Sun.Star Davao
We accept that, and we try to study where we fell short or what we need to improve.to spending on their joy, or their experience, or their excitement.
JENIELITO ATILLO DepEd-Davao spokesperson and chief education supervisor
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PAMULAK SA KADAYAWAN 2026 SECOND PLACE WINNERS.
RDL’s floral float earned 2nd place in the Dako Category during the Pamulak sa Kadayawan 2026 with its entry, “Soaring Beyond Beauty,” while TP’s entry, featuring the majestic Philippine eagle symbolizing strength and resilience, secured 2nd place in...
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KADAYAWAN 2026 INDAK-INDAK GRAND SHOWDOWN.
History is made as the Balangay City High Performing Arts of Mati City, Davao Oriental takes home the Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan 2026 crown for the third year in a row. They completely brought the heat along the Davao Coastal Road in Davao City during...
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AGONG UG KULINTANGAN.
Performers from 11 ethnolinguistic tribes of Davao City take the stage at Ayala Malls Abreeza in Bajada for the Agong ug Kulintangan Competition on Friday afternoon, August 14, 2026, showcasing the rich musical heritage of Mindanao as part of the...
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BANTAWAN CULTURAL CULINARY SHOWCASE.
The Bagobo-Klata and Ata tribes showcased their authentic traditional delicacies during the Bantawan Cultural Culinary Showcase on August 12, 2026, at Magsaysay Park in Davao City as part of the Kadayawan Festival celebrations, the event highlighted...
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BANTAWAN CULTURAL PRESENTATION.
Bagobo-Klata tribe members honor their roots through captivating traditional dances, rhythmic drumbeats, and intricate native attire at Magsaysay Park on August 12, highlighting the rich cultures, customs, and proud identity of Davao’s indigenous...
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BOUNTIFUL DURIAN.
A street vendor arranges a large bounty of fresh durian fruits on a mobile wooden cart along a busy roadside in Davao City. The annual surge in street-side fruit displays coincides with the city’s month-long Kadayawan Festival. This highly anticipated...
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DAVAO AGRICULTURE GOES GLOBAL
EUROPE is emerging as a potential new market for Davao Region’s premium agricultural products, with local agriculture officials looking to expand exports of durian and other high-value commodities following the successful entry of Davao durian into...
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Photo by OFFICE OF THE CITY VETERINARIAN-DIGOS
HOUSE-TO-HOUSE VAX. An animal health worker administers an anti-rabies vaccine to a resident’s dog during a house-to-house vaccination drive in Barangay Mahayahay, Digos City. The campaign, led by the Office of the City Veterinarian of Digos City with...
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‘HIYAS’ 2026 BETS AT SP.
The 11 Hiyas sa Kadayawan 2026 candidates paid a courtesy call on the 21st City Council at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The candidates are Leslie Jean Manambay of Ata, Diane Patrice Soliman of Bagobo-Klata, Mary Joy Antic of...
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DEPLOYED FOR KADAYAWAN.
Around 19,000 security personnel are deployed to ensure peace and order during the 2026 Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. The send-off ceremony on Monday, August 3, 2026, was held at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Parade Grounds and was led by...
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NEW HANGING BRIDGE IN BALUTAKAY.
Residents of Barangay Balutakay, Hagonoy now have a new way to cross safely as Governor Yvonne Cagas led the turnover of a newly constructed hanging bridge today, July 31, 2026.
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MEET THE 11 ‘HIYAS’.
The 11 candidates of Hiyas sa Kadayawan 2026 were presented to the media during the official sashing ceremony held on July 30, 2026 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Davao City. Here, the candidates pose in their traditional attire: Leslie Jean Manambay...
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TRACK INTERNAL MIGRATION
THE Commission on Population and Development-Davao Region (CPD-Davao) is strengthening its campaign for local government units (LGUs) to include internal migration in their monitoring systems. Jeff Fuentes, regional director of CPD-Davao, said they...
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THE DISTANCE BETWEEN.
Davao City stretches across the horizon from Barangay New Carmen in Tugbok District, where the waste swept from its streets completes its journey.
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Photo by JHOSH RODRIGUEZ PARIS FASHION WEEK.
House of Musa advocate models pose near the Eiffel Tower during Paris Fashion Week 2023 wearing garments designed by Tagum City-based House of Musa founder Joy Soo. Crafted from handwoven Musa fabric woven by women at the Correctional Institution for...
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Uplift beneficiaries in Davao Region start receiving cash assistance
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) said that it has started the distribution of cash assistance to beneficiaries of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) in the...
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THE INHERITANCE OF TOMORROW.
Children play in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok District, Davao City, on land where garbage hauled from the city’s urban center is nearby. In this community, many families make a living by scavenging in the vast landfill, leaving the next generation to...
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WHERE DOES OUR TRASH GO
Beneath a strip of warning tape in Barangay New Carmen, a child looks toward a landscape burdened by what Davao City has left behind. The warning stretches beyond the cordoned ground: unless today’s failures are confronted, the waste, risks, and...
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FROM FIBER TO FABRIC.
Dyed banana fibers are stretched across a handloom before being woven into Musa fabric in Davao del Norte (main photo). Bundles of natural banana fiber extracted from harvested banana pseudostems await weaving (inset). Through the skill and patience of...
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SOARING THROUGH THE GLOOM.
A local skimboarder performs an aerial maneuver along the crescent shoreline of Dahican Beach in Mati City, Davao Oriental. Despite the gloomy and overcast skies that blanketed the Davao Region over the weekend — brought about by the prevailing...
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ANOTHER 12 VEHICLES FOR ‘LIBRENG SAKAY PARA SA EDUKASYON’.
Liga ng mga Barangay President January N. Duterte distributed an additional 12 service vehicles for the “Libreng Sakay para sa Edukasyon” program, aimed at supporting indigent students. The new vehicles will be deployed across three districts of Davao...
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THE SECOND HARVEST
EVERY banana plant gets only one chance to bear fruit. After producing a single bunch, the towering pseudostem that nurtured it has fulfilled its purpose. Workers cut the heavy bunches of Cavendish bananas bound for export markets in Japan, China,...
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NMP-Davao updates visitor guidelines, bans deadly weapons, hazardous items
THE National Museum of the Philippines–Davao Region (NMPDavao) has updated its visitor guidelines, introducing stricter rules that prohibit deadly weapons, poisonous substances, and other hazardous items inside the museum. NMP-Davao said firearms,...
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RISKY DIVE.
Children play in knee-deep floodwaters near a bank along C. Bangoy Street in Davao City on Monday evening, July 6, 2026. Authorities warn that wading in floodwater is dangerous due to possible contamination from sewage, bacteria, and debris, which can...
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CHILD MALNUTRITION DECLINES
Photo by CASANDRA D. PAYAN /SPAMAST, Sunstar Intern
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PEACE RALLY IN DAVAO CITY.
Members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) gather at the Rizal Park Gymnasium in San Pedro Street, Davao City on July 2, 2026, during the nationwide peace rally themed “We Are One Against Corruption.” The event drew hundreds of participants, including...
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NO ROXAS REROUTING
THE City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) clarified that no rerouting has been implemented along Roxas Avenue and the Davao City Coastal Road despite changes in traffic movement following the road’s opening. This clarification was issued...
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HEALING BEHIND CURTAINS
BEHIND the doors of thousands of Filipino homes lies a silent crisis. Between August and November 2025 alone, the Philippine National Police documented 6,883 cases of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) — statistics that “Berta,” (a real name...
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COFFEE QUEENS BREW CHANGE
For generations, agriculture has often been viewed as a man’s world — a field where strength and labor were associated with men working under the heat of the sun. But in the highlands of Bansalan, Davao del Sur, women are slowly changing that...
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SAFER SCHOOLS INITIATIVES
SCHOOLS in Davao City and across Davao Region are being encouraged to strengthen campus security through regular inspections, tighter access control, active threat drills, and closer coordination with law enforcement authorities as officials continue...
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A MOTHER’S FINAL GOODBYE
TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur — The loudest sound Wednesday morning, June 24, 2026, was not the prayers, the eulogies, or even the applause that had accompanied Rene Clert “Bobet” Baterbonia’s final journey. It was a mother’s cry. As family members...
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ELECTRIC BILLS CLIMB ANEW
RESIDENTIAL consumers served by Davao Light and Power Co. Inc. (Davao Light) will face higher electricity bills this month after the utility increased its overall residential rate to P12.30 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the June 2026 billing cycle,...
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PRIDE PARADE.
Members and supporters from various organizations and groups gathered along Roxas Street in Davao City on Sunday afternoon, June 21, 2026, as the Duaw Davao Pride Parade officially got underway. Clad in vibrant colors and carrying the spirit of pride,...
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DAVOCC SUSPENDS TOURISM
Vendors sort and pack fresh produce along Magallanes Street in Davao City as a delivery worker unloads sacks of vegetables from a light cargo truck. Street vendors rely on early morning deliveries to sustain their daily livelihood amid rising costs and...
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‘SHARMAINE’ FOR SALE.
A vendor at Bankerohan Public Market sells a basket of oranges, locally known as “kiat-kiat,” to a customer. Commonly found in markets and grocery stores—especially during the New Year as a symbol of luck—these citrus fruits have recently gained a new...
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A HOMECOMING FOR A CHAMP.
The funeral procession of 2025 Palarong Pambansa MVP Rene Clert “Bobet” Baterbonia was met with a warm reception from Tagumenyos as it passed through Tagum City on Monday afternoon, June 15, 2026. This gesture reflected the community’s deep respect,...
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‘DAVOCC WON’T BE LEFT BEHIND’
ASSISTANCE in the earthquake-affected areas in Davao Occidental continues as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vows that the province will not be left behind in terms of aid. During his visit to the province on June 13, 2026,...
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SOMBER HOMECOMING.
Basketball jerseys and a framed portrait of Rene Clert “Bobet” Baterbonia in his team uniform are displayed at the Ateneo de Davao Senior High School–Bangkal Campus as supporters gather at Christ the King Chapel to pay their final respects on Friday...
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From Davao to Forbes: Transforming pet nutrition
FOR MANY entrepreneurs, success is measured by market share or industry recognition. For Kharl Christian Yeung, it began with a much simpler question: Why should quality pet nutrition be a privilege rather than a standard? That question would...
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LANDFILL SHUTDOWN CONTINUES
GARBAGE BACKLOG. Personnel of the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) collect garbage from temporary drop-off points in Barangay Matina Aplaya on Friday, June 5, 2026, as the city grapples with delays in waste collection...
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MOTHER PICKS BEST.
A mother picks a bag for her daughter, who is beside her, at a mall on J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City on Wednesday, June 4, 2026, days before the school opening on Monday, June 8, 2026. Meanwhile, the school Year 2026–2027 will follow a three-term...
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DAVAO CITY FOR EMERGING TECHS & INNOVATION.
Two AI-powered robots danced to Billie Jean by Michael Jackson during the council session at Davao City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The robots, presented by East West International Education Specialist Inc., can translate up to...
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CHALLENGE: SUSTAIN PEACE
FOUR years after Davao del Sur became the first province in the Davao Region to be declared insurgency-free, former rebels who once fought in the mountains now stand among government officials as partners in preserving the peace they once opposed. For...
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MORE DC BUSES.
A DC Bus traverses CM Recto Avenue corner Roxas Avenue in Davao City during Wednesday’s rush hour on May 27, 2026. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said P200 million under the proposed Supplemental Budget No. 1 is allotted for 20 additional buses for the...
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MARCHING FOR GLORY.
Palarong Pambansa 2025 secondary boys basketball gold medalists Rene Clert N. Baterbonia and Matt Jerrick J. Cayetano carry the Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) banner during the parade of delegations in the opening ceremony of the 2026...
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SAVING PINSKER’S HAWK-EAGLE
LOCAL conservation efforts are being strengthened to ensure the protection of the first documented active pair of South Philippine Hawk-Eagles (Nisaetus pinskeri), also known as Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, in Western Visayas. Tristan Senarillos, a biologist...
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JAPAN STANDS WITH DABAWENYOS
JAPANESE Consul General Ono Hirotaka extended his condolences to residents affected by the widespread flooding that struck several communities in Davao City after heavy rains triggered by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) earlier this week. In...
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‘LAKPUE’ FINDS HOME AGAIN
ONE year after its translocation, Philippine Eagle Lakpue was spotted at an altitude of about 288.9 meters MSL (mean sea level), perching on a Hagimit tree near the Pangalaw-an River in Barangay Mahagnao, Burauen, Leyte, on May 17, 2026. Lakpue was...
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REFLECTIVE MOMENT.
A young boy walks barefoot through a large puddle on a pothole-ridden section of Jacinto Extension in Davao City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, a day after heavy rains triggered by the easterlies caused flooding in parts of the city. His reflection appears...
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FLOOD-HIT RICE STORE.
Workers salvage sackloads of rice soaked by floodwaters inside a rice retail store in Barangay Matina Pangi, Davao City, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, after heavy rains brought by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) triggered flooding in several...
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ENDANGERED HAWK-EAGLE.
An 11-week-old Southern Philippine hawk-eagle perches on a tree in Barangay Mahagnao, Burauen, Leyte, on May 18, 2026, during routine monitoring conducted by the Philippine Eagle Foundation and forest guards in the area. The Southern Philippine...
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SUNSTAR DAVAO WINS BIG AT ATMA 2026.
From left, Digital Service head Ralph Lawrence Llemit, journalist David Ezra Francisquete, and associate editor Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan pose with SunStar Davao’s awards during the 2026 Archbishop Thibault Media Awards at the Ateneo de Davao...
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ORGANIC FARMERS’ MARKET.
Dabawenyos flock to the organic farmers’ market at Rizal Park beside Davao City Hall on May 14, supporting local farmers while buying fresh, chemical-free produce.
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RISING MARKET PRICES.
A vendor packs fresh seafood at Bankerohan Public Market during the morning rush in Davao City. The scene comes as the Philippines’ inflation rate climbed to 7.2 percent in April 2026, the highest in three years, driven by rising food, fuel, and...
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LUMINOUS LIVELIHOOD.
A street vendor waits for customers beside glowing LED balloons and inflatable toys along San Pedro Street in Davao City. Vendors often stay late into the evening to maximize sales as crowds continue to fill the city’s busy commercial areas.
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SUMMER STREET SCENE.
A vendor pushes a sorbetes cart past commuters and students waiting for a government free-ride bus along Roxas Avenue in Davao City. The traditional Filipino ice cream, popularly called “dirty ice cream,” remains a favorite refreshment during the...
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THE ART OF MAKING DO
IF THERE’S any one group that has mastered the art of making do and grown big with that, it’s the Children’s Cancer Center of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), an endeavor that started with just four beds in what was then the Davao...
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BANIG MAKING.
A Matigsalug woman demonstrates how a banig is made in front of personnel from the Department of Tourism and the City Tourism Operations Office as part of their push for Community-Based Tourism in Datu Salumay, Marilog District, on Wednesday, May 6,...
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STREET SERMON.
A man carries a megaphone and wears a sign urging repentance while preaching near the stoplight along R. Magsaysay Avenue corner C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City. The unidentified group shared religious messages with motorists and pedestrians.
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GENETIC CRISIS IN PH EAGLES
THE Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) revealed that the Philippine Eagles are not only facing habitat and survival crises but also a genetic risk, as a new study on the species revealed a limited gene pool that could pose a risk to the animals’...
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PHOTO BY RICARDO BASTASA/ DNSC, SUNSTAR INTERN
REFUGE FROM THE HEAT. Street food vendors take shelter beneath a wide umbrella as they prepare their cart along Quezon Boulevard. With the heat index soaring beyond 40°C, one vendor carefully tends to sizzling fish balls and kikyam while another...
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RIGHT SPECIES, RIGHT PLACE
MATI CITY – Rows of mangrove seedlings line parts of GuangGuang Mangrove Park and Nursery – a protected landscape and seascape area in Pujada Bay. But not all of them take root: some wither under the heat and other climate problems, while others fail...
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YOUNG HANDS, BIG HEARTS.
Preteens and teens from the International Churches of Christ Davao’s Youth and Family Ministry prepare tuna paksiw pastil during a Labor Day community cookout organized with Art Relief Mobile Kitchen Davao, Matina Community Pantry, Konsensya Dabaw, and...
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HEAT-RELATED DISEASES
THE Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) said they expect the number of patients affected by heat-related diseases to increase as the El Niño phenomenon is expected to affect the country in the coming months. Dr. Marocel C. Montillano, a medical...
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FROM STREETS TO STAGE
ONE would never think that a group of children is preparing for one of the most important performances of their year in the innermost corner of New Lanzona Village in Davao City, inside a seemingly unfinished shelter with no ceiling. Tucked along the...
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SHIFT TO ‘GREEN VEHICLES’
DAVAO City Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo said that the local government unit is looking into shifting 20 percent of its vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). Ocampo, who chairs the Committee on Environment, said that the city government is gradually...
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OIL HIKE? TARA, BIKE!
Amid ongoing oil price hikes, some Dabawenyos are turning to bicycles as a mode of transportation to get around Davao City, even under the summer heat. The shift comes as local bike shops report a surge in sales, with more people seeking affordable and...
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BRIDGE WORKS.
Massive concrete columns rise as construction of the Samal Island–Davao City (SIDC) Connector, more known as DavSam bridge, continues in Lanang, Davao City on April 19, 2026. The Department of Public Works and Highways reports the P23.039-billion...
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BUSINESS AS USUAL.
Several employees of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City were observed working inside their offices on Friday, April 17, 2026, as the city government begins implementing its weekly work-fromhome (WFH) arrangement. The Davao City Government began...
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BACK TO BIKE.
A worker at a surplus bike shop in Agdao, Davao City, is busy preparing their units as he anticipates a surge of customers following the recent oil price hike. According to the shop owner, the spike in gasoline prices has increased demand for bicycles...
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WORK UNDER ‘EXTREME CAUTION’.
Construction workers continue their tasks at the Davao Coastal Road Roxas exit under intense heat on Wednesday afternoon, April 15, 2026. Laborers are seen working on a concrete road median, with water bottles nearby to keep hydrated amid the scorching...
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ALTERNATIVE COOKING.
Stove and charcoal vendors at the Bangkerohan Public Market attend to customers during peak hours on Monday, April 13, 2026. Local stove retailers reported a significant surge in sales, particularly for units equipped with blowers. According to one...
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