Our Davao adventure continues!
In my previous column, I shared some must-visit spots in Davao City—perfect for those with limited time to explore.
This journey is part of the five-day Marketing Enhancement Program (MEP) organized by the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism tasked with promoting and positioning the Philippines as a world-class tourist destination.
Starting on March 12, 2025, the MEP aims to showcase the country’s key destinations. More than just promoting local attractions, the program celebrates culture and heritage while empowering communities, entrepreneurs, artisans, and culture bearers through marketing assistance, content creation, and sustainable tourism practices.
To bring this vision to life, TPB brought together tour operators, travel agents, content creators, and media practitioners to collaborate in showcasing the identified Community-Based Tourism Sites in Davao and Lake Sebu.
Now, let’s dive into our second day, where we uncovered some of the best spots and hidden gems in Davao City and Davao del Sur.
Welcome to Day 2—still in Davao! Mabuhay ug madayaw!
Discover all the incredible spots we explored on Day 1 in Davao City—check out our full itinerary here.
Courtesy Visit to the Department of Tourism Region XI Office
After enjoying a hearty breakfast buffet at Dusit Thani Residence Davao and completing our early check-out, our entire delegation made its way to the Department of Tourism Region XI Office in the heart of the city.
Regional Director Tanya Tan and her team gave us a warm welcome.
“Welcome to Region XI! Mabuhay ug madayaw! That means, ‘Welcome, beautiful people from… wherever you all came from,’” she said before everyone inside the conference room.
She then added, “Thank you, Sir [Alberto] Gadia [of Tourism Promotions Board], for bringing the team here. You are always welcome.’”
We also had to introduce ourselves one by one—because, let’s be honest, most of us had no clue who was who! It was like a fun icebreaker. Hahaha!
Getting down to business, Tan went on to share the latest updates on Davao Tourism, including the ongoing programs and initiatives aimed at boosting the region’s travel scene.
She even reassured the Manila-based tour operators that the Davao region is well-equipped and fully capable of implementing tour packages, covering both popular destinations and community-based ecotourism sites.
“We’re really pushing for this, which is why we established a circuit. Along with that, we also conducted workshops for Davao-based tour operators because we want to strengthen this itinerary,” Tan explained.
She further highlighted that the soon-to-open Mati Airport in Davao Oriental will play a key role in accommodating the growing number of tourist arrivals.
“If Mati Airport opens for commercial flights next year, that will be a huge opportunity. We’ve already conducted workshops with tour operators, and some have submitted their proposals and itineraries. We can connect them with you so we can collaborate and work things out—together with us, of course,” she added.
And before we left the office, they handed us a packed lunch—spaghetti and bread.
CHECK OUT some snaps from our short but meaningful courtesy visit to the Department of Tourism Region XI Office here:
Malagos Garden Resort and Malagos Chocolate Museum
After our courtesy visit to the Department of Tourism Region XI Office, we went straight to Malagos Garden Resort—an expansive and well-known destination in Mindanao, home to its own cacao farm and, yes, a chocolate factory.
We’ve been featuring Malagos on Good News Pilipinas for its numerous international accolades since pre-pandemic times, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day, I’d actually walk through its doors and explore its beautifully landscaped grounds. I even told our tour guide that visiting this resort was a full-circle moment for me.
After finishing our lunch at the Viewdeck Café, we took a leisurely walk to the Chocolate Museum—the only one of its kind in the country. There, we got a crash course on the history of chocolate, learned about the chocolate-making process, and, best of all, indulged in a tasting of their three dark chocolate varieties: 65%, 72%, and 85%!
Mapait, s’yempre! But just like what our museum guide said: “If your chocolate is sweet, it’s not really chocolate—it’s a candy bar.”
May point!
HERE are some snaps from our visit to Malagos Garden Resort and Malagos Chocolate Museum:
Regional Coffee Innovation Center and Museum
After lunch and our sweet adventure at the Chocolate Museum, we officially said goodbye to Davao City and made our way further south to Davao del Sur.
Fun fact: While Davao City is geographically within Davao del Sur, it operates independently as a highly urbanized city, meaning it has its own governance separate from the province.
Our next destination was the Coffee Museum. This wasn’t originally on our itinerary, but after it was highly recommended during our courtesy visit to the Department of Tourism Region XI Office, we just had to check it out.
The next turn of events turned into an unexpected adventure when our team first arrived at a newly constructed building behind the Davao del Sur Coliseum—only to realize that we had lost our way and it wasn’t the Coffee Museum we were looking for. Oh, ’di ba? Naligaw pa kami. Haha!
After reconnecting with the other groups, we finally arrived at the Regional Coffee Innovation Center and Museum—a haven for all coffee lovers. It is located inside Davao del Sur State College.
There, we met the college president, Dr. Augie Fuentes, who, in her welcome remarks, emphasized that coffee education has been integrated into the curriculum of all courses they offer.
“Supposedly, we were trying to offer it as an elective [subject], but we decided to let our students enroll in the subject. So now, all academic programs include coffee education,” she shared.
Beyond being just a museum, Fuentes also highlighted that the establishment serves as a marketing arm for local coffee farmers and producers in the province.
“Our coffee here comes from our farmers, in Mt. Apo. So we are serving specialty coffee produced by local farmers,” she added.
Ultimately, the Regional Coffee Innovation Center and Museum aims to put the Philippines on the map of countries producing world-class coffee.
And before we headed to our next destination, I had the chance to try their latte, expertly prepared by their barista at the coffee shop on the second floor.
CHECK OUT the photos from our visit to the Regional Coffee Innovation Center and Museum in Davao del Sur here:
Bagobo-Tagabawa Cultural Village
It was already dark when we reached the Bagobo-Tagabawa Cultural Village, located at the foothills of Mt. Apo in Tibolo, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
The entire delegation was greeted by the sound of native gongs as we hiked up to the hall standing on the hillside. Upon reaching the hall, I was fortunate to witness young Bagobo-Tagabawa dancers performing their traditional dance.
As a former Filipino folk dancer, this scene was a full-circle moment for me—I had once performed their dance, and now I was witnessing it in its raw and authentic form. Seeing them execute each step with such power and precision made the experience even more meaningful.
They also introduced us to their traditional cuisine. We had a food tasting of their dishes, including Nilotlot na Manok sa Gata, a chicken dish cooked in a bamboo tube; grilled bangus; chayote leaf salad; and luddong, a taro and coconut milk dish similar to the laing of the Bicolanos.
The cool weather, the warm welcome, the traditional dance, and the rich flavors of their cuisine—our experience at the Bagobo-Tagabawa Cultural Village in Davao del Sur was nothing short of unforgettable!
SEE my photos with Bagobo-Tagabawa children here:
WATCH Bagobo-Tagabawa children’s traditional dance—a heartfelt welcome for tourists! Catch their full performance here:”
Big 8 Corporate Hotel
Our Day 2 ended at the Big 8 Corporate Hotel, a comfortable stay in the heart of Davao del Sur’s capital. Thanks to our tour guides and operators, check-in was a breeze.
I quickly got my key card and headed to my room on the 10th floor. In my head, I thought, ‘Another day, another hotel. Tomorrow, we check out and move to yet another one. Haha!’ But what truly caught my attention? The grand chandelier in the reception area—an unforgettable sight!
And it wasn’t just my eyes that were in for a treat—dinner was just as memorable. We enjoyed Filipino favorites like pancit, grilled bangus with atchara, and halo-halo—a true fiesta feast and the perfect way to end the day.
By the time 9 PM rolled around, we were all ready to retreat to our respective rooms for some much-needed rest. Dahil maaga ang call time at bibiyahe na naman bukas.
HERE are some of the photos I took during our stay at the Big 8 Corporate Hotel:
And that’s a wrap for our thrilling Day 2! A heartfelt thank you to the TPB team, our amazing tour guides, skilled drivers, and everyone who made our journey from Davao City all the way to Digos City truly remarkable.
Stay tuned for Day 3 of CBT in Davao del Sur and South Cotabato—coming soon on GoodNewsPilipinas.com!
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