Dec
30th
Davao is unlike most developed cities in the Philippines. Here, we celebrate the holidays in peace, without much bang boom bang.
Since 2001, a firecracker ban has been imposed in Davao City during the holidays, and Mayor Duterte has been quite serious about the implementation. Duterte has been stern on his orders to the police to detain all violators, even those who are found in mere possession of any of the banned items.
The Davao City Council passed the local ordinance prohibiting the use, sale, and distribution of pyrotechnics or firecrackers in 2002. But the year before that, Duterte has already made it a policy.
Every New Year, TV shows all over the country always report the victims of firecrackers. These range from slight burns to blown off fingers to death. For the uninitiated, firecrackers usually found here in the country are not the same as the ones used during July 4th. What is common here in the Philippines somehow resemble mini dynamites, small yet dangerous.
Since the implementation of firecracker ban in the city, there were no longer “bloody Christmases” and the city enjoyed an almost-zero incidence of firecracker-related accidents.
I remember a few years ago when the mayor was asked if he believed that lighting firecrackers will ward off bad luck in the coming new year. It has been a tradition for most filipinos to light firecrackers during New Year’s to scare off bad spirits and avoid bad luck. He just said that if one will simply avoid breaking the law regarding the ban of firecrackers, it is a sure way to avoid “bad luck”.
firecrackers = mini dynamites
no, thanks!
Nov
22nd
It’s been quite a while since my last post as the administrator of this site. Time always gets in the way especially in maintaining multiple blogs. But now that Leif is almost done with the maps of Davao which he’s been keeping busy with, I guess it’s time to update you with the latest development of his creation.
He is actually drawing two maps of Davao – one is a Map of Davao which covers solely Davao City centre and nearby vicinities. The other one is a Map of Greater Davao Area which comprises Davao City with surrounding areas from Tagum City in the north, to Digos City in the south and it also includes the Island Garden City of Samal.
Davao Street Map
Map of Davao and Nearby Provinces
Please tell us what you like or dislike about our maps.
We would also like some help with naming subdivisions, streets and other places.
You are welcome to comment here on the blog or drop us a mail to:
maps@davaozone.com
Sep
18th
Where’s my coffee?
The chilly spell has arrived. Nope, there is no winter here in the Philippines, we only have two seasons – dry and wet.
Although Davao is typhoon free, during the last months, heavy rains frequently visited the city. Come September, the climate slightly changed. The rains calmed a little, the sun is setting a little earlier, the sky is mostly grayish and the air is colder.
A lot of people here gets excited when the cold spell comes in. It’s understandable. We have a very humid climate almost all year round and the chilly season gives us a break from the hot periods. Now, I am not used to the crisp air. It makes me sleepy…and lazy. It makes me want go to bed earlier, wake up later and it tempts to me hit the snooze button on my alarm twice. OK… thrice! Its a little difficult to concentrate on my job. I’m a graphic/layout artist and sometimes when I do a project this time of the year, I need three steaming cups of strong coffee an hour.(Yeah, I know. Too much coffee is bad, that’s why I have bitter cocoa as my alternative.)
Nevertheless, I enjoy this time of the year because it puts me in a milder mood. I get to stay home more to do things I don’t regularly do, like finish a book in just a week or simply reflect on the days that went by(or sleep more).
But now here in the office, I’m doing a yearbook layout for a university. And again I’m wondering… where’s my coffee?
Sep
14th
Just a few things to be discovered here
(click image for larger view)
Instead of the usual words, I decided to make an illustration of just a few things to be experienced in Davao.
I’ll be adding more soon.
Jul
22nd
It has been three years since we registered this domain name for the purpose of creating a website dedicated to Davao City, Philippines. And it’s only today that the website has finally made it on the net. To celebrate this, we want to give you a Map of Davao City and it is probably the most accurate that you can find.
We welcome everyone to comment on posts, give suggestion as to the design of the template and give insight on the progress of the map so to ensure accuracy. It’s not yet fully completed and we hope to finish it anytime soon.
