DAVAO CITY — What makes a public space welcoming, a neighborhood more livable, or a city better suited to the people who call it home? At the inaugural Davao Design Week, those questions opened a conversation that welcomed everyone—from design professionals and community leaders to students and children.
Held at La Herencia Davao from October 8 to 10, Davao Design Week 2026 explored how involving people in the design process can help address local challenges and improve everyday life.
Under the theme “DESIGNDUMP: From The People,” the event was presented by Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev), SKS Interiors, Inc., and La Herencia Davao in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Design Week Philippines.
More than 30 speakers joined panel discussions, alongside workshops, performances, and interactive activities that brought students, educators, creatives, design professionals, government representatives, and community leaders into a shared exchange of ideas.
Davao Design Week 2026 brought together participants from various sectors to explore how design can better reflect people’s needs, experiences, and aspirations.
The event’s focus on participatory design came to life through the Puhon Visioning Workshop, organized by Placemaking Davao. Dabawenyos of different ages and backgrounds, including children, shared their hopes for the city’s public spaces, infrastructure, and community life as Davao approaches its 100th year.
By inviting residents to contribute their own experiences, the workshop gave the people who use these spaces a role in imagining their future.
Hands-on workshops and interactive activities gave participants opportunities to learn, create, and contribute their perspectives on Davao’s future.
For Alsons Dev, a Davao-based real estate developer with more than six decades of industry experience, this approach reflects a responsibility that extends beyond constructing buildings.
In her opening keynote address, Alsons Dev Vice President and General Manager Jolla A. Soriaga emphasized the importance of understanding the people whose lives are shaped by development.
“As developers, we do more than create structures. We shape the places where people live, work, and interact, so good design must go beyond aesthetics and efficiency to respond to people’s needs. This calls for malasakit: understanding the people and places we serve and designing with genuine care for both. This community-centric approach guides our work at Alsons Dev,” Soriaga said.
Alsons Dev Vice President and General Manager Jolla A. Soriaga discussed how care for people and places guides the company’s approach to development and community building.
Alsons Dev also brought its design perspective to the event through an immersive exhibit featuring a lush green space, showcasing the company’s approach to sustainable design in its developments.
Alsons Dev’s exhibit offered visitors an immersive green setting that highlighted its approach to sustainable design.
The event’s call to action, “Life is Better When We Design Together,” captured the value of bringing professional expertise into conversation with lived experience.
For Alsons Dev, supporting that exchange is part of building communities of lasting value. Davao Design Week offered a place to put that principle into practice: listening to residents, making room for different perspectives, and recognizing that the people who call a city home have a meaningful role in shaping what it becomes.
