The debates and speculations on who will be the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines was probably one of the most popular topic last year but the debacle ended last May 2016 election, as the people of the Philippines casted their votes and proclaimed Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte the victor among 5 aspiring presidentiables with a wide lead of over 16 million votes.
It was his recent victory that made us decide to see for ourselves the city of our incoming President, and so it was HELLO DAVAO CITY!
HOW TO GET THERE
From Cebu, book a flight going to Davao. What airline to choose is your discretion since both Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have hourly trips going to Davao. My advice is to book early and take advantage of promo flights but if you've been traveling for quite sometime now then I bet you know this already.
Boarding
Davao Squad
Upon landing at Francisco Bangoy International Airport hail a taxi going to the city proper or to your hotel. Going around the city is easy since there are a lot of cabs and jeeps available.
*Unfortunately I cannot recommend a place to stay since we stayed at the house of my friend's tita.
WHERE TO EAT
It was almost lunchtime when we landed at Davao City and so from the airport we went directly to one of of Davao's classic restaurant -- Dencia's. The place looks vintage which will remind you of your Lola's place but hey never judge the place with it how it looks because Dencia's classic vintage ambiance only shows that it has been around for quite awhile now, 20+ years to be exact, serving delicious Filipino-Chinese dishes that screams comfort food.
Credits: Tripadvisor.com.ph
Dencia's is known for its tokwa't baboy and lugaw but the rest on their menu are delish and affordable. Upon tasting their dishes you would not wonder how after all these years Dencia's still stands.
PS: I highly recommend that you try their Lumpia, lami gyud!
WHERE TO GO
Davao City really deserves to be dubbed as "Crown Jewel of Mindanao" not just because of its abundant natural resources but also with its various tourist hubs. Listed below are places you could check out for free.
1. People's Park
People's Park is an urban public park in central Davao City. The park is covered with lush vegetation, and is also known for Mindanao artist Kublai Millan's sculptures of indigenous people, and its dancing fountain is a popular destination for locals at night.
The park's visitor center is inspired by durians and has a large collection of many species of bamboos. It has been described as "one of the cleanest and greenest public parks" in the Philippines and not to mention the life size sculptures are also adding to its popularity.
Behind us is one of Kublai Millan's sculpture
#TrioInDavao
Davao Day 1 OOTD
2. Magsaysay Park
Ramon Magsaysay Park
From one park we went to another, the Ramon Magsaysay Park. The Park was built in honor of Ramon Magsaysay, the third president of the Philippines. The vast area has lush gardens and trees where one can sense a very relaxing breeze and also a favorite hangout of locals and tourists. In fact, every afternoon, many people can be spotted in the park - resting, strolling, picnicking, playing, or simply walking. It is frequently visited by many especially locals because there is no entrance fee to pay. It is open daily from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Honestly for me it's a People's Park minus the sculptures but nevertheless that doesn't mean you could not have any fun, actually tourists and locals alike could enjoy the park by renting roller skates and bicycles for a minimal amount.
At Magsaysay Park
Anton enjoying his bike
2 idiots in roller skates
3. Magsaysay Fruit Stand
Of course the Davao trip would not be complete without tasting one of its famous fruit -- Durian. You could buy and eat Durian at Magsaysay Fruit Stand located just outside Magsaysay Park. They also sell other Durian products from Durian candy, Durian yema, Durian tart and other Durian products you could think of. You name it, they have it! Davao City would not be called "Durian Capital" for nothing, right?
The Famous Durian of Davao
For a first timer, it was not that bad hehe
4. San Pedro Cathedral
It has been our practice (Three Idiots) that whenever we go somewhere new, it is a must that we visit a local church. For our Davao Trip, we picked Saint Peter Metropolitan Cathedral popularly known as San Pedro Cathedral. It is not just one of the cities oldest church but has also become a historical landmark as well.
Church's bell tower
5. Museo Dabawenyo
Just a few blocks away from San Pedro Cathedral is Museo Dabawenyo. The "People's Museum" which is geared towards the better cultural and historical awareness of locals and tourists.
Outside Museo Dabawenyo
The only place in the museum where you are allowed to take pictures
6. Matina Town Square (Duterte Town Square)
Culminate your free city tour by chilling at Matina Town Square. The entertainment hub of Davao City known for its nightly activities. It is actually Davao's take on Cebu City's Mango Square.
When in MTS, don't forget to check out Blugre Coffee and try try the Durian Coffee.
At Blugre, trying out their popular Durian Coffee
Credits: Google Image
There are actually more places to visit and things to experience at Davao City, other than those I've listed above but we need to cut the trip short for our Mati journey the following day (separate blog post) but nevertheless I enjoyed having a glimpse of what the beautiful city has to offer.
The best part of our Davao City tour was that all the places we've been to was actually free but if you are travelling with a budget you could check out these places and let me know what you think about them, so I could check them out the next time I'm going to Davao:
-Jack's Ridge
-Eden Nature Park
-Deca Wakeboard Park
-Malagos Garden Resort
-Davao Zorb Park
-Davao Crocodile Park
ENJOY!
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