October is a merry month in the City of Mati in Davao Oriental as the Matinians celebrate their most colorful and much awaited Sambuokan Festival. It is a week-long celebration of the people of Mati in thanksgiving for the year's blessings of bountiful harvests and in observance of the founding anniversary of the City every 29th of October.
Sambuokan is a Mandaya word taken from the term "buok" which means "one" meaning unity and oneness among the people of Mati. Mandaya is an indigenous tribe in Mindanao that inhabits mostly the hinterlands of Davao Oriental.
The Festival proudly showcases Mati’s oneness and harmony for a common good despite its diverse culture and ethnic traditions, denominations, economic status, and lifestyle by featuring a week-long merrymaking of nightly shows and events, and fun-filled activities such as street dancing competitions called "Indak Indak sa Sambuokan," one of the Festival's highlights that brings together the best contingents from elementary, secondary, and tertiary participants from Mati City and some parts in Mindanao and present an amazing display of their distinctive colors, cultures, and traditional dances starting from the ER Supermall, to Rizal Extension and main thoroughfares of downtown area, to the Mati Park and Baywalk as final area for showdown.
Other events include Thanksgiving Mass, boxing invitationals, concerts, musical showdown, trade fair and exhibits showcasing the City's top quality products, dog show and clinic, beach parties, beauty pageant, fun run, photo competition, banca race, Frisbee events, bikini open, and skimboarding competition in one of Mati's stunning white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters in Dahican beach.
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| Indak Indak sa Sambuokan |
Other events include Thanksgiving Mass, boxing invitationals, concerts, musical showdown, trade fair and exhibits showcasing the City's top quality products, dog show and clinic, beach parties, beauty pageant, fun run, photo competition, banca race, Frisbee events, bikini open, and skimboarding competition in one of Mati's stunning white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters in Dahican beach.
Sambuokan Festival was founded in 2001 by the late Edith Nakpil Rabat, a crowned beauty queen (Ms. Philippines 1956), a former assemblywoman, and wife of the late Francisco G. Rabat, former Vice Governor (1972-1975) and Governor (1978-1985) of Davao Oriental, and former Mayor of Mati City (2001-2007). Their daughter, Michelle Rabat, is the incumbent Mayor of Mati.
Edith Nakpil Rabat came from an impressive lineage: she was daughter to Anita Agoncillo Noble, also a crowned beauty queen (the first Ms. Philippines 1926), and Juan Nakpil, National Artist for Architecture, whose father was Julio Nakpil, first secretary of Andrés Bonifacio and composer of the Philippine National Anthem, and mother, Gregoria de Jesús, the Lakambini of the Katipunan and widow of Andrés Bonifacio.
The Festival is a collaborated effort of the City Government of Mati, the Sangguniang Panlungsod with the City of Mati Tourism Office, and supported by various civic groups, and private organizations - All for the People of Mati.
For more information, please visit
City of Mati Official Website www.mati.gov.ph
City of Mati Facebook Page
Images courtesy of the City of Mati and SSC-Davao
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