include such fun and exciting events.

Here’s something to consider for all you party peeps out there: SMART Concert — This will be on Aug 21, 8:00AM till 11:00AM at the People’s Park.

If you can’t go there because it’s a morning event and no party person ever parties in the morning, you can always visit any party place and bar at night-time. They definitely have something in store that blends with the Kadayawan Fever.

Not to be left behind, the malls around the city always have something to surprise you at these very times. From singing and dancing to shopping and dining, any mall in the city is definitely a way to go once you are here in Davao for the Kadayawan.

Fruits… More Fruits

Kadayawan is not without fruits all around the city. They come in abundance and at very affordable prices. For example

  • Lansones at P 10 / kg
  • Durian at P 20 / kg
  • Mangosteen at P 15 /kg
  • Rambutan at 20 / kg

Thanks to the bountiful harvest, that’s already the cheapest price these fruits can get. The other reason you would want to buy these fruits is they come at the highest (sweetest) quality during this season.

Shopping Galore

Speaking about malls, those from the nearby towns and cities already know that Kadayawan also brings with it the best in business deals. In other words, discount offers abound. Plus, competitions are just next to each you don’t even have to drive a car to compare prices and strike a deal.

I’d like to make special mention that there is currently a Horticulture Exhibit next to the SM Parking Area. For all you flower and orchid lovers out there, that’s the place to go.

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The Kadayawan 2010 is written by Carlos Velasco.

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Aside : If you are looking to buy a car in Davao or in any place in the Philippines, please check the CarsPilipinas.com website. A bank re-possessed car that’s a available for bidding in Davao will be posting soon and subscribers of that website will get notified when it is posted. Subscribe now, it’s FREE!