Malacañang has declared March 8, 2024 a special non-working day in Davao de Oro.

This is to allow residents to celebrate the province's 26th Founding Anniversary, which will hae the theme, “Bulawanong Pagtinabangay ug Panaghiusa para sa Malig-on nga Probinsya.”

But with the disasters that hit the province recently, the provincial government said it will defer some of the festivities and focus, instead, on services. 

“With the recent flooding and landslide incidents, the provincial government led by Gov. Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga finds it fitting to defer some of the Bulawan festivities and instead, focus on the much-needed services such as the jobs fair, one-stop shop, free legal services day, Tunol Serbisyo, among others, to run from March 7-8, 2024,” the provincial government said.

The recent landslide in the province on February 6, 2024 killed at least 93 people in Barangay Masara in Maco town. 

Maco Mayor Arthur Carlos Voltaire has issued an executive order terminating the search and retrieval operations at the landslide site effective February 22, 2024. Authorities said that since February 18, 2024, no more human remains were found.

During the 16-day operations, 93 dead bodies were retrieved excluding several body parts dug out. At least 79 were turned over to their families.