Shopping is a FIlipino pastime. We love going to shopping malls. In fact, we are probably one of few nationalities in the world for which going to the mall is a whole-day affair. We go to Hong Kong and Singapore during their sale seasons for great deals on clothes, shoes and bags and electronics. Moneyed Pinoys even travel to the United States and Europe to shop at the sales and outlets. If shopping were a sport, we would be Olympians.

The idea of going to another city in the Philippines like Davao, however, to take advantage of sales seems an alien concept. But why not? There are two SM Malls (Lanang Premier and SM City Davao), an Ayala Mall (Abreeza), a Robinsons Mall, two Gaisano malls and many others.

The first-ever Big Davao Fun Sale will start two days (March 14-15) before the Araw ng Dabaw for a general mall-wide sale covering all sectors. After that, each week will have its own theme, as follows: March 16-23 is for health and beauty; March 24–30 will focus on electronics and gadgets; March 31–April 6 is home and travel; and on its final week April 7-16 will be for active lifestyle and fashion.

“The event is geared toward establishing Davao City as a unique, fun and preferred shopping and dining destination,” says Tourism Assistant Secretary Art Boncato over dinner at Davao’s The White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge, one of the exciting dining destinations in the city.

The Department of Tourism—Davao Regional Office launches The Big Davao Fun Sale and brings together seven of the city’s biggest shopping centers in what is touted as the country’s first citywide shopping festival scheduled on March 14 to April 16, 2014. The four-week long sale will offer best-value deals with as much as 80 percent discount on the widest range of products.

The Big Davao Fun Sale will also feature a food festival organized by the Restaurants Association of Davao Inc. where all its 100 restaurant-members ranging from homegrown and independent restaurants to franchised businesses are expected to join. Shoppers will also have a chance to win raffle prizes such as iPhone 5 units, all-expense paid trip, and cash prizes worth up to P100,000.

“It did not take long for all seven malls to join forces and partner with the DOT in positioning Davao City as a shopping destination in the country. When the country’s largest malls started opening up in the city over the last two years, competition became steep that Dabaweños, close to two million of them, may not suffice to sustain the malls’ viability. This reality in Davao’s retail industry of late caught the attention of all these mall executives to formally organize the Retail Association of Davao and partner with us in conceptualizing The Big Davao Fun Sale to attract foreign tourists and shoppers outside of Davao,” said Boncato.

The Big Davao Fun Sale, coinciding with the Araw ng Dabaw (Foundation Day of Davao) in March, is projected to increase arrivals to the city by 15 percent from the 100,000 visitors recorded in March to April last year.

Park Inn by Radisson hosted selected members of media for a short stay in the city to promote the Fun Sale. The hotel, which is connected to SM Lanang Premier, has several exciting promotions for visitors in the next two months. For the Fun Sale, the rate is P3,400 net per room per night (single/double occupancy) Standard Room accommodation inclusive of complimentary breakfast for two and P500 dining voucher. For the Easter-rific Holiday (April 1 to 20, 2014), the rate is P3,600 net per room per night (single/double occupancy) Standard Room accommodation inclusive of complimentary breakfast for two, a bowl of ice cream, one whole Pizza Supreme and an Easter bunny doll. The Local Residents’ Rate offers up to 30 percent off the Best Available Rate (single/double occupancy) Standard Room accommodation inclusive of complimentary welcome drinks and breakfast for two.

If you aren’t much of a shopper, Davao has many other attractions. Malagos Garden Resort is a 12-hectare wildlife farm with an abundance of flora and fauna. Yes, there is more to Malagos than cheese. D’Bone Collector Museum displays the remains of land, sea and air animals. The man who runs it is an American who came to the Philippines when he was only a teenager. 

Thus, he loves the country like it is his own. The museum is a favorite destination for educational field trips. Darren Blatchely usually conducts the tours himself and he speaks in a charming mixture of Tagalog and Visayan. If adventure is your thing, then you should go to Maxima Aqua Fun in Samal Island. 

Maxima Aqua Fun has the first giant tarpaulin water slide in the country and offers fun-filled water sports activities like swimming, jet skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, banana boat ride, water trampoline and even fishing. One shouldn’t leave Davao without going to Claude’s Le Café de Ville, the city’s first fine dining restaurant at the Oboza Heritage House. 

People keep coming back to the restaurant for the steak and the oysters. My editor loves going to Aldevinco Shopping Center for the Indian-inspired blouses but there are a lot of good finds there, including batik bags and pearl jewelry. Most of the merchandise is imported but they are still folksy.

Davao isn’t really just a place to eat durian and attend the Kadayawan Festival. There are so many things to do and so much food to eat. Oh, while you’re there, you can shop as much as you want. Even the airport has good finds that you can bring home to friends and family.