Nature-friendly Kadayawan fest

In line with the celebration of the 34th Kadayawan Festival, Davao City is gearing up for festivities that aim to promote environmental awareness among Dabawenyos as it threw support to a private company’s social media campaign aimed at helping ensure the welfare of the environment.

Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has called for a cleaner and greener celebration of Kadayawan Festival this month, noting that he wanted to craft laws that would contribute to the good quality of the environment on a longterm basis, citing in particular the city’s natural resources.

“I am willing to listen to the groups who are pushing for environmental preservation and consider their thoughts in my decisions,” said Duterte, adding that he will back policies pushing for environmental sustainability as he vowed to keep an open line to the City

Council which he leads and groups pushing for the preservation of natural resources. He stressed that there needs to be a balance, saying the development of the city must be responsive to the needs of the people — which is in line with Goal 15 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that aims to preserve forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.