TARRAGONA Mayor Benjie “Kaka” Bulaong said winning was merely a bonus for the Ka’aNiYogan Performing Arts Guild as it made the municipality’s first-ever appearance in the Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan street-dancing competition.
“What’s most important here is napakita ug napadayag dili lang ang culture and traditions sa Mandaya sa Tarragona but also the talent of these kids,” Bulaong said on the sidelines of the Mayor’s Night “Pakadyaw” on August 14, 2026, at Sta. Ana Elementary School along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City.
The Ka’aNiYogan Performing Arts Guild’s participation marked the first time Tarragona had sent a contingent to the annual Kadayawan competition, an achievement Bulaong said was already a source of pride for the municipality.
“For the first time, ang lungsod sa Tarragona is stepping into one of the biggest cultural stages, not just in the region, not just in Mindanao, but in one of the biggest cultural stages in the entire Philippines. Ug para kanako, dako na kaayo ning garbo alang sa lungsod sa Tarragona, especially sa akoa personally (And for me, this is already a great source of pride for the Municipality of Tarragona, especially for me personally),” he said.
Although the Tarragona contingent did not make it to the top five, Bulaong said he hoped its debut would mark the beginning of the municipality’s continued participation in the competition.
He said he looked forward to seeing more young people from Tarragona showcase their talents to wider audiences while promoting the Mandaya community’s culture and traditions.
This year’s Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan was won by three-time champion Balangay City High Performing Arts of Mati City, Davao Oriental. Sindac Anib Performing Ensemble of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur placed second, followed by Nagadaya Dance Artist Ensemble of Pantukan, Davao de Oro, in third.
Panay National High School Hamungaway Performing Arts Group of Sto. Niño, South Cotabato, finished fourth, while Lumad Mainitnon Folkloric Group of Mainit, Surigao del Norte, rounded out the top five.
The Davao City Tourism Operations Office earlier said eight contingents competed in the open-based category: Lumad Mainitnon Folkloric Group of Mainit, Surigao del Norte; Sindac Anib Performing Ensemble of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Balangay City High Performing Arts of Mati City, Davao Oriental; Nagadaya Dance Artist Ensemble of Pantukan, Davao de Oro; Ka’aNiYogan Performing Arts Guild of Tarragona, Davao Oriental; Panay National High School Hamungaway Performing Arts Group of Sto. Niño, Cotabato; Alegria Dance Company of Sarangani Province; and Saug Kadagaya Dance Company of Asuncion, Davao del Norte.
Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan draws contingents from across Mindanao and provides a major public platform for cultural dance and the presentation of indigenous traditions. CEA
