The 100th year of the historic Davao City Hall will be among the highlights of the upcoming 89th Araw ng Dabaw celebration in March 2026 in Davao City.

The iconic building has been standing at the heart of the city for a century and has long served as the center of administration and a witness to the city’s rich history.

It was built in 1926 when the city was still a municipality. It was inaugurated on March 1, 1937, after the city became a chartered city through Commonwealth Act No. 51 on October 16, 1936, during the administration of former President Manuel L. Quezon.

The City Hall was damaged during World War II in 1945 but was restored in 1947, with its original design preserved up to the present.

Renowned architect Juan Arellano designed the building.

According to the Davao City Tourism Operations Office, repainting of the City Hall façade is also planned to restore its pre-World War II appearance.

“As per the city hall po the repainting of the facade, nag-ask tayo ng help from the national historical commission (of the philippines) to help us fund the repainting of the city hall,” Mizzy Porol, personnel of the Davao City Tourism Operations Office, said.

Other highlights of the celebration include the Mutya ng Dabaw, which is expected to draw attention. Organizers emphasized that candidates will be evaluated not only on physical attributes but also on leadership qualities and commitment to serve as tourism ambassadors.

Tourism officials said around 200,000 spectators and tourists joined the celebration in 2025 and they are hopeful for a higher turnout this year.

“Last year i think we had 200,000 spectators/tourists that celebrated together ng araw ng dabaw and hopefully this year we could reach much more tourists,” Porol added.

The city government has allocated more than P50 million for this year’s celebration.