Dakak : Food, Beach, Adventure and Many More!

Who wouldn't want good food, white beach, classy accommodations, thrilling adventures, luxury sports? You can experience them all at DAKAK, the most famous park and beach resort in Mindanao!

This resort is tucked in a large "once-upon-a-time-forest" area in the north of Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte. Its name is actually an apt description of the very place where it can be found for it is a portmanteau of two Visayan words "dako" (large) and "kakahuyan" (woods/forest).

Kinabayo Festival 2017 : A Showcase of Dapitan's Deep Devotion and Religiosity

If one wants to witness the piety of the people of Dapitan, he just have to visit this city during their annual celebration of Kinabayo Festival. I did just that this year and marveled at the different activities I witnessed, many of which is in honor of St. James the Greater, also known as Senyor Santiago - the city's patron saint.

A street dancer from Tangub City.

Senyor Santiago is always depicted as a horse-mounted knight ready to strike down adversaries of the Christian faith. During the annual Kinabayo Festival, he is being relived as the one who guided the Spanish Christians to victory against the Moors in the Battle of Covadonga. He is said to have appeared before the Spanish Christian soldiers during the battle and inspired them to continue the fight, and win. This same battle is the one being reenacted yearly as part of the festival.