Davao City (16 August) — Department of Tourism undersecretary Oscar Palabyab encouraged Dabawenyos to continue exploring and innovating to entice people to come because new things are happening in the city.

Palabyab who graced the opening of “Kaan-Dawet”, a street food fiesta along Roxas Avenue in Davao City in time for the weeklong Kadayawan Festival told organizer and city tourism head Id Acaylar there is nothing wrong if they copied the street festival of Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival.

“There is nothing wrong when you copied something good and Iloilo won’t mind it because what you did could become a better event,” he said.

He said Davao City is blossoming into a real tourists destination and people come because you wanted them to come and you have make things happen to let people keep coming back.

He said tourists come because they want to eat, drink and be merry and events like Kadayawan is promoting tourism.

Meanwhile major sponsor San Miguel Corporation (SMC) of Kaan-Dawet closed a portion of Roxas Avenue dressed up the street with colorful bannerettes and huge parasol to shield over 100 booths used by Davao’s restaurants and fondly sought for eateries. The project was to provide partygoers a fiesta feel as they are entertained with homegrown bands and other famous bands in the country.

All subsidiaries of SMC pooled their resources to keep Kaan Dawet a major attraction of Kadayawan.

At the opening of the street festival on Monday, Coca-Cola Bottling Philippines president Roberto Huang during his message said that their company and SMC shall not hesitate to partner and support the programs of government.

Declaring Davao City as his second home next to Manila, Huang led the unveiling of “Coke Davao” Viaje na bottles where it features the various famous destinations of the region.

He said it is their way of promoting tourism even as he said they will continuously support efforts geared towards nation building.

The “Coke Davao” that comes in 8 ounces is sold in time for the Kadayawan Festival as a souvenir item from Davao City. (PIA XI/pdbanzon)

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