Before being finally renamed to Davao de Oro later this year, Compostela Valley celebrated its 21st founding anniversary by showcasing its rich cultural heritage and gold mineral resources in the recent 12th Bulawan Festival.
Anchored on the theme, “The Gold One, Ang Bulawan sa Tanan,” the weeklong festival, held from March 3 to 8, featured a variety of sports, socio-civic, cultural, entertainment, business and investment, sectoral, and tourism-oriented activities.
According to Gov. Jayvee Tyrone Uy, the Bulawan Festival is ComVal’s unique way of putting the spotlight on its natural wonders, milestones in governance, and business and investment potentials.
The governor said the province will be renamed into Davao de Oro later this year through a plebiscite in keeping with its origins as part of the once-undivided Davao region, and to reflect its rich gold mineral resources and vibrant mining industry.
ComVal was carved out of the 11 municipalities of Davao del Norte in 1998, consisting mostly of its flat portions.
The festival was highlighted by the Bulawanong Pasundayag street dance showdown which featured participants clad in gold-themed and lumad-inspired costumes portraying the folklore and daily way of life in ComVal.
New Bataan National High School won the major awards and topped the competition with their interpretation of Sal’lupongan Festival, which was derived from the Mansaka words sal’lu which means salo-salo, and pongan which means unity in diversity and the gathering of the ethnic groups in New Bataan.
Winning second and third honors, respectively, were Compostela’s Buganihan, a thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest and a tribute to the ancient bagani warriors, and Laak’s Kahimonan, the get-together among the Dibabawon, Mandaya, Mansaka, and Moro tribes.
Other participating contingents portrayed various municipal festivals such as Simballay of Nabunturan, Kaimonan of Maco, and P’yagsawitan of Maragusan.
During the Department of Education Night, public school teachers displayed their thespian talents in portraying the well-loved regional epics of the Philippines.
The provincial government also inaugurated the Bahay Katutubo, a museum showcasing the diverse ethnography of the various indigenous peoples and ethnolinguistic groups such as the Mansaka, Mandaya, Manobo, Mangguangan, Dibabawon, Aeta, Kamayo, Kalagan, and Davaweño.