This city in Davao del Norte grows bananas for export and has a large Japanese-inspired garden. Local musicians gather at the City Hall grounds for weekly concerts.
Walk along Daang Maharlika, a six-lane highway shaded by coconut palms, to enter Tagum, the capital of Davao del Norte. Each February, live bands fill the streets during the Musikahan Festival, playing rock and folk songs on stages built from bamboo. At Christ the King Cathedral, follow the ironwood rosary that stretches 85.5 meters across the garden, ending at a bronze statue of the Risen Christ taller than most trees. The city connects Davao to northern Mindanao, with buses stopping at the San Agustin Botanical Park, where over 37,000 trees grow in organized rows. Fifteen festivals happen here yearly, including January’s Kaimunan Harvest Festival, where farmers display heirloom rice varieties and perform traditional dances.
Major Festivals: Musikahan and Pakaradyan
Time your trip for February’s Musikahan Festival, where stages near the city hall host bands from Tagum and Manila playing until midnight. From 6 PM to 2 AM daily, the Night Market closes six streets to vehicles, letting you try grilled tuna skewers, sticky banana cue, and durian ice cream served in coconut shells. December brings the Pakaradyan Festival, with horse parades, cow-milking contests, and dance groups wearing costumes made from abacá fiber. In January, the Kaimunan Harvest Festival starts with a ritual thanking the spirits for rain, followed by weaving demonstrations using dried pandan leaves. Confirm dates on the city’s official Facebook page, as some events move based on harvest seasons or typhoon warnings.
Top Sites to Explore
Christ the King Cathedral holds two records: the longest wooden rosary in the world and a 12-meter bronze statue visible from the highway. The New City Hall in Barangay Apokon generates 30% of its power from rooftop solar panels, with walls shaped like durian spines to shade offices from midday sun. Trainers at the Davao del Norte Sports Complex use the rubberized track for sprint drills, while local teens play futsal on indoor courts meeting international size standards. Buy dried mangosteen or hand-stitched shirts at Gaisano Mall’s third-floor souvenir section, or browse denim jackets at Novo near the bus terminal.
Rivers, Parks, and Beaches
Book a morning river cruise on the Libuganon River to see fishermen casting nets for tilapia, then stop at Maningo Farm for a lunch of garlic crabs and rice cooked in bamboo tubes. At San Agustin Botanical Park, guides explain how to identify Mindanao cinnamon by its peeling bark and citrus-like scent. Hijo Resorts rents bicycles for rides through banana fields, ending at a beach where black sand warms quickly under the sun. Join locals jogging at the Energy Park’s loop trail, or stretch at the free Saturday Zumba session near the butterfly garden.
Getting to and Around Tagum
Fly into Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City, then take a Bachelor Express bus north for 90 minutes past roadside stalls selling pineapples and jackfruit. Shared vans leave Davao’s Ecoland Terminal every 15 minutes, dropping passengers at Tagum’s public market or the Overland Transport Terminal. Rent a habal-habal motorcycle near the market to reach Maco’s hot springs, a 45-minute ride through villages with rooster farms. Buses to Butuan and Mati depart hourly from the Overland Terminal, where you can buy boiled peanuts and coconut juice while waiting.
Weather, Health, and Costs
Visit between March and May for sunny days, but bring a hat—afternoon temperatures often hit 34°C. Davao Regional Medical Center in Barangay Apokon has English-speaking doctors, while smaller clinics near the plaza treat insect bites or sunburn without appointments. Most parks and churches charge no entry fees, but the Libuganon River cruise costs 300 PHP and includes a lunch of grilled fish and rice. Connect to free Wi-Fi near the City Hall’s main staircase or the Tourism Office’s shaded patio, where staff print maps for guests.
