HISTORY OF DAVAO

The first documented arrival of the Spaniards on Davao soil was as early as February 2, 1543.

After the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan, three others were sent by the Hispanic
Monarchy to reassert the claims of the Philippines then known as Islas del Poniente or the Sunset
Islands. In 1525, Garcia Jofre de Loaysa sailed across the Atlantic but were caught by a storm
while heading towards the Pacific Ocean. A year after, Sebastian Cabot led 250 men but failed to
find the westward route as well. A third expedition, this time from the Viceroyalty in Mexico and
led by Alvaro Saavedra Ceron, successfully reached Surigao but failed to colonize.

It was in 1542 when Ruy Lopez de Villalobos was commissioned by King Charles I to lay claim
on the archipelago again. As recorded, Villalobos finally reached the Baganga Bay in what is
now known as Davao Oriental on February 2, 1543. They sailed southward and thru the west and
found the Saranggani Island in the southern part of the present day Davao del Sur and named it
Antonia. It is also noted that it was the Villalobos’ expedition from which the archipelago was
named Philippines after reaching the island of Leyte which they called Felipina. The Spaniards,
however, failed to establish a colony, more so in Mindanao.

Fast forward to 1847, Jose Oyanguren, a Spanish who had business interests in Surigao set sights
toward the south. Governor General Narciso Claveria granted Oyanguren’s proposal that he
would establish a Christian settlement with the authority providing him with arms and
ammunition. In exchange, Oyanguren would hold the governorship for ten years and exclusive
rights for commerce and trade for six years. Oyanguren later sailed thru Davao Gulf in March
1848.

As Davao Gulf had been strongly held by the natives led by Datu Bago, Oyanguren took three
months to take control of the region. It was June 29, 1848 when Oyanguren finally gained the
power over the region. He called it Nueva Guipozcoa, in honor of his home province in Spain.
He also called the Christian settlement, as Nueva Vergara.

For three years, Oyanguren had been the governor and had been enjoying the mercantile
privileges. Besides, a handful more Spaniards came in to settle. However, he was stripped of
these benefits by Governor-General Antonio Urbistondo, who succeeded Antonio Maria Blanco,
Narciso Claveria’s immediate successor in 1849. On November 25, 1851, Oyanguren was
relieved of his position as Governor and also lost his exclusive rights in commerce and trade.

Based on records, Jose Oyanguren died on October 10, 1858, the day after he wed Luisa Azaola
on his deathbed. (Libro de Intierros - Book 1 Page 46)

Many local historians claim that Jose Oyanguren played a vital role in shaping what is now
known as country’s southern gateway.

References: Wikipedia, Museo Dabawenyo, Philippine History authored by Maria Christine

Halili
The beginnings of Davao as a distinct geopolitical entity started during the last fifty years of
Spanish rule in the country. While Spanish sovereignty had been established along the
northeastern coasts of Mindanao down to Bislig as early as 1620, it was not until the conquest of
Davao Gulf area in 1848 that Spanish sway in these parts became de facto, and Davao’s history
began to be recorded.

In that year, Don Jose Cruz de Oyanguren, a native of Vergara, Guipuzcoa, Spain, having
received a special grant from Don Narciso Claveria, Governor- General of the Archipelago, “to
conquer and subdue the entire gulf district, expel or pacify the Moros there, and establish the
Christian religion....” arrived in Davao as head of a colonizing expedition comprising 70 men
and women. They found an ally in Datu Daupan, chief of the Samal Mandayas, who saw in
Oyanguren’s colonizing venture a chance to get even with Datu Bago, Muslim chief of Davao
Gulf, who had treated the Mandayas as vassals. Oyanguren’s initial attack against Datu Bago’s
fortified settlement at the mouth of Davao River proved futile. His ships could not maneuver in
the narrow channel of the Davao River bend (where Bolton Bridge is now located) and was
forced to retreat. He erected at Piapi a palisade for his defense and constructed a causeway across
nipa swamps to the dry section of the meadows (now at Claveria Street junction), in order to
bring his canons within range to Datu Bago’s settlement. In the three months that he devoted to
constructing the causeway, Oyanguren had also to fend off Datu Bago’s harassing attacks against
the workers.

Finally, late in June help came from Zamboanga. Don Manuel Quesada, Navy Commanding
General, arrived with a company of infantry and joined in the attack against Datu Bago’s
settlement. The out-gunned defenders, despite their tenacious resistance, finally fled in the cover
of night to different Muslim communities in the hope of carrying on the fight some other day.
Oyanguren was reported to have peaceful possession of the Davao Gulf territory at the end of
1849, despite lack of support from the government in Manila and his principals in the venture.
He campaigned hard among the different tribes --the Mandayas, Manobos, etc. urging them to
live in settlements or reducciones in order to reach them for trade and commerce, but to no avail.
The Moros** continued to threaten those who collaborated with the Españoles. Little headway
was made in economic development of the gulf region.

_____________________________________________________________________
* Excerpts from a manuscript “Davao: An Introduction to its History” by Ernesto I. Corcino.
** Moros here is used interchangeably with Muslims, and refers generally to believers of Islam.
Moslem is the preferred usage in Islamic countries in the Middle East, where the Islam believers
were called Moors in older times. Moros refer specifically to believers of Islam in Southern
Philippines as distinguished from the Moors of earlier century, Islam believers in Southern Spain
and North Africa.

By 1852, due to intrigues by people in Manila dissatisfied with his Davao venture, Oyanguren
was relieved of the command of Davao by Governor General Blanco, Marquis de Solana. By that
time, Nueva Vergara had a population of 526 residents and while relative peace with the natives
prevailed, population expanded very slowly that even in the census report of 1855, the Christian
inhabitants and converts increased to only 817 which included 137 exempted from paying
tributes.

In 1867, the original settlement by the side of Davao River (end of present Bolton Street) was
relocated to its present site with the Saint Peter’s church as the center edifice on the intersection
of San Pedro and Claveria Streets.

In the meantime, in response to the Davaowenos’ clamor, Nueva Vergara was renamed “Davao”.
The name is derived from its Bagobo origins: the Tagabawa who called the river “Dabo”, the
Giangan or Diangan who called it “Dawaw”, and the Obo who called it “Davah”, with a gentle
vowel ending, although later usage pronounce it with a hard “v” as in “b”. The pioneer Christian
inhabitants of the settlement understandably were the proponents behind the official adoption of
the name “Davao” in 1868.

The arrival of an initial batch of three Jesuit missionaries in Davao in 1868 to take over the
mission from the lone Recollect priest in the Gulf area, marked a systematic and concerted effort
at winning over the native inhabitants to the folds of Christian life. Through their zeal and
frequent field work, the Jesuit fathers gradually succeeded in winning over the different
indigenous tribes to live in reducciones, thus easily reached for instructions in Christian precepts
and practices.

By the 1890’s, even the Moslems were starting to become converts, through the efforts of their
own datus (Datu Timan and Datu Porkan), although many others remained steadfast in their
Islam faith. Fr. Saturnino Urios who labored among the Moros of Hijo in 1892 further swayed
the latter’s faith that led to the splitting of their population. Those who wanted to live among the
Christians left Hijo and were resettled in Tigatto and Ma-a, under the supervision of Don
Francisco Bangoy and Don Teodoro Palma Gil, Sr. respectively. These separatist groups
generally refer to themselves today as Kalagans.

During the early years of American rule which began in late December 1898 the town began to
mark its role as a new growth center of the Philippines. The American settlers, mostly retired
soldiers and investor friends from Zamboanga, Cebu, Manila and the U.S. mainland immediately
recognized Davao’s rich potential for agricultural investment. Primeval forest lands were
available everywhere. They staked their claim generally in hundreds of hectares and began
planting rubber, abaca and coconuts in addition to different varieties of tropical plants imported
from Ceylon, India, Hawaii, Java and Malaysia. In the process of developing large-scale
plantations, they were faced with the problem of lack of laborers. Thus, they contracted workers
from Luzon and the Visayas, including the Japanese, many of whom were former laborers in the
Baguio, Benguet road construction. Most of these Japanese later became land-owners themselves
as they acquired lands thru lease from the government or bought out some of the earlier
American plantations. The first two decades of the 20th century, found Davao one of the major
producers of export products --- abaca, copra and lumber. It became a regular port of call by
inter-island shipping and began direct commercial linkages abroad - US, Japan, Australia, etc.
Some 40 American and 80 Japanese plantations proliferated throughout the province in addition
to numerous stores and business establishments. Davao saw a rapid rise in its population and its
economic progress gave considerable importance to the country’s economy and foreign trade.

Japanese immigration to Davao increased substantially from 1903 to 1925 and their domination
of Davao’s economic life engendered suspicions of their presence as inimical to the national
interest. Davao became the subject of national and international commentaries and projected
Davao’s economic opportunities, which in turn attracted laborers most from the Visayas to come.
The national government in turn campaign among the landless to come and encouraged
settlement in the Mindanao region by homeseekers from Luzon and the Visayas.

Government roads leading to wide inaccessible virgin plains were constructed with workers
given free transportation and subsidized food supply. It was a move to accelerate Davao’s or
Mindanao’s development by Filipino themselves and check expansion of Japanese land
acquisition.

Opportunities engendered by the presence of these foreign investors had in no small measure
enhanced in-migration from different parts of the Philippines. Davao progressed more than it had
ever experienced before. This was Davao when its leaders with the encouragement of President
Manuel L. Quezon, opted to create Davao as a city.

On October 16, 1936, by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 51 otherwise known as the Charter of
the City of Davao, the municipality of Davao became a city under the sponsorship of the then
Assemblyman Romualdo C. Quimpo. The city was joyously inaugurated in March 1, 1937 with
Hon. Elpidio Quirino, then the Secretary of Interior as President Quezon’s representative in the
celebration program. Davao City’s territory of 244,000 hectares covered the municipality of
Davao and the municipal district of Guianga. A photo taken of that inaugural ceremony held on
the large stage along the steps of the City Hall - shows Secretary Quirino, Mayor Santiago
Artiaga, the appointive city mayor with member of the city council, Assemblyman Romualdo C.
Quimpo, Dr. Alberto Zamora, last Municipal President of Davao, Father Reyes of the San Pedro
Parish, Gen. Paulino Santos and many leading citizens of Davao.

When the City of Davao began on March 1, 1937, its population was listed at about 68,000. By
1940 it increased to 98,000. By 1945, despite the toll and dispersion caused by the Japanese
invasion in December 1941, the city’s population by estimate in 1946 increased to 111,263. In
the census of 1960, population figure doubled to 227,635. In 1970, this rose to 750,000.
(population estimates by officials and business sector).

World War II brought considerable destruction to the new city and numerous setbacks to the
earlier economic and physical strides made prior to the Japanese occupation. Davao was among
the earliest to be occurred by the invading Japanese Forces, and they immediately fortified the
city as the bastion of Japanese defense system. It was subjected by the returning forces of Gen.
Mac Arthur to constant bombing, long before the American Liberation Forces landed in Leyte in
October 1945.

In the US Liberation of Davao, the Japanese Forces put up their tenacious stand in countless
pillboxes and tunnels. It was here where the longest battle campaign took place in the liberation
of the Philippines: six months duration and the enemy holding on for over a month more
following the officials surrender of Japan in mid - August 1945. More lives were lost here than in
any other city in the country. Davao’s destruction, followed by a swell of thousands of guerrillas
who wanted to squat former-Japanese owned plantations, together with a deluge of sickly
refugees from the mountains, added to the physical and economic problems of the City.

The concomitant process of rebuilding was greatly assisted by the US Army’s PCAU-29 officials
and President Roxas’ promise of distributing enemy property to the veterans. These twin factors
attracted more veteran settlers speculators and sincere investors to Davao.

Gradually, the city regained its status as the premier agricultural and trade center of Mindanao.
Logs, lumber, plywood, copra and banana products gradually replaced abaca as the major export
product. Numerous varieties of fruits have likewise been produced for country-wide
consumption as some, like bananas and mangoes , are now being exported. While its rich mineral
resources particularly copper and gold remains a challenge for those with capital to invest,
thousands of manual gold diggers and panners have began to extract the precious metal,
particularly in Mt. Diwata , Northern Davao and the eastern side of Davao Gulf at Boringot ,
Pantukan.

Today, the City of Davao looks forward to accelerating further its economic development. The
lure of business opportunities with the fast rising population, along with its agricultural and
industrial potentialities, has continuously brought ever increasing number of adventurous and
equally ambitious investors as well as men and women of every profession, art and trade.
Tagalogs, Pampangos, Ilocanos and Visayas have found grounds in the city wherein to start or
renew their base in life. They have all molded to become Davaoweños and Davao City has
earned the honor and is justifiably proud to be called “the Melting Pot of the Philippines”. And
more, they are participating in reaching out to supplement the government’s activities to realize
Davao’s thrust as the new Gateway of the Philippines. Mindanao envisions closer tie-up with its
neighbors to the south in renewing its ancient cultural , economic and commercial relations.

One interesting feature of Davao is the composition of its inhabitants--- a mix 5 that would make
a visitor or newcomer readily feel “at home”. That mixture--- of indigenous “natives” and
practically all the ethnic groups representing the different parts of the country from the Ilocos
region, the Mountain Provinces of Luzon, the Capampangans and Tagalogs of Central Luzon, the
Caviteños, Batangueños and Bicolanos have blended into a new breed of Filipinos as they came
in contact with the Visayas---Ilongos, Negrenses, Cebuanos, Boholanos and Leyteños--- in their
search for new homes and opportunities for advancement in life. They have come to the
welcoming and helpful arms of inhabitants preceding them in Davao.