As Davao City marks National Heritage Month, a curated exhibition of archival artifacts spotlights the fragments of San Pedro Street’s history and the youth’s role in sustaining the city’s culture and history amid pressures from globalization.

Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) Institute of Davao Studies Coordinator Rhys Lloyd Lacia explained that the street’s enduring history as one of the city’s early settlements in the late 1800s inspired the exhibit.

“These areas that we see might be just structures for some, but these are witnesses and reflections of our resilience as a city. Isa na ka example dira ang City Hall that despite the [Second World] war, despite the changes… it has survived for already 100 years.”

However, he attributed today’s erosion of local heritage and the conservation of Dabawenyo history to global movements.

“If mas gina-prefer na nato ang global trends while forgetting our foundations, our values, mawala na ta. Wala na tay murag guide as to how we continue as a city. But still, I’m not saying that globalization as a whole is a threat. We need to balance it.”

Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Archivist Dr. Pamela Castrillo pointed to conservation as one of the major challenges facing local heritage, citing public artwork such as Rachel Hoalzo’s mural painting “The Making of a City” as an example that required ongoing maintenance.

“Heritage is something created in the past, maintained in the present, and transmitted into the future… It’s important to make sure that we do not lose track of who we are as Dabawenyos and as Filipinos. Even as we develop and become modern citizens, we maintain our identity”

In light of these realities, Lacia urged educational institutions to strengthen local history teaching so youth can better understand and address persistent city problems.

“There are still perennial problems in the city nga dili pa jud ma-solve-solve, which our heritage or our own history can give a bigger perspective in understanding these problems… Hopefully, in the academe as well, mas ma-improve pa yung pagtuturo ng local histories.”

Castrillo likewise emphasized the responsibility of academic institutions in shaping public consciousness, correcting misconceptions, and fostering appreciation among younger generations.

“Universities have a responsibility to help shape the consciousness of people… exhibitions like these help correct misconceptions and bring forward ideas that should be promoted and learned, especially by the young,” Castrillo added.

Similarly, second-year B Public Management student Dianne* said that initiatives such as commemorative exhibits complement the role of educational institutions in cultivating an appreciation for local heritage among the youth.

“It’s not enough to talk about this in classrooms… It’s different when you see actual relics of the past… and then someone tells you the details of what happened before and how it relates to the San Pedro Street that we know today… It makes us understand where we come from.”

The “Calle San Pedro: the Art in/of the City” exhibit is organized in collaboration between Davao City Office for Culture and the Arts (DCOCA), Museo Dabawenyo, HCDC Institute of Davao Studies, San Pedro Cathedral, and Ateneo de Davao University.

The exhibit was launched on May 29, 2026, and is open to visitors until June 30 at the G/F Rodriguez Hall, CCFC Building, AdDU – Jacinto Campus.

Editor’s note: The name marked with asterisks is a pseudonym used at the request of the interviewee.