Republic of the Philippines
Municipality of Manay, Davao Oriental
Recent Events
NHM 2025: Manay's way of celebrating cultural significance
The annual celebration of the National Heritage Month (NHM) during the month of May pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 439, s. 2003. For 2025, the National Heritage Month banners the theme “PRESERVING LEGACIES, BUILDING FUTURES: EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH HERITAGE” that highlights the role of heritage to connect and empower future generations by promoting appreciation on heritage conservation through capacity-building initiatives. The theme advocates communities, including indigenous people to work together in building for the future, reflecting the importance of shared heritage among diverse communities, so that collaborations will be developed, and generations of conservation advocates will be empowered. Communities will be enabled by creating opportunities that highlight traditional knowledge with modern techniques geared towards successful outcomes and concrete, sustainable actions. Further, emerging heritage professionals, interested individuals or community members will be guided through various platforms from educational discourse, interactive exhibitions, engaging trainings to hands-on activities. The theme invites local communities to participate in heritage conservation programs, either led by national government agencies or non-government institutions, through skilled practitioners, artisans or conservationists who have valuable insights. The objectives of the celebrations are: • To highlight the cultural heritage being preserved allowing direct communities to witness applications of the heritage conservation efforts. • To expand the pool of potential experts by capacitating the knowledgeable individuals in the community. • To offer opportunities for professionals, students and community members and provide value with capacity-building strategies. • To give wider exposure of the rich cultural heritage of the Filipinos. The celebration of the NHM is tied up with the academe, the Indigenous Communities, and the Local Government Unit of Manay thru the Manay Tourism, Culture, and the Arts unit through various events, dialogues and competitions to showcase the Filipino and the Manayan Heritage. For this year, fo rthe culmination of the celebration, the Mabaho Cave Guides Capacity Building was held last May 28-30, 2025 this activity aims to capacitate stakeholders of the Barangay Central specifically for those that will be working at the Mabaho Cave as it will be opened soon for public for guided tours. The cave was part of the cultural inventory of the municipality citing for its environmental significance as a unique landform and was already been assessed and classified as Class II of the Regional Cave Management Committee. The three-day capacity building includes the following lessons; Business Mindsetting, Filipino Brand of Service Excellence, Basic Cave Guiding (Theoretical), and Basic Mountaineering Course 1 & 2. We also thank the following event partners; DTI Davao Oriental (Sylvia Ordiz and Mark Pianar), Provincial Tourism Office (Ms. Krestta Jiera Narciso and Liezyl Maguate), Department of Tourism, CENRO Manay and PENRO Davao Oriental (Mr. Joseph Arnel Gayta and Merlita Calungsod), and Mr. Jul yeleven Gumop-as of PASAK MANDAS. Our training was also graced by bird enthusiasts Sean Edrick Martinez, Dr. Jun Arnao, and Biologist Keanu Sitjar (who previously joined the Birdwatching activity earlier this month). Kudos to Barangay Central headed by Punong Barangay Kim A. Moralizon for the close collaboration of the activity and to Mayor Jon Marco M. Dayanghirang whose priority program is for environmental conservation, protection and preservation. Culturally, the riparian zone of Manay river is well respected by the Manayans and serves as an integral part of the daily life. Mabaho Cave on the other hand is a testament of an immovable cultural heritage worthy of preservation and conservation. This activity will not be the end as for the following months the twenty participants will be formed as the Tour Guide Association of Central and a follow up activity by some academes will be conducted. The LGU Manay would like to thank also all the participants of the five-weekk celebration of culture for the National Heritage Month 2025. A hurrah also to National Commission for Culture and the Arts!
Article written by: Jan Michael Belena
Published: 2025-05-31
NHM CHESS 2025
A successful run of the 2025 NHM CHESS TOURNAMENT happened last May 24-25, 2025 at Manay Baywalk. This was collaborated by the LGU Manay and the Manay Chess Club. Special thanks and congratulations to MCC President Marvin Castro and the tournament participants!
Article written by: Jan Michael Belena
Published: 2025-05-26
Public Information
By embracing the 5 R’s of Zero-Waste, in this order, you can help reduce the amount of plastic waste you generate!
Refuse– say no to things you don’t need
Reduce– limit overconsumption of what you
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Recycle – learn the best way to sort your
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Rot – compost anything that remains
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Manay Vision
A socially stable and economically progressive municipality in pursuit of sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism development within the context of respect to mother nature that nurtures gender responsive, climate smart, resilient, culture-centered, and liveable community through dynamic leadership and good governance sustained by peace loving, God centered and law abiding citizenry.
Manay Mission
In partnership with all stakeholders, will work in unity and solidarity in promoting the general welfare of the people of the municipality by transforming Manayans into self- reliant, self- managing, law-abiding and God- loving community living in prosperity, unity, justice, happiness and peace.
Manay Goal
Propelled towards building an eco - friendly responsive governance, culture-centered, gender sensitive and responsive, climate-smart, resilient and a strong community with socio economic, self sufficiency and stability for the next ten years (2024-2033).
Municipal Ordinances
NOTE: If you cannot find a specific ordinance or title, or if you want a printed copy, or other inquiries, please contact the Secretary to the Sanggunian directly(marlenetana.official@gmail.com)
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Reminders For Solo Parents
Featured Articles
Chicken Loot
Loot is the indigenous way of cooking a meat into a sumptuous viand!
Note: The video was shot at Purok Poblacion, Barangay Taocanga.
UNAW
Dubbed as one of the "Food for the Gods", these Lumbia starch or UNAW is a native delicacy for the people of Manay. It is from a Sago palm, locally known as lumbia, is one among the many sources of flour. In Manay, Davao Oriental it grows on the nearby creeks and springs and sometimes became the references of a presence of a water. Manayans, can you share us on how you prepare this Unaw!
UPLAND RICE
In Barangay Taocanga, "Pag-tataan" or a celebration of the first harvest of an upland rice.
Upland Rice is a kind of rice that is planted directly to a dry soil rather than to a paddy. This rice is harvestable every 4 months or depends on its variety.
According to the farmers, it can be planted in any months of the year, the new generations preferred to plant it on Summer months especially May but the elders preferred to start planting on August to September.
Have you had upland rice in your meal? Comment us your experience!
Note: The video was shot at Purok Poblacion, Barangay Taocanga.
ABACA -OLD MACOPA'S AGRICULTURE WONDER!
Barangay Old Macopa, one of the barangays of the Municipality of Manay is located at the southwestern portion of the municipality of Manay whose economic activity is more on Agriculture. Corn, Coconut, Banana and Abaca are the most common crops being planted by the farmers.
3rd on the list, Abaca yielded 104,300 metric tons on the year 2015 of the barangays' crop with 149 hectares being planted. With the current price and its popularity, Abaca is now widely planted to the different puroks and sitios.
The variety of Senorita is common in the areas of Purok Malipayon, Taganaga, Gravahan, Madsayap, Buyo and Malinawon. Sinamuyo and Dabaw, native varities, also thrive together with the common Mindanaoan variety of Tangungon and Inusa.
A mix of traditional and modern techniques, the Old Macopa abaca planters are keen on improving its performance. Thus making the Abaca industry a sought-after economic power and a potential investment area for the municipality.
KADI DA KAMO!
Come, visit and invest in Manay!
by Jan Michael Belena
SURFING SEASON
In photos is a group of surfers from Siargao that have visited the shorelines of Manay and tried surfing. The coastlines of Manay specifically in Manay Bay have identified to be potential for surfing during the months of November-March.
#wowmanay
#manaytourism
Photos from Julyeleven Gumop-as
DAGMAY
The traditional handwoven textile of Mandaya, is made of lanot (abaca fibers, Musa textilis) using the abl'lun (backstrap loom).
Weaving the "dagmay" has been passed on from one generation to another. Children, during their free time, help their mothers to segregate and knot the abaca fibers. When their feet can reach the siknan (foot brace) of the loom, the young girls are allowed to continue what their mothers and grandmothers have started to weave. Those who are willing to learn would stay by their mothers' side to observe and copy what their mothers are doing.
Motifs and designs of the dagmay are mostly anthropomorphic and zoomorphic. The reptile is respected as shown by the regularity with which it appears in their design. Dagmay is not just an ordinary cloth; every design is considered sacred and a gift by the Tagamaling (spirit). Weavers would offer rituals to the Magbabaya (deity) to give them clear visions of the designs and concentration when laying the patterns. They would usually chew on betel nuts and burn ashes near them as part of their ritual.
At present, the Mandaya weavers in Davao Oriental would mix commercial cotton with abaca to save time in preparing the materials and in weaving. At times, they also mix the commercial and natural dyes to make the colors look brighter and prevent the colors from fading away/fast.
Municipality of Manay Seal
Taken from the records of the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator's Office based on the transmittal from the National Historical Institute on 1995.
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