SEEING the primary importance of tourism as one of the backbones of the city’s economy, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio created the Davao City Festival Management Committee through Executive Order No. 03 series of 2012.

Duterte said tourism has been deemed to generate revenue for the local government and has provided livelihood to a number of Dabawenyos.

“The Festival Management Committee has been created to harmonize all the festivals celebrated by the City of Davao, fully maximize its objectives and properly realize the plans for each event,” Duterte said.

Davao City’s identity has been showcased through the celebration of its various festivities such as the Araw ng Dabaw, a commemoration of the city’s founding anniversary; the newly-created Davao Summerfest, which promotes sports tourism in the city; the highly acclaimed Kadayawan Festival, which features the ten tribes of Davao City and the city’s flora and fauna and the Pasko Fiesta, which gives prominence to the Dabawenyo way of celebrating Christmas in the midst of the different beliefs and traditions of the people of Davao City.

In addition to the said events, Davao City has been chosen to host the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) in 2013. Hosting Mice in next year has been considered as a tourism milestone and valuable achievement in the tourism industry of Davao City.

The committee, which will be chaired by the mayor herself, will also include City Administrator Zuleika Lopez as vice chair and Gene Bangayan of Duaw Dabaw Festival Foundation as co-vice chair.

Included in its functions would be the planning and ensuring the smooth coordination of all of the activities of the four major festivals of the city and encourage greater private sector participation during the said events.

According to the order, the roles and responsibilities in ensuring the successful implementation of the major events to be celebrated this year have been defined and will be specifically assigned to the committee member accountable.