A view of the delegations on the north side of the football field

A view of the delegations at the south side of the football field

VP and Education Secretary Sara Duterte delivers her message

VCAA Annabelle Novero and VCA Leo Manuel Estana view the parade alongside fellow guests

For the second time in its history, UP Mindanao hosted the Opening Ceremonies of the Davao Region Athletic Association (DAVRAA). This was for the DAVRAA 2024 Meet, held at the Davao City-UP Sports Complex in the UP Mindanao campus, Mintal, Davao City. The Department of Education Region XI and the Davao City local government unit co-organized DAVRAA 2024, which was conceived with the theme "One Team, One Dream: Shaping Filipino Sports Champions." 

The DAVRAA holds sports events for student-athletes from elementary and secondary public schools in the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Davao del Norte and the cities of Davao, Samal, Panabo, Mati, Tagum, and Digos. The winners will comprise the Davao Region delegation to the Palarong Pambansa (National Games) 2024, which will be held in July in Cebu City.   

The DAVRAA Meet games will be played from April 1-7, 2024, in 24 schools and sports facilities in Davao City and one in Tagum City.

The delegations will compete in arnis, athletics, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, chess, football,  aero gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, tennis, table tennis, boxing, taekwondo, archery, badminton, futsal, sepak takraw, pencat silat, billiards, goal ball, bocce, wushu, dancesport, swimming, and wrestling.  

UP Mindanao will host the football, volleyball, and archery events. 

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte led the guests in the opening ceremony, which included provincial governors, city mayors, and congressmen, including Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab.

In her message, VP Duterte asked the student-athletes to "make us proud," while she advised them to maintain good health throughout the meet, stay hydrated, and not hesitate to seek help when experiencing extreme heat due to the weather. She thanked the parents and organizers for supporting the young athletes.

The UP Mindanao community welcomed the visitors and the prospective students on its bulletins. Vice Chancellor For Academic Affairs Prof. Annabelle Novero and Vice Chancellor for Administration Assistant Professor Leo Estaña represented the university at the ceremony. Previously, UP Mindanao had hosted the DAVRAA 2019, as well as the 2019 Palarong Pambansa, in the DC-UP Sports Complex.  

Multi-disciplinary researchers of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences delivered their findings and recommendations in the "Talakayang CHSS" held on March 12, 2024, at the CHSS Audio-Visual Room. Associate Professor Dennis Sumaylo of the Department of Humanities explained how geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas remain vulnerable to natural hazards due to the "Digital Divide." Assistant Professor Ryan Songcayauon of the Department of Architecture showed how the college could accommodate the increased enrollment of the "Road to 5K" program with cooperation among faculty and students. Instructor Malaya Lapina of the Department of Social Sciences disclosed that gender-safe spaces are defined by social relations rather than physical spaces. Instructor Jeffrey Javier of the Department of Humanities pointed out how local topographic features featured in poetry using adopted languages could displace local cultures. Finally, Assistant Professor Jezreel Abarca of the Department of Human Kinetics advocated the use of "Laban" notation to document the indigenous dances whose practitioners are decreasing in number.                 

Eri Kitada is a historian based in Tokyo, Japan.

UP Mindanao's Department of Social Sciences organized the talk "Reckoning with records of violence in Davao, 1906-1921," given by Eri Kitada on February 28, 2024, at the UP Mindanao College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The talk was based on her monograph titled "Intimately Intertwined: Settler and Indigenous Communities, Filipino Women, and U.S.-Japanese Imperial Formations in the Philippines, 1903-1956," which uncovers the little-known history and legacy of Japanese settlements in the U.S. colonial Philippines.

Associate Professor and UP Artist Teody Boylie "Bong" Perez won First Prize in the "Outsiders" International Exhibition and Competition 2024. Prof. Perez's winning entry was "Life Goes On," Oil on canvas, 57 X 45 inches, created in April 2021. "This painting evokes the Filipino spirit of hope and determination to survive and remain positive amidst pandemics and calamities," stated the artist's note accompanying the painting. Prof.Perez won over a field of 20 finalists from different countries.

"What is crucial to me is gaining an understanding of the conditions that exist in my country," wrote Prof. Perez in his Artist's Statement. "I believe that to create meaningful art; one must appreciate ideas that are relevant and then strive to achieve masterful freedom in expressing them," he stated. 

The "Outsiders" exhibit and competition is organized by Crosscurrents Gallery. "The theme 'Outsiders' invites artists to explore and interpret the concept of individuals or groups existing on the fringes or margins of society," stated the organizers. Visit the exhibition page here: https://www.crosscurrentsgallery.com/outsiders-exhibition