Mayor of Davao City
ALAN NAFZGER
Mayor of Davao City Pecan Street Press
Lubbock ● Austin ● Fort Worth
Mayor of Davao City
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Copyright © 2020 Alan Nafzger
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ISBN: 9798656795029
The Good Mayor
Television series by Alan Nafzger
A moral man and good mayor take the helm of a city in the Philippines that is overwhelmed by crime. Because of a weakened and corrupt police force, good citizens must take matters into their own hands and not by becoming vigilantes but by scheming. The mayor, medical examiner, and television mogul orchestrate a ruse to rid the city of its drug gang.
CHARACTERS
Danilo Durante (mayor)
Traumatized as a child by witnessing his mother’s brutal murder in a drug deal gone wrong, Danilo was adopted by Tito Durante, a policeman with the Davos Police Department. After finding out that young Danilo was feeding the neighborhood dogs and cats, Tito realized that the boy was non-violent and religious, and took it upon himself to train him to become a priest.
Danilo became a mayor on a beat that three campaign promises would be enough: a chicken in every pot, a gorilla for the zoo and a promise not to call his opponents “weird.”
A diagnosed insomniac, who refuses to take sleeping pills, nights, he observes the city and people who flaunt the law.
In order to mitigate the city’s powerful drug gang, the mayor with the medical examiner, and the owner of the local free television channel, orchestrate a ruse to trick the drug gang out of the city. They create a fictitious vigilante. It seems innocent enough, but the mayor is soon forced into backing it up with rhetoric. He is married and the ruse soon puts him and his wife, Jessa, and their children in jeopardy.
Nathanial Rizal (doctor)
Friend of Danilo Durante from their church and bible study group. He is also the chief medical examiner. He must deal with medical inconsistencies. The vigilante executions are not real.
Ulan Cruz (tv mogul)
Friend of Danilo Durante from their church and bible study group. He is also the owner/general manager of the local television station. He is instrumental in spreading the fear via the sensationalized television news.
Three officers (police)
Three police officers taken from entry level positions, who take orders from and are loyal to the mayor.
Mary Jo Dizon (clerk)
A mature woman in the records department provides a new identity for the criminals, who are escorted out of town into new lives.
Princess Aquino (police chief)
Danilo’s former girlfriend, she is the woman that caused him to reject the priesthood. Soon after, however, she rejected him as a suitor and becomes a police detective and then the police chief. Princess suspects Danilo’s “ruse” and feels conflicted about keeping it a secret. Further complicating her feelings is the fact that Danilo has promoted her boyfriend, Jose Zialcita, to a highly lucrative government position – chief of development. The mayor, despite being married says of her, “she used to love me a lot.”
Jose Zialcita (political rival)
A corrupt and opportunistic government official, who derives his power from the mayor. As chief of development and building permits, he is in a position to extort not only wealth but political power from the wealthy Davos businessmen and builders. He is the boyfriend of Princess Durante and potential political rival to the mayor. Mayor Durante refuses to reel him in because he wants to appear magnanimous to Princess Aquino.
Brandon Barty (drug lord)
An Australian citizen who lives in Davos and heads a drug importation and distribution gang. Criminal rival to the mayor. He occasionally kills people who interfere with his business. Brandon is motivated by a desire for revenge against the new Davos mayor, who promised to “drain the swamp” and appears to be eliminating his men. If the ruse is discovered, it will only embolden the criminal gangs.
Jessa Durante (wife)
Danilo’s wife and mother to Jacob and Rosa. Jessa is completely aware of Danilo’s double life, but she feels it is more of a medical condition. She is unaware of the bogus killings.
Jacob and Rosa (children)
Jessa’s son and daughters by a previous husband. Both older children have been traumatized having witnessed drug gang violence and both have narrowly escaped being killed. Danilo knows that they were subjected to a rough upbringing and promises his new wife to raise them with the same moral code that he was. The children are confused by the television reports that rumor the mayor’s (their step-fathers) participation or approval. There is potential for him to appear a hypocrite to his children and in the end, he may have to divulge the killings are not real, but staged. Diwa is an infant and the biological daughter of Danilo.
Primavera Tolentino (newspaper reporter)
Tenacious sleuth and investigative journalist for a print media, who is determined to expose the mayor for vigilantism. She is always on the verge of discovering that he is the one behind the executions.
Father Ramos (priest)
Catholic minister and confidant of the three men – Durante, Cruz, and Rizal. As the community’s religious leader, he must publicly denounce vigilantism, which inadvertently helps the men.
Themes
Vigilantism – The mayor and his compatriots create an atmosphere of fear on the part of the criminal gang. They are able to do this with bogus executions. With the help of the medical examiner, the mayor is able to intimidate the criminal elements. Invariably the most useful tool in ridding the city of the drug gang is to eliminate them all.
Redemption – Typically, the mayor reaches out to the lieutenants and drug gang members and offers them a deal; if the criminal will simply disappear from Davos, they will receive a new identity and a second chance in a new city.
Revenge – the drug kingpin seeks to retaliate for the mayor’s apparent involvement and several attempts are made on his life. The mayor’s wife and children are also potential targets.
Search for bodies – For a confidence game like this to work, the three protagonists will need bodies. Some bodies are derived from natural sources – heart attacks and cancer. Other bodies are borrowed from other cities, for press exposure and bloody photos.
Secrecy among friends – Since the success of the ruse depends entirely on secrecy, great lengths are taken to keep the secret between the three men. Each of the men are tempted to leave the ruse, but fraternity wins out.
Scarce human resources – the ruse works so well the drug kingpin (Brandon Barty) has difficulty finding criminals to move his dope. He must increase his own participation and contract with other gangs. The ruse weakens Barty’s gang leadership and he faces a challenge inside the criminal world.
THE GOOD MAYOR
Davao City, PHILIPPINES
Mayor of Davao City
Written by
Alan Nafzger
Mayor of Davao City
Copyright 2020
FADE IN
INT. SANctuary – SUNDAY
DANILO DURANTE (mayor), NATHANIAL RIZAL (doctor & medical examiner) and ULAN CRUZ (television mogul) all stand before FATHER RAMOS (priest).
It’s a baptism and there are faithful and relatives, friends, and neighbors watching. Two parishioners observe.
PARISHONER #1
(whispering)
It’s a pretty powerful lineup. The mayor. The medical examiner, a doctor. And a television mogul.
PARISHONER #2
(whispering back)
They all grew up together and still attend bible study together.
Danilo Durante (father) and JESSA DURANTE (mother), accompanied by two sets of godparents, present the child to the Church for baptism.
FATHER RAMOS
What name have you given your child?
Danilo and Jessa
Diwa Durante.
FATHER RAMOS
What do you ask of God’s Church for Diwa?
Danilo and Jessa
The grace of Christ in baptism.
FATHER RAMOS
You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him (her) in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring her up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?
Danilo and Jessa
We do.
Then the priest turns to the godparents and addresses them.
FATHER RAMOS
Are you ready to help the parents of this child in their duty as Christian parents?
GODPARENTS
We do.
FATHER RAMOS
Diwa Durante, the Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name, I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross. I now trace the cross on your forehead.
He signs the child on the forehead, in silence.
FATHER RAMOS
My dear brothers and sisters, let us ask our Lord Jesus Christ to look lovingly on this child…
Gunfire erupts outside. A bullet pierces the stained glass and severs a candle on the altar.
Jessa is frozen in panic. She’s a very delicate woman and this has just pushed her over the edge. She is shaking uncontrollably. The GOD MOTHERS take the baby behind the alter.
JACOB AND ROSA, Danilo Durante’s adopted children, have seen a thing or two and instantly dive behind the thick and heavy altar. The men stand in shock. The women duck low.
JESSA
Please don’t die. Who will take care of my children?
Danilo puts his arm around his wife and escorts her to the first row of pews. He looks at her and whispers and she nods reluctantly that she’ll be okay.
Danilo notices how well trained his stepchildren are and he gives a kind glance at his wife, and gestures for the children to emerge. They don’t.
JACOB
You have to give the all clear signal.
The mayor doesn’t know what the signal is. And the kids don’t budge.
FATHER RAMOS
It’s just that their father…
Danilo
Yes, its so common place… fathers, even pathetic addicts, teach their children to dive for cover.
FATHER RAMOS
It’s not a bad idea.
Father Ramos joins the children behind the altar but he doesn’t kneel. The congregation is all flat on the floor.
The gunfire has stopped.
Danilo
This is very embarrassing. Please everyone get up. It’s okay.
The three men – Danilo Durante, Nathanial Rizal, Ulan Cruz – walk fearlessly to the rear of the church, through the vestibule and out onto the church steps.
EXT. CHURCH STEPS – SUNDAY
They witness carnage down the block and a rival gang making their get-away. Ulan pulls out two phones, one to record the video and another to call his TV station.
Danilo
Make note of that vehicle.
Danilo points to the left and Ulan swings the camera phone in that direction to catch a green van. Someone in the van pitches out a dead cat near one of the bloody bodies and then rapidly leaves the scene.
ULAN
(into the phone)
Send the remote truck. It looks like the victims are trying to crawl off.
Danilo
Do you have to do your job so well?
ULAN
(to Danilo)
The station has to be number one. The more people I reach the more I can help you.
Nathanial
(into his phone)
Well, I’m standing here beside the mayor who’s witnessed it and I imagine he expects you to send policemen? Yes, there was gunfire.
Danilo (V.O.)
I’m Danilo Durante. I hate to admit, but it’s just another day in the neighborhood. Generally, this sort of thing doesn’t happen on a Sunday, but unfortunately it’s been happening long before I became mayor.
(beat)
These are my friends, the ones who got me into this on a bet. Medical examiner Doctor Nathanial Rizal calling the police and the one is on the phone with his television station. Ulan Cruz who needs to make sure this is on the news tonight.
(beat)
This is a great town. We all grew up here. The shrimp bought to market here are huge and that’s my favorite. But frankly this town has a drug problem.
ROLL OPENING TITLES
FLASHBACK
INT. SEMINARY – CLASSROOM
Young STUDENTS are studying for the priesthood. Seminarians are waiting to begin class. The INSTRUCTOR enters.
INSTRUCTOR
Before we begin are there any questions?
YOUNG seminarian
Why do we seminarians wear collars?
INSTRUCTOR
You are allowed to wear the Roman collars for a number of reasons. They have the power to flush profanity from a conversation, douse lover’s hostility and I’ve witnessed them to halt the scolding of children in markets. But primarily they halt the advances of sinful women. And this town has a few sinful women. That reminds me. You are prohibited to walk down Maxilom street after 1 pm.
YOUNG seminarian
Why one in the afternoon why not just say “after dark”?
The instructor simply looks at the seminarian and begins the lesson.
INSTRUCTOR
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, “You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.
(beat)
Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.
INSTRUCTOR
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man.” Mathew 15:19-20.
(beat)
But please note that in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.
The camera pulls back and we see Danilo, on the front row. He is diligently taking notes on everything the instructor teaches.
END OPENING TITLES
BACK TO
EXT. CHURCH STEPS – SUNDAY
Danilo (V.O.)
I don’t know how I got involved in politics. No, that’s not true; I do know. My friends bet me a case of beer that I couldn’t sit on my veranda with three simple promises, “Bibingka on every table, a gorilla for the zoo and a promise not to call my opponents ‘weird.’” And I won.
(beat)
I wanted to be a priest. My mother and father raised me to be virtuous and it only seemed natural. I attended seminary. And then came Princess Aquino.
An official looking woman steps out of a car and winks at Danilo. He doesn’t wink back. His friends chuckle.
Danilo (V.O.)
That’s her, she was only a detective when I left the seminary. And I left it for her only to be rejected. She was… well… I would have made an excellent priest. She’s now the police chief.
The men step back into the church. Jessa has retrieved the baby and the children from behind the altar. And everyone is back in their original position.
The men look at each other. They are looking for a solution to the violence and drugs.
The priest resumes.
FATHER RAMOS
Reject sin; profess your faith in Christ Jesus. This is the faith of the Church. This is the faith in which this child is about to be baptized.
He baptizes the child, saying…
FATHER RAMOS
I baptize you in the name of the Father,
He pours water upon the child.
FATHER RAMOS
and of the Son,
He pours water upon the child a second time.
FATHER RAMOS
and of the Holy Spirit.
He pours water upon the child a third time.
INT. CITY COUNSEL MEETING – NIGHT
The city council assembles for a meeting. They are a motely looking group. There is a folk music band setting up.
Danilo
What’s this?
ULAN
A musical troupe. Picking and singing folk group to calm everyone.
Danilo
You’re expecting trouble?
Nathanial
A folk band to sing the mountain ballads. It’s sure to settle things. The Patriotic music of our land.
Danilo
You think this will work?
Danilo gestures to the front row of the audience. THREE MEN look like radicals with signs and buttons and they have an antagonistic look on their face. A fistfight is brewing.
Danilo
So, what’s going on here?
ULAN
Seems there’s a lot of interest in the acquisition.
Danilo
We have an epidemic of drugs in this city and they want to argue about a gorilla?
He wants to know about the men on the front row. One has a “chose Coco” sign another has a “chose Oscar” sign. One sign says, “I don’t care.” There is a sign in the back that says, “F___ the Gorilla.”
Nathanial
You promised them a gorilla.
Danilo
That was on a bet; it shouldn’t count.
ULAN
Unfortunately, it’s the reason you were elected.
Danilo
Who are these people?
ULAN
Well, that one on the right, he’s on the left. He wants a Gorilla from Beijing.
Nathanial
He drives a truck.
ULAN
That one in the middle is on the is on the right. He wants us to buy the gorilla from San Antonio.
Nathanial
He owns a bank.
ULAN
The one on the left is in the middle, and he wants whatever is the cheapest, basically whichever gorilla eats the least.
Nathanial
He’s an all-night radio D.J.
Danilo
Who is that?
Danilo gestures to the ANARCHIST in the back.
ULAN
The one in the back is an anarchist, he’s vowed to riot if we buy any gorilla.
Nathanial
I don’t know; they say he burned his ID card. I think he’s a professional protester.
Danilo
Exactly how does that work?
Nathanial
Pay him and he won’t firebomb your store.
The band begins to play. They play the national anthem and then immediately break into mountain music.
ULAN
This band has toured the entire nation.
Danilo
Singing the traditional ballads?
Nathanial
I’m told they’re all the rage.
Danilo
There are two hundred people here to decide about a gorilla?
ULAN
It looks like they take their politics seriously.
Rather than listening to the music, the radicals seem to be arguing with each other and making threatening gestures.
Nathanial looks around for an exit.
Danilo
What are you doing?
Nathanial
There is about to be a free-for-all.
Ulan also sees what is about to happen and he takes out his phone to record the fight.
Nathanial
I’m leaving. Good luck.
Nathanial exits and the room erupts into a huge brawl; it looks like something the Taiwan legislature does on occasion.
The one on the right is knocked down and is being punched on the bottom of a scrum. The one in the middle is on top of the scrum. The one on a left has his arm broken. The anarchist in the back is pleased with the chaos but doesn’t feel any need to enter the fight himself.
Anarchist
Alright!
Danilo
They are already fighting and the meeting hasn’t even started.
Danilo exits the room, but someone reaches out and tries to pull him back into the fighting. His sleeve is torn. Ulan remains to film the fight. A chair flies past Ulan’s head and he ducks, but remains filming.
Later…
INT. DANILO’S HOME – DUSK
It’s late and the family apparently has just eaten. Jessa is clearing the table cleaning the kitchen. She looks incredibly content. Danilo is sitting at the television and looks anything but content. The two older kids are playing tag and running through the front room. They are making a racket and they run in front of the television. Danilo says nothing. First, he’s a tolerant father, and second he’s preoccupied with concern about the city.
NEWS READER
A brawl broke out today in the city council as ombudsmen clashed over a vote for the selection of the new gorilla for the city’s zoo, a campaign promise that won election for Mayor Danilo Durante but has now divided the troubled city.
(beat)
A meeting was held earlier today in the city council chambers and the melee was captured on video by an anonymous citizen.
(beat)
The vote on which gorilla will be selected has been postponed until tempers have time to settle.
(beat)
Outside the reaction of the mayor was mixed.
CUT TO: Tape of Danilo speaking to reporters. His sleeve is clearly torn and his hair is a bit ruffled.
DANILO
This city is awash with drugs and crime and we are fighting with each other over a gorilla? I call on all citizens and especially our elected officials to launch a war on the criminal element and purge them from this city.
The boy, Jacob, stops directly in front of Danilo, blocking his vision. Danilo only smiles.
Jacob
Daddy?
Jessa
(from the kitchen)
Jacob, he’s not your…
Danilo signals to her that it’s okay. Danilo looks at his adopted son.
Jacob
Can you play monster yet?
DANILO
No, not yet. Maybe when the news is finished.
Jacob runs away, content to come back later.
NEWS READER
Also in the news, the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have been engrossed in a battle to control an epidemic of drugs in this country, but especially in our city. Overdoses in 2020 alone took 367 lives. The epidemic is nothing new but it’s increasingly being realized the local police can’t stop the drug epidemic.
(beat)
Nearly 70% of the deaths in 2020 involved illegal drugs. Drug addiction is the driving force behind a new crime epidemic. Thefts up. Sex crimes are up. Murder is up.
Jacob arrives in front of the mayor, again blocking the television.
Jacob
Can you play monster yet?
DANILO
No, not yet.
Jacob lets down his guard and Danilo springs like a monster and grabs him and begins to growl and gesture that he will be biting the boy in the neck. Jacob screams in delight. The girl runs by and the mayor paws at her… narrowly missing here.
JACOB
Help.
DANILO
I’ve got you now and now I’m going to eat you.
(beat)
But you are skinny… why doesn’t your mother feed you more. You are skin and bones; only a snack.
Danilo turns Jacob upside down and tickles him. And then grabs the girl, Rosa, does the same to her. The boy runs to his bedroom and returns with a giant, plastic toy sword. He challenges the monster!
JACOB
Unhand her or suffer my sword!
The mother, Jessa, enters the room, he releases Rosa and…
DANILO
I better not devour you. Your mother would be not appreciate it. And besides after that wonderful meal, I’m really not hungry for children.
JACOB
NOT good enough!
Then Jacob chops the monster’s head off. The mayor feigns an agonizing death.
The news program ends.
JESSA
Okay, kids. That’s enough. Get ready for bed.
Danilo rises, walks to his wife. He kisses her and turns to the kids and smiles. He’s ready to leave the house.
Danilo (V.O.)
I like these kids. They’re very important. I worry more about them than their mom. They look normal sometimes, but before I arrived, they witnessed their drug addict father trying to kill their mother. And with leg he broke off a cheap Chinese table. And as much as I try to protect them, just today at the church… Sometimes they tend to think all this violence is normal.
INT. CITY TAXI BARN – NIGHT
Danilo enters the building and observes FOUR MEN who are around at the Taxi looking at several bullet holes.
MANAGER
.45?
WORKER
.38 more likely.
Danilo
You have a taxi for me?
MANAGER
Yes, take the one down there on the end. Rico is taking off the graffiti.
Danilo
Well, I don’t want to…
MANAGER
Hey, that’s all I have. What does it matter anyway?
Danilo
Well, I can’t sleep.
MANAGER
Sounds like a personal problem.
Danilo
(jokingly)
I have a note from my doctor if you want to see it.
MANAGER
Never mind that. You ever think about bringing back fares? I mean you are using my taxis.
Danilo
I bring the taxis back fueled.
MANAGER
Yeah, yeah. And you have a city to monitor. I know.
Danilo walks to the end of the row of vehicles and RICO is just finishing removing the graffiti. However, thorough a job he’s done, the spray paint is still visible.
RICO
Mr. Mayor. Can I talk to you a minute?
Danilo
Sure.
RICO
You go out every night and you don’t have a piece.
Danilo
Piece of what?
RICO
You know.
Danilo
A piece?
RICO
A gun.
(beat)
I got you one.
Danilo
No. I’m especially trained at avoiding trouble.
(beat)
Besides I have my phone. I’ll just call the police.
Rico chuckles.
RICO
You want me to go with you?
Danilo
No, I’m just going drive around and watch things. You know.
RICO
Okay, well, take care.
(beat)
I’ll be just a minute.
Danilo sits in the cab and watches the men who are sill discussing the bullet holes in the taxi. Rico gives the barely visible graffiti one last polish.
Later…
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao, Lungsod ng Dabaw[citation needed] (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dabaw; Filipino: Lungsod ng Davao), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of 2,443.61 km2 (943.48 sq mi), making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area. It is the third-most populous city in the Philippines after Quezon City and Manila, and the most populous in Mindanao. [14] As of 2020, the city has a total population of 1,776,949 people.[10]
It is geographically situated in the province of Davao del Sur and grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority, but the city is governed and administered independently from it. The city is divided into three congressional districts, which are subdivided into 11 administrative districts with a total of 182 barangays.
Davao City is the center of Metro Davao, the third-most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines. The city serves as the main trade, commerce, and industry hub of Mindanao, and the regional center of Davao Region. Davao is home to Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. The city is also nicknamed the “Durian Capital of the Philippines” and “Chocolate Capital of the Philippines”.
Foreign influence
As with most cities in the Philippines, Christianity is widespread as a result of Spanish colonialism. Christian churches and chapels dot the city’s landscape. A small number of temples, mosques and other religions’ places of worship may also be found around the city.
A notable tradition brought by the Spanish still celebrated today in Davao City is the celebration of the feast day of each of the barrios (villages) patron saints with a festival (fiesta). These are celebrated through song and dance.
The biggest celebration native to the city is the Kadayawan Festival in early to mid August which, in pre-colonial times was a celebration of the harvest. Today, it serves to commemorate the cultures of the indigenous tribes that inhabit the area surrounding Davao City. Many tribes people visit the city during this time. Festivities include native Mindanaoan street dances, motorcades featuring various clubs and social awareness groups based in the city and art exhibits in various locations featuring local artists and artisans.
The Davao Chinatown is the primary residence of the Chinese community in the city. It has its own seaport, the Santa Ana Wharf, which is also a part of Davao International Port.
Japanese cultural influence, like that of the Chinese, was also prominent in the city.[88] The Japanese Community was concentrated in Mintal in the 3rd District of Toril, Davao City. In fact, a Japanese cemetery and Japanese Shrine is located there in Bago Oshiro in Mintal. Evidence of Japanese influence is still visible in Bago Oshiro where there are Japanese villages and schools. There are various Japanese-owned businesses in the city as well. Davao City is also home to Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School, a Japanese-administered educational institution.
Several foreign communities reside in the city, including Indonesians, Malaysians, Koreans and Indians. There are ESL schools for foreigners, and export-oriented industrial parks to entice Japanese and (South) Korean firms to set up shop in the city. However, there has been some cultural conflict over the integration of Koreans in the city, with then-city mayor Rodrigo Duterte complaining about their habit of smoking in public places.[89]
Heritage
There are a number of cultural-heritage sites in the city, including the Davao Museum (in Insular Village, Lanang), the Mindanao Folk Arts Museum (Philippine Women’s College, Juna Subdivision, Matina), Davaoeño Historical Society Museum (at Magallanes and Claveria Streets) and the Philippine-Japan Museum (Matsuo Compound, Calinan). Japanese historical sites include the Japanese Tunnel (used by Japanese forces during World War II), the 20th-century Japanese cemetery and the Furukawa Fiber Plant (used by Yoshizo Furukawa as an abacá and banana plantation).[90]
Cuisine
Four grilled bananas on wooden sticks
Ginanggang, grilled saba bananas with margarine and brushed with sugar, originated in Davao.
The cuisine of Davao City features skewered and grilled meat dishes, but the most common dish served in the city is kinilaw, made from tuna, mackerel, or swordfish with cucumber (and sometimes radishes) and chili marinated in vinegar. Sinuglaw, a portmanteau of sinugba (grilled) and kinilaw in the Cebuano language, is also a term for a dish in which diced, grilled pork belly is mixed with kinilaw.
Fruit dishes, snacks, and desserts are also popular, most made from durian and bananas. Ginanggang is a banana dish that originated in this city and spread to other parts of the country; a banana is grilled, skewered, brushed with margarine and sprinkled with sugar. Durian also made appearance on Davao’s culinary scene.
Tourism
The Philippine eagle, the country’s national bird and considered the largest eagle in the world, is endemic to Davao.[91] The orchid waling-waling and fruits such as durians, marang, rambutans, pomeloes and mangosteens are popular and generally cheaper in the city. Tourist destinations in the city include the Philippine Eagle Foundation and Nature Center, Mount Apo, Gap Farming Resort, the Davao Crocodile Park, Malagos Garden Resort, Eden Nature Park, and People’s Park in the city center which is popular for its sculptures of indigenous people and dancing fountain. Samal Island, a part of Metro Davao, is an island city situated immediately off the city’s coast in the Davao Gulf, popularly known for its scenic beaches.
Two major annual festivals are held in the city: the Araw ng Dabaw (Day of Davao) on March 16 (The city’s incorporation day) and the Kadayawan Festival in August.[92] Also celebrated in the entire month of December, Pasko Fiesta sa Davao is an integration of festive and competitive Christmas activities showcasing colorful lightings and array of decorations in barangays, public parks, roads and buildings, and a series of competitive performances. Another annual festival, the Torotot Festival,[93] is held annually every New Year’s Eve. First organized in the last day of 2013 during the 2014 New Year’s Eve, it was organized as a recompense for the city firecracker-pyrotechnics ban; it includes a number of people simultaneously blowing party horns, locally known as torotots. It recorded a number of 7,568 people[94] participating in the first event, aiming to break the world record set by Japan for the most people simultaneously blowing party horns.
During 2011, there were 1,075,000 recorded tourist arrivals in the city, totaled from 81,081 foreign travelers, 983,315 local citizens, and 10,604 balikbayans/overseas Filipino workers. Estimated tourist receipts were recorded at 12.81 billion pesos while estimated economic benefits were 28.19 billion pesos.[95]
Government
Davao City is currently governed by the city mayor “Inday” Sara Duterte, daughter of the Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.[96] The city also has a vice mayor in the person of Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, “Inday” Sara’s brother, who ran unopposed during the last 2019 Philippine gubernatorial elections.
Davao City has 182 barangays, with three legislative districts. The city government of Davao is proposing two more congressional districts to serve its growing population.
Members of the House of Representatives are:
1st District: Paolo Duterte
2nd District: Vincent Garcia
3rd District: Isidro T. Ungab
Barangays
The 182 barangays of Davao City are arranged according to the 3 legislative districts and 11 administrative districts of the city.