(We yield this space for the speech of Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte on the occasion of the 51st Datu Bagao Award conferment on March 8, 2023 at the Royal Mandaya Hotel.)
THE CITY Government of Davao would like to extend its warm greetings to the Board of Trustees of the Datu Bago Awardees Organization Incorporated, this year’s Datu Bago Awardees, past awardees, guests, and everyone gathered here today for the 51°t conferment of the Datu Bago Awards.
As we celebrate the 86 Araw ng Dabaw, may we be reminded that Davao City is what it is now because of its people, and today, we bestow the city’s highest honor to exemplary Dabawenyos, whose substantial contributions in their respective fields have made a difference in our communities.
To our awardees, you have been recognized because at the heart of all your achievements is a genuine passion to serve, a personal quest for excellence, and a desire to make life better for Dabawenyos. Service, excellence, altruism — these are values that all Datu Bago Awardees past and present share, and today, you join the legion of highly-distinguished and outstanding men and women since 1969 who have devoted their lives to their respective causes and placed Davao City on the map.
To be a Datu Bago Awardee is both an honor and a responsibility, and so to our awardees, we hope that you may continue to be trailblazers. There is a wider road in front of you now — one that will lead to more opportunities for growth and success in your respective fields and beyond. The people of Davao City, especially the younger generation, shall look to you for guidance and inspiration as we too, strive to make a difference in our own way.
To the families of our posthumous awardees, we thank you for allowing your loved ones to be the best that they can be, for by doing so, they have left us a legacy that is truly worth celebrating. Once again, congratulations ug daghang salamat. Happy 86″ Araw ng Dabaw kaninyong tanan!
SEBASTIAN Z. DUTERTE
City Mayor
