Kadayawan Stars

ABS-CBN stars shine in Kadayawan
By Peachy Vibal-Guioguio
The Philippine Star

Davao's Kadayawan Festival is the city's biggest annual party and this year's festivities could have not been any bigger than when a number of Philippine broadcast's biggest stars descended in this city care of your Kapamilya Network, ABS-CBN.

"This is the biggest show that has been mounted in the city so far," enthused ABS-CBN AVP George Padolina, commenting on the crowds that gathered as early as 8 a.m. at the SM grounds.

According to police estimate, there were about 30,000 to 35,000 people who trooped to the venue to get a glimpse of their favorite stars. During the press conference held on the evening of Aug. 20, Saturday at the NCCC mall, no less than the Network's executive vice president, Charo Santos-Concio, welcomed the local and the Manila-based members of the press. Concio intimated that the Network is planning something big for the local talents of Davao which was warmly received by the local press in attendance.

ABS- CBN holds the No. 1 spot for most Davao television viewers and as a way of showing appreciation for their overwhelming support, the Network's management and regional team came up with this showbiz blitz featuring the country's most admired broadcast talents coming to Davao to celebrate one of the country's most colorful and culturally rich celebration, the Kadayawan Festival. This has been the second consecutive year that the people and city government of Davao have asked ABS-CBN to be its exclusive media partner for this week-long celebration that has attracted thousands of tourists and visitors from all parts of the country as well as abroad.

According to Kim Hife, station manager of ABS-CBN Davao, the Network started to regularly bring in Manila talents last year. "We feel it's a way of giving back to Davaoeños our heartfelt gratitude for patronizing our Network," Hife explains. "Since then, we make it a point to bring a Network show here in Davao where local talents join them." Davao City by land area is considered as the biggest city in the world and is the economic and trading power-house not only of Mindanao but also in the ASEAN region.

As events have it, the ABS-CBN talents and crew were welcomed into this lovely city of fruits and flowers last Aug. 19, Friday, by a heavy downpour that lasted for almost two hours without let-up and submerged some parts of the city in knee-deep water. An occurrence which, as one local resident quipped "is very rare." The rains turned out to be a felicitous sign of welcome as the rest of the weekend turned out sunshiny all the way.

Kadayawan is a week-long festival that culminates in street dancing over the weekend in which the entire city virtually goes into gridlock as people massed into the streets. The drawing power of ABS-CBN stars were evident in the jampacked crowds that participated in live broadcasts held that Saturday at Gaisano South, SM and NCCC Mall Convention Hall. The milling crowds and the joyous response only confirm one thing: that ABS CBN is No. 1 in the hearts of the people of Davao.

Sunday morning greeted the city dwellers with humongous traffic as the city winds down its Kadayawan festivities. But it was actually the SM ground that was teeming with people who came to watch ASAP 05 and ASAP Fanatic that caused the jam. But people didn't mind. For them, standing on hours even under the sweltering sun, is a small discomfort compared to catching a view of their favorite stars. And the heavens cooperated since not a single drizzle dropped from the sky. Only luminous stars of Philippine television were up on stage and framed under the blue skies as they wowed the people of Davao.