It has been so exciting and fun hanging out with these incredible people from all walks of life and from other parts of the world. I've realised that even though we're all vegans, we have so many different beliefs and ideas about veganism, health and life which make the time with them such a great learning experience.

Although, MIrabai and I expected more people to come this year to enjoy the abundance of fruits that are available in Davao City this season. We are not disappointed at all with the outcome. We're happy that some people actually came here to join the event.

As this is the inaugural of Madayaw Davao Fruit Fest, there were some days that we didn't do anything and plans didn't turn out the way we would have wanted them but we're going to do our best to make it a better and more enjoyable festival next year and hopefully, more people will come and discover the beauty that is Davao.

The photos posted below are some of the activities we did since September 4.

This was taken during our first durian farm visit. We visited Belviz Farm that owns Rosario's Delicacies at Bankerohan Public Market. Emmanuel and Mary Grace Belviz were so kind to show us around their beautiful durian farm. We also had heaps of farm-fresh and really delicious durians. My favourite ended up being the D24. D101 is one of my favourite varieties but Belviz Farm's D24 is by far one of the best durians I've had in my whole life. I wish I could sum up the experience and flavour in several words or few sentences but even if I try, I still wouldn't be able to describe it. The only thing I remember now is that with every bite, I was transported to my happy place, to the durian heaven of my dreams. Yeah, it was that good. No kidding! :D

Another event we had was the talk at Kaputian Beach Park by Dr. Robert Lockhart who has been vegan for a really long time and is also a fruitarian.

It was a very informative day, he talks about not only the benefits of eating fruits and staying raw but also tackled nutrients and micro-nutrients.  We also got to ask about issues that we most care about and he patiently answered everyone's questions with much gusto.

I feel like I like this type of knowledge sharing better than just reading books because people get to interact, converse and learn about nutrition, health and veganism from different people with different physical and nutritional needs.

And this was the raw pizza party after Dr. Robert's talk. Raw pizza crusts were made by Galina and Mirabai made this amazing cheese sauce out of durian, some nutritional yeast and spices. The combination of the crusts and durian sauce were amazing, plus the greens. Probably the healthiest pizza I'll ever have in this lifetime.

I am hoping for more activities like this in the future and I cannot wait to see you all next year again, for a better and more exciting Madayaw Davao Fruit Fest!

Ako Ay Vegan cards are now available. Get them for free at The Vegan Dinosaur.

If you are a vegan who is traveling to/in Davao who cannot speak the dialect, it is highly recommended that you get the Ako Ay Vegan / I Am Vegan card, most especially if you eat cooked food as there could be hidden seasonings that cooks / chefs use that are from animal products or animal by-products.

Although most Filipinos speak English and may be able to accommodate your requests, however, there are still some people who do not understand the concept of veganism / vegetarianism yet. I've come across many people who do not consider fish and chicken as meat. Understandable though, what we have here is a meat-eating culture.

So I ask that as vegans, we should be understanding and be kind towards those beliefs and opinions differ from us. Let's slowly plant seeds so that in the future, we may be able to reap what we sow. Let's be proactive to the movement and make sure that we explain to them with patience what veganism is.

Let's work together for a vegan-friendly Davao City. 💚