Perhaps, it is not a mere coincidence that we select our Mutya ng Dabaw in March, also the International Women's Month. Because, as the founder of the Araw ng Dabaw celebration and the Mutya ng Dabaw search, the late Mayor Elias B. Lopez, declared in an interview in 1991: "The concept of Mutya is not a beauty contest. It is our search for the symbol of our hopes and aspirations as Dabawenyos represented by the beauty and character of our ideal woman. The focus is not just on the woman, but more so on what the woman represents."

In Davao City, the birthplace of the first-ever Women Development Code in the country, our ideal woman is one who is strong and independent; enlightened and socially aware; politically active in promoting gender equality; intelligent and articulate in more than one language; confident yet humble; believes that all of God's creations are beautiful; and whose talents and skills serve not just her personal growth, but also dedicated to developing her community and in promoting peace.

That should be our Mutya ng Dabaw because that is our ideal woman.

In 1991, at the height of the Gulf crisis, Davao City did not crown a Mutya ng Dabaw. Feminist groups thought that the Araw ng Dabaw celebration would be better off without it for two reasons: (1) the search is too costly to mount in times of economic hardships; and (2) the search has been under public scrutiny then for alleged corruption and exploitation of women.

That year, and every year since then, Dabawenyos searched their souls and posed this question: Is it still relevant to have a Mutya ng Dabaw (with or without the crisis)?

Dabawenyo artist Joey Ayala, 2000 Datu Bago Awardee, had this to say about the Mutya ng Dabaw: "No one event or person can claim to embody the hopes and aspirations of a people. Besides, there is this question of beauty - what is beauty, anyway? It is relative. I think a Mutya search based on community involvement would be a better alternative."

The League of Filipino Students (LFS) in Davao City joined in the debate and offered this advice in 1991: "Most of the women who join the Mutya search are students and even those who watch the selection process are also students and youth so it is important for the Mutya to be socially-aware of and articulate in the issues and concerns of the youth of Davao City." Mutya ng Dabaw 1971 Genette Ledesma-Lon, now a successful entrepreneur, a key player in the local tourism industry, and a socio-civic leader in the city, recalled that when she joined the Mutya search the emphasis was in promoting Davao. They were made to visit different places in the city, meet the different tribes and learn about their culture. She said: "For the many years that I have been able to judge some Mutya contests, I noticed that we are no longer attracting the kind of Dabawenya who is knowledgeable about her city and has concern for her people. The feedback I have been getting is not nice. How can they represent Davao if they do not know anything about it?" She added that the search did not anymore promote positive values for women so it only recruited those who just wanted money and fame.

That was then. This is now.

In 2004, the Mutya ng Dabaw started showing significant changes in its selection process and in the way the pageant is presented to the public. For one, there were no wearing of skimpy swimsuits and revealing attires. The swimsuit competition was scrapped because it was viewed as promoting women as sex objects. Plus the
fact that a woman's body shape and size have absolutely nothing to do with the hopes and aspirations of Davao's people.

The Mutya candidates are now made to visit the different barangays of the city, experience firsthand their issues and problems and find out how they can help respond to them, interact with the people and learn about their hopes and dreams for the city. They are given inputs on Davao's history and development plan. They also undergo a gender orientation seminar to inspire a transformation in their hearts and minds that might be conditioned by the dominant patriarchal culture.

The Mutya ng Dabaw coronation night itself also evolved into a musical theatre that showcases Davao's rich history and culture, where women demonstrate their talents, skills, and knowledge of the city they represent. The people who watch are also treated to a world-class performance by outstanding Davao artists with original music and dances.

In 2008, the Mutya ng Dabaw added another meaningful dimension – promoting an advocacy and implementing a community development project. The candidates are now expected to have a nobler goal than just getting the title, they must believe in something bigger than themselves. And they are encouraged to practice what they preach by implementing a project that responds to a specific social issue and need of a community in Davao City.

This remarkable development has brought back the honor and prestige to the Mutya ng Dabaw. Even feminists in the city concede that it is much better now than before when it was just a beauty contest. Now more and more young women are drawn to the search because of the opportunity to implement a tangible community project and the privilege of being able to show the world that the new Dabawenya is the master of her own fate, a pro-active and productive citizen of her community, and an equal partner of men in charting her city’s destiny. Because in Davao City, where all women are beautiful in diverse ways, it is impossible and ridiculous to have a beauty contest.

- Patmei Bello Ruivivar