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The Kadayawan Season has passed yet the festive aura of Davao still lingers. The last Kadayawan weekend was nothing short of extraordinary. I can still hear the upbeat drums and roars of the Kadayawan crowd. Numerous bands came to Davao in the many pahalipays strewn across the main downtown area. The colorful crowd taking photos of the tribes lined the streets. The culture and tradition of Davao echoed throughout the city. One thing I particularly liked most of this year’s Kadayawan was the Libreng Sakay program.

The Libreng Sakay sa Kadayawan allowed tourists and locals to travel to and from various sites in the city. The City Government deployed four buses for the Kadayawan season. It began on August 14 and ended on August 28, 2018. The four buses were equipped with CCTV cameras, wi-fi, and GPS. As if those precautions weren’t enough, each bus had one police officer or CTTMO Officer onboard.

Here are the bus stops:

After TechUp’s press conference last Saturday we went to SM Lanang Premier to check-out WOFEX 2018. After, we had an opportunity to board and experience the buses ourselves. I was with Penn and CJ and we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it out.

The experience was relaxing in a sense that you didn’t have to fight for a seat. You could easily sit down and enjoy a movie in one of their screens. The bus could probably seat about 30 people in the bus. They also handed out a couple of survey forms about the bus and whether or not people will take to it instead of using the traditional jeepney transportation system.

Personally, I would prefer these organized bus rides than riding a jeepney because first off, you get to enjoy your own seat. One disadvantage of commuting using the current jeepney system is the lack of seating and how most drivers choose to focus on their earnings, rather than the passenger’s comfort. Second, it’s air-conditioned. One reason why some people prefer to ride cabs rather than the jeeps is the air-condition. The buses are air-conditioned and well-ventilated. Third, the buses allow passengers to get to their venues a lot faster because the buses follow a schedule and don’t allow passengers to disembark just anywhere— they use bus stops. This makes it easier for passengers to manage their travel time better.

Overall, a bus system in downtown Davao would be great because it would benefit the majority and also teach Davaoeños to be responsible commuters.

What did you guys think about the libreng sakay last Kadayawan? Would you be open to a bus system in the streets of Davao? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Photos are from the Facebook page of the City Government of Davao.