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Davao City: Pros & Cons
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What are the best and worst things about living in Davao?
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What are the best and worst things about living in Davao?
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I am born and raised in Davao City so this may be somewhat biased. Who I am as a person, my strengths and weaknesses, the education I attained, the social relationships I dearly treasure, they all stem from the roots of the city. Most of my answers apply to the city but not exclusively. To get right down to business, one of the immediate best things that pop into my mind when it comes to Davao compared to the other two Metro's in the Philippines (Manila & Cebu) is government. That is not to say crime is not at all present there, but the Duterte's are infamous throughout the entire country for being stern and unapologetic. Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio has taken over mayoral duties after her former mayor father, Rodrigo Duterte, took over vice-mayoral duties. Both has proven quite formidable and worthy in their place despite Rodrigo Duterte's long-standing hold over the city. He is well-loved by the people despite his ruthlessness over his battle against crime and all sorts of malice. Funnily enough, he is, if I believe right, the only government official throughout the country to be able to ban fireworks during the holiday seasons because of the accidents and casualties it bring annually. While I was studying at Ateneo de Davao University, he had this crazy notion to ban smoking any and everywhere and me and my mates had to cower to someone's place in fear of being caught. (It's just smoking!) So saying all that, peace and stability is present in the city due to Rodrigo Duterte's efforts. Crime rate has been at an all-time low from a decade ago. Davao City isn't just the 'most peaceful city' in Southeast Asia for nothing. But that is, in part, not just due to the notorious vigilante killings of the Davao Death Squad. I have lived both in this city and the nation's capital and another thing that I noticed is how fast life moves in Manila compared to when I was living in Davao. Take that statement however you may. I would say that life in Davao is much more for the chill and the laidback. One of the local sayings when I was there was that 'everything only takes ten minutes to get there.' You want to go shopping in the mall? Ten minutes. Beach? Let's drive ten minutes. Go clubbing? Let's meet in ten. Favourite restaurant? No problem, I'll be there in ten minutes. Work meeting? Ten minutes! Traffic isn't as bad as other places in the country. Transportation is easy and isn't as expensive (big, big difference). You can also see this in a negative light. You begin to realise that the city isn't all that big in scope despite having the title of 'largest city in the world' but just in terms of land. You will slowly begin to feel that your weekly routine turns boring and tedious because of lack of diversity and choices. The city is missing that feel for the constant rushing. Now, with regards to food. It would be a terrible shame not to mention the fruits, durian and mangosteen, the first chance you get. These are not uncommon fruits but are reputable in their own right. The best description of eating durian is it 'tastes like heaven, smells like hell.' I would like to describe Davao's food culture as an amalgam of all Filipino cultures from Luzon and Visayas and all the while having its own identity. Balut and taho is still here, isaw and kwek-kwek, and the likes. There is also a high amount of other Asian dishes present (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) other than their Asian presence itself. I grew up in a Chinese-Catholic school, and, boy, their numbers were aplenty. The flora and fauna. Davao is known to be home of one of the most regal birds in the planet, the rare and endangered Philippine Eagle. It's such an amazing sight to behold. Try being in the presence of one while playing Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra. You will be a changed man, I guarantee. I believe that the best-est, best-est (cannot stress this one enough) thing about Davao is compared to other places in the country, Davao has yet to experience a major natural disaster. Never in my 20 years or so have I experienced our rooftops being ravaged by typhoon, whereas in my three years in Manila, and third week at that, I did. There is that present threat of volcano from the highest mountain of the country, Mount Apo, but nothing that is visibly in this lifetime or the next. Mount Apo can be found somewhere between the outskirts of the city and Davao del Sur. There are many of activities to be done here if you are a 'nature adventure' aficionado. Hiking, zip-lining, photography, etc. Now, if you hate the sight of trees and nature, this place is not for you. Take one step away from the main streets and you realise you are almost in wilderness. If you are a city-grown person and you consistently demand the view of skyscrapers, there are very few here that is noticeable. The highest edifice I know there stood at 17 floors. I knew that because I studied for three months in the 17th floor itself. Nitpicking. When I first left Davao, I realised how much there was I've been missing in the world. I discovered Dr. Pepper for crying out loud! We didn't have it there some years ago, not sure now. Movie theatres there, ugh. Really cheap-o, enter any time you want, stay all day, sleep there if you must. Much like the still clear issue of prostitution after dark. Dodgy places are prevalent still due to poverty. The smell of corruption is easy to catch especially for a foreigner, but nothing that will concern you, only your pockets. Taxis are cheaper but not half as bad as Manila. Taxis are the worst thing in Manila hands down. If it rains, start praying. But overall the pros outweigh the cons, for me personally. Mindanao hasn't had the attention it once had due to old issues concerning kidnapping foreigners for ransom, but Davao doesn't deserve the comparison because Davao is not Mindanao. It is merely a part of it and is rarely, if ever, involved in anything that devalues its reputation.
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Best: Exotic Fruit – Durians, Mangosteen, Lanzones, Marang, Rambutan Here is a question I answered with pictures of the fruits. What are the most delicious exotic fruits that most North Americans have never heard of? The selection of fruits is huge, the prices are low, and Watermelon, Pineapple and Mango, and Bananas are available year round (all grown locally). Cheap Transportation – 8 PHP ($0.12 USD) for rides on Jeeps and 10-20 PHP for other vehicles. Low Cost of Living – Real GDP is $4200 USD (Almost doubling the nominal GDP). World's Best Pool Players/Very Good Chess Players – Francisco Bustamante/Efrem Reyes, have inspired many to play at a high level. Many chess masters and stronger in parks all over the Philippines. Climate – Warm Year Round, with some rainfall. A large number of islands/resorts as well (here or nearby). Smoking Ban in most places – http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/206701/davao-city-lauded-for-smoking-ban Worst: Hard to Earn Money – Nominal GDP per capita $2300 USD.Corruption – Price Discrimination and perhaps also in government.Lack of Imported Foods – I will add just a few things I miss compared to US – Dr. Pepper, Quinoa, high quality steaks, to name a few.