Davao City

Davao City 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 (Region XI). 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 1847, 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 (once called Tagloc River by the Bagobos). 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 (smallest political villages) 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 (1) hour and 40 minutes away from Manila (the country’s capital) 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 (Tagalog) 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 (Islam, Buddhism, etc).

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 (opened in December 2003) 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 (the Sasa Wharf and the Sta. Ana Pier) 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 (grade school) and secondary (high school) 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 largely contributed to the country’s ever increasing pool of masters and doctorate degree holders helping the Philippines gained the distinction of having one of the highest numbers of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) graduates in the world.

The city is considered the Center for Learning and Education in the Mindanao Island. Currently, it has 374 elementary schools, 65 secondary schools, and 46 colleges and universities.

Some of the more popular schools in Davao City are: 1. University of the Philippines - Mindanao 2. Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) 3. University of Mindanao 4. University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) 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. St. Peter's College of Toril 14. 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 the neighboring Tagum City, Davao 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 (excluding branches), 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 (ATM) 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 has also 20 local newspapers, 11 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.

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. (Mintal Elementary School)

Camp Domingo Leonor – Quarters of the Spanish and later American soldiers in the 1920s. (San Pedro St.)

City Hall of Davao – The former municipal building constructed in 1926. (San Pedro St.)

Davao Museum – Houses artifacts of Davao's indigenous tribes and photographs of the city's historic events and history of its pioneering families. (Insular Village II, Lanang)

Davao Historical Society Museum – Features the historical and indigenous collections of the Davao Historical Society (Magsaysay Park)

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. (Junction of Washington St. and Quimpo Blvd.)

Furukawa Plantation – The abaca plantation in Daliao which was acquired from the Bagobos as a result of the Otha Public Land Act in 1903. (Toril)

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. (Calinan)

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. (Mintal)

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. (R. Cabaguio Ave.)

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. (Gov. Generoso Bridge)

Mindanao Taoist Temple – Houses the holy icons of the Taoist religion. (J.P. Cabaguio Ave.)

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. (Mintal)

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. (San Pedro St.)

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. (Mintal, Tugbok District & Toril District)

Osmeña Park – Formerly known as the Plaza, this was the site of the settlement of the early Davaoeños. (San Pedro St.)

Ottha Kyosaburu Memorial Shrine – A memorial obelisk built in honor of Otha Kyosaburu who invoked the Public Land Act No. 926 of 1903. (Mintal Elementary School)

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. (Rodriguez Park, Quezon Blvd.)

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. (San Pedro St.). 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. (Shrine Hill, Matina)

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. (Buhangin District)

Talomo Beach – Sunken warships during the Second World War can be found just 200 meters from the shore. (Talomo District)

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 (previously named Monkey Eating 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.

External links

Cities in the Philippines

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