Encyclopedia
The
City of Davao is one of the most important cities in the Philippines and the de facto capital of the island of
Mindanao. It is also the largest city in the
Philippines in terms of land area. Its international airport and seaport is one of the busiest cargo hubs in the Southern Philippines. Davao City is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province though it is usually grouped with
Davao del Sur for statistical purposes. The city is also the regional center for
Davao Region . It is one of the world's largest cities in terms of land area, occupying more than 2,400 square kilometers. Davao City has a resident population of 1.3 million, with about 2 million people present during daylight hours.
According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 1,147,116 people in 240,057 households.
It is currently one of the centers of BPO operations in the Philippines. The city is projected to earn at least US$5 billion in annual revenue by 2010, according a CITEM report.
In recent years, the sprawling urban metropolis has emerged as the business, investment and tourism hub for southern Philippines. The city boasts some of the finest beach and mountain resorts in the country, and proximity to the Philippines’ most captivating diving spots as well as its highest peak, Mt Apo.
History
Local historians claim that the word
davao came from the phonetic blending of the word of three Bagobo subgroups when referring to Davao River, an essential waterway which empties itself into Davao Gulf near the city. The
aboriginal Obos who inhabit the hinterlands of the region called the
river,
Davoh; the Clatta or Guiangans called it
Duhwow, or
Davau, and the Tagabawa Bagobos,
Dabu. To the Obos, the word
davoh also means a place "
beyond the high grounds", alluding to the settlements located at the mouth of Davao River which were surrounded by high rolling
hills. When asked where they were going, the usual reply is
davoh, while pointing towards the direction of the town. Duhwow also refers to a trading settlement where they barter their forest goods in exchange for salt or other commodities.
Spanish influence was hardly felt in the Davao until 1848, when an expedition led by
Don Jose Uyanguren came to establish a Christian settlement in an area of mangrove swamps that is now Bolton Riverside. Davao was then ruled by a Moro chieftain,
Datu Bago, who held his settlement at the banks of Davao River . After Uyanguren defeated Datu Bago, he renamed the region Nueva Guipozcoa, in honor of his home in
Spain, and became its first governor. Oyanguren's efforts to develop the area, however, did not prosper.
A few years after the
American forces landed in 1900, private farm ownership grew and transportation and communication facilities were improved, thus paving the way for the region's economic growth.
A Japanese entrepreneur named
Kichisaburo Ohta was granted permission to exploit vast territories which he transformed into
abacá and
coconut plantations. The first wave of Japanese plantation workers came onto its shores in 1903, creating a
Japan kuo, or Little Japan. They had their own
school,
newspapers, an
embassy, and even a
Shinto Shrine. On the whole, they established extensive abaca plantations around the shores of Davao Gulf and developed large-scale commercial interests such as copra, timber, fishing and import-export trading. Filipinos learned the techniques of improved cultivation from the Japanese so that ultimately, agriculture became the lifeblood of the province's economic prosperity.
Davao was formally inaugurated as a chartered city on March 1, 1937 by President
Manuel L. Quezon. Thirty years later, Davao was subdivided into three independent provinces, namely
Davao del Norte,
Davao del Sur, and
Davao Oriental. Over the years, Davao has become an ethnic melting pot as it continues to draw migrants from all over the country, lured by the prospects of striking it rich in the country's third largest city.
Geography
Total land area of Davao City is 2,443.61 square kilometers. In terms of land area, it is considered as one of the largest cities in the world. It is divided into 3 congressional districts with barangays totaling to 184.
Almost 50% of its total land area is classified as timberland or
forest. Agriculture utilizes about 43%. This is reflective of the fact that agriculture is still the largest economic sector. Big plantations that produce
banana,
pineapple,
coffee, and
coconut eat up a large chunk of the total land area.
Presently, built-up areas used for residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial purposes represent about 10% of the total land area. Under the approved land use plan built-up and settlement area will cover 15% of the total area while agricultural will be maximized with 67.19%. The remaining 17.68 will be devoted for forest and conservation.
Davao City is
typhoon-free. The city enjoys a weather that remains balmy all year round. It is characterized by a uniform distribution of
rainfall, temperature,
humidity, and air pressure. It has no pronounced wet or dry season. Weather predictability makes it highly conducive to agro-crop production. Temperature ranges from 20 to 32 degrees
Celsius and average rainfall is up to 2,000 mm yearly.
Government
Unique to the local government set-up of the city is the designation of a
deputy mayor by the city mayor. Although an appointive official only, the deputy mayor serves as a direct link to the city mayor especially for people living outside the city proper. The deputy mayor also serves as the city mayor's representative in community events. The functions of the position is considered as complementary to the functions of the city vice-mayor, given the large territorial jurisdiction of the city.
The city is politically subdivided into 184 barangays.
The current mayor of Davao City is Rodrigo Duterte, a former government prosecutor and congressman. He is assisted by city vice-mayor Luis Bonguyan.
Accessibility
Davao City is very accessible. As the gateway to the Philippine South and the BIMP-EAGA, it has regular air, sea, and land linkages to major points in the country. It is one hour and 40 minutes away from
Manila by plane and only 30 minutes away from
Cebu City. It has daily flights to
Singapore, twice weekly flights to Manado,
Indonesia and thrice weekly flights to
Palau. The city can also be accessed from other major cities in the Philippines by air such as
Zamboanga City, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Bacolod City and
Iloilo City while
Cagayan de Oro City, a major city in Northern Mindanao is linked to the city by the scenic Davao-Bukidnon Highway.
Demographics
Bisaya is the most widely spoken language. The Filipino language comes a close second.
English is the medium of instruction in schools and is widely understood and spoken especially in the business community.
The most dominant group is the
Roman Catholic at 83.83%, other Christian groups comprise 15% and the remaining 1.17% belongs to other non-Christian faiths .
Infrastructure
The presence of basic infrastructure within the City such as
airport,
seaports,
roads,
bridges, and
telecommunications has sustained the economic growth in the last 10 years. Due to the City’s unprecedented growth, a clamor for higher capacity infrastructures resulted to a number of modernization projects now ongoing to meet the demands of the new millennium.
The Davao International Airport is the busiest airport in Mindanao. Expansion and modernization began in 1998. Today, the new DIA has begun accommodating wider-bodied jets such as the
Boeing 747.
Construction of more roads and bridges are also underway. The construction of the City’s third major road - the Buhangin underpass was completed in the 1st quarter of 2003. A Traffic Management and Computerization Scheme was also implemented. Davao City is ranked no. 5 among cities in
Asia with better traffic flow based on vehicles per kilometer of city road.
Presently, there are 2 government seaports and 9 privately owned ports. The City Government is currently in the process of taking over the management of the seaports to modernize facilities and expand capacity. In addition, the city has a fish port called the Toril Fish Port Complex to accommodate small and large-scale fishing activities as well as provide among others cold-storage facilities.
Communication links within the key business areas are adequate. With the deregulation and privatization policies of the Philippine government, the number of telecommunications player is projected to increase as well as offer affordable telecommunications services to subscribers/clienteles.
Education
The government provides free education at the primary and secondary levels. Government scholars can enjoy free college education in state-run universities such as the University of the Philippines and the University of SouthEastern Philippines. The
literacy rate of the country is 93.9%. Davao City on the other hand has a higher literacy rate at 98.05%.
The city has contributed much to the country’s ever increasing pool of masters and doctorate degree holders helping the Philippines gain the distinction of having one of the highest numbers of Masters in Business Administration graduates in the world.
The city is considered the Center for Learning and Education in Mindanao Island. Currently, it has 374
elementary schools, 65
secondary schools, and 46
colleges and
universities.
Some of the more popular and elite schools in Davao City are:
1. University of the Philippines - Mindanao
2. Ateneo de Davao University
3. University of Mindanao
4. University of the Immaculate Conception
5. San Pedro College
6. Brokenshire College
7. Davao Doctors College
8. University of SouthEastern Philippines
9. Philippine Wowen's College
10.Assumption College of Davao
11. Rizal Memorial Colleges
12. Holy Cross of Davao College
13. Holy Cross College of Calinan
14 St. Peter's College of Toril
15. AMA College - Davao
Medical care
The average
life expectancy of Davaoeños is 70 for
females and 65 for
males. There are about 31
hospitals with a total of 1,763 beds in Davao City. Very affordable medical services are made available to poor residents through the Davao Medical Center, which has the most hospitals beds at 600. On the other hand, hospitals such as the Davao Doctors Hospital, San Pedro Hospital, BrokenShire Memorial Hospital and Davao Medical Center are training hospitals that also offer specialized medical care services. Davao Regional Hospital in neighboring Tagum City, also offers the same quality specialized physician training and health services.
Psychiatric hospitals, psychotherapy clinics and counselling centers are also found in the city, directed and manned by internationally-trained counselors, psychologists, psychometricians and psychiatrists.
Finance
Currently, there are around 60 banks , 22 financing companies, and 9 lending firms operating in the city. These can handle financial/monetary transactions from the most basic to the most complicated.
CitiBank which is a foreign subsidiary operates in the city while another foreign bank, HSBC is set to open its doors the Davao community within the year.
Automated teller machines in the city are hooked up to international card networks such as
Visa ELECTRON, VISA,
MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro. On the other hand, major business establishments in the city honor local and international credit cards issued by VISA,
MasterCard,
JCB,
Diners Club and
American Express.
Foreign relations
The influx of foreign visitors and the presence of expatriates and migrants in the city have prompted the governments of
Japan,
Malaysia,
Indonesia and the
United States to open consular offices in the city.
The US Embassy in the Philippines opened a
virtual consulate wherein inquiries on visa issuances, foreign relations concerns and travel to the United States can be made in the Internet by
e-mail and chat. The virtual consulate website is maintained in coordination with
Ateneo de Davao University.
Media
Aside from the 24 national daily
newspapers available, Davao City also has 20 local newspapers, 15 broadcast TV stations, 15 AM-band radio stations, and 25 FM-band radio stations. These numbers reflect the extent of
press freedom being enjoyed by the print and broadcast media as well as provide wide range of choice for residents and visitors alike.
Television Networks:
Security and civil defense
The city government has invested millions of pesos to ensure the security of people living and working in Davao City. Aside from the usual forces of the Philippine National Police, a special military task force has been formed to insulate the city from terrorist attacks and other forms of criminality. The Task Force Davao, as it is named, is affiliated with the
Philippine Army and is headed by an army colonel.
The city government also maintains a 24-hour emergency response system patterned that after the 911 in Canada and the
United States. People can dial the 911 number to report emergencies and criminal incidents.
A curfew is also observed in the city. All business establishments, in particular bars and discos, are mandated by a city ordinance to close down at 2:00 AM. On the other hand,
motorcycle drivers with no helmets and motorists with defective lights are not allowed to drive within the city proper or to enter the city, if they come from nearby towns and cities. Regular checkpoints in key parts of Davao City and in the city boundaries are conducted 24 hours to ensure the strict implementation of traffic rules.
Use of
fireworks and other similar pyrotechnic materials, as well as
smoking, is strictly prohibited in the city. Violators are made to pay hefty fines, perform community service, render jail time or a combination of the three.
Tourist spots
Battle Memorial – A historical marker of the longest-fought battle between the troops of the American forces and of the
Japanese Imperial Army which took place in Mintal, Tugbok District.
Camp Domingo Leonor – Quarters of the Spanish and later American soldiers in the 1920s.
City Hall of Davao – The former municipal building constructed in 1926.
Davao Museum – Houses artifacts of Davao's indigenous tribes and photographs of the city's historic events and history of its pioneering families.
Davao Historical Society Museum – Features the historical and indigenous collections of the Davao Historical Society
Fort of Datu Bago - Site of the bastion of the Muslim hero Datu Bago who lorded over the Tagloc River, the old name of Davao River.
Furukawa Plantation – The abaca plantation in Daliao which was acquired from the Bagobos as a result of the Otha Public Land Act in 1903.
Japanese Museum – The museum features historical accounts of the Japanese community residing in Davao before and during the war including their tools which they used in the abaca plantations, currencies, publications, among others.
Japanese Peace Memorial Shrine – During the "Ubon Yasumi," Japan's version of All Souls' Day held in August, Japanese war veterans and their kin take a pilgrimage to visit this memorial shrine.
Japanese Tunnel - A restaurant with a free entry to a tunnel that the Japanese created in the time of the Japanese Revolution.
Lon Wa Buddhist Temple - The biggest
Buddhist temple in Mindanao is set in environment of candle trees and bamboo with an imposing statue of the
Buddha and his life depicted in wood carving.
Memorial to a Brave Son - This memorial marker was built in recognition of the gallantry of Armando Generoso, who died in the very site of the bridge while defending it from the Japanese invaders during World War ll.
Mindanao Taoist Temple – Houses the holy icons of the
Taoist religion.
Mintal Historical Marker – A memorial to Col. Yamada who defended Mintal during the war. It is also the site of the visit of McArthur, Stillwel and Eichelberger.
Monument of Peace & Unity – Unveiled during the celebration of the Philippine Centennial in 1998, the monument depicts the peaceful relationship of the migrant and indigenous inhabitants of Davao in the last 100 years.
Mosques –
Islam is also one of the major religions in the city with several places of worships found in Bankerohan, Quezon Blvd., Panacan, Quimpo Blvd., among others.
Old Japanese Houses – The site of old Japanese homes, warehouses and abaca processing and drying plants before and during
World War II.
Osmeña Park – Formerly known as the Plaza, this was the site of the settlement of the early Davaoeños.
Ottha Kyosaburu Memorial Shrine – A memorial
obelisk built in honor of Otha Kyosaburu who invoked the Public Land Act No. 926 of 1903.
Uyanguren Landing Site – The landing site of Don Jose Oyanguren y Cruz of
Guipuzcoa,
Spain, the Spanish conqueror who later became the Governor of Davao.
San Pedro Cathedral – One of the oldest churches in Mindanao, the original structure of the church was built in 1847 in honor of
St. Peter, the city's patron saint. The old altar is preserved at the right wing of the
cathedral. . It is the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Davao.
Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague – A local mecca of the city's
Roman Catholic devotees.
St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary – A shrine built in honor of the
Blessed Virgin Mary which features series of steps which leads to the main chapel.
Talomo Beach – Sunken
warships during the Second World War can be found just 200 meters from the shore.
Eden Nature Park - A very popular mountain resort located some 40 min away from the city center. It is situated 3000 ft above sea level, giving it a cool and moderate climate. It is 95% man made with pine trees dotting the landscape. It covers 40 hectares worth of developed land.
Philippine Eagle Center - Home to the Philippines National Bird, The Philippine Eagle , the largest eagle in the World. It is where they are bred in captivity in order to increase their population and prevent extinction. Located in Malagos, a 45 min drive from the city center. Aside from being a temporary home for the Monkey Eating Eagle's, it also hosts some other exotic animals native to Davao's forest.
Paradise Island and Beach Resort - A very popular white sand beach resort located in Samal Island. It is a 5 min boat ride away from its drop off point at Lanang. Aside from its unspoiled waters, it also has a zoo as an added attraction.
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