I remember when I was still in Grade School, my classmates and I would often go to PTA Grounds after class and eat green mangoes with spicy bagoong. Back then, it was just a plain ol' soccer field where people could practice and jog around the oval. Our school used to conduct foundation celebrations and intramurals there, too. I studied at SPED de La Salle (formerly SPED Rizal), by the way . Fast forward 10 years, a theme park grew out of that boring soccer field, and is now one of the most visited places in Davao City.



People's Park opened its gates to the public on December 15, 2007 and was predicted to become the famous landmark of Davao City in the future, although I think it already is famous now. The 4-hectare park was baptized through a "Name a Park" contest conducted by the city government, through which the winner, Romeo Sardon, bagged 50,000php as the grand prize. The park showcases tropical rain forest trees, interactive fountains, large sculptures of native tribes, ponds, waterfalls, a sunken garden, Durian dome, and an open plaza among others.  This theme park is located in the heart of Davao, along Palma Gil street.

Check out these amazing views! (Thanks Fra Diavalo Jamir for the photos)

In partnership with the Davao City Tourism, 44 Davao Bloggers and photographers went on a daring adventure to capture "Davao: Life Is Here", the official slogan of the Davao City Tourism.

The group was divided into four teams namely: Toril Trailblazers, Calinan Thrill-Seekers, Downtown Explorers, and Uptown Adventurers. The objective of the tour is to put the different places around the city on the map through the power of social media. Thanks to  the pocket wi-fi provided by Smart Communications, the participants were able to live tweet and check-in through Foursquare.

I was chosen to be part of the Downtown Explorers. Our group was able to visit establishments within the heart of the city such as the:

- Davao City Hall
- San Pedro Cathedral
- Museo Dabawenyo
- D'Bone Collector Musuem Inc.
- People's Park
- Pasalubong Center
- Cinematheque Davao
- Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp.
- Zabadanni Middle Eastern Restaurant.

It was such an enjoyable albeit a little tiring experience. I'll take you through all these places in my future posts, so stay tuned! =)

Downtown Explorers! =)