The Christian Migrants
DAVAO’S DISTINCTION AS A PLACE
with a conglomeration of the most varied indigenous tribes is paralleled by its
fame as a “melting pot” of the various regional strains of the Filipino nation.
Here, one will find residents representing practically every province in the
country. There are the Ilocanos, Cagayanos, Nueva Ecijans, Tarlaqueños,
Pampagueños, Caviteños, Batangueños, Bicolanos, Ilonggos, Capizeños,
Antiqueños, Negrenses, Cebuanos, Boholanos, Leteños, Samareños, Zamboangueños,
etc.
Coexisting peacefully, they
have learned to adjust to and adopt one another’s idiosyncrasies and traits.
Davaoeños are developing a new strain of citizenry that embodies the collective
outlook and ideals of the heterogeneous Filipino race. Those who have lived in
Davao long enough to sample the true essence of its life often decide to live
here for good.
The beginnings of migration by
the non-aboriginal Filipinos to this region can be traced to the early
penetration of Mindanao’s wilderness by the Spanish conquistadors and
missionaries. The peoples of Cebu, Bohol and Leyte were brought down by the
Spaniards and served in various capacities under their direction. These
Visayans formed the nucleus and became the forerunners of Christian settlements
that diffused slowly from the east coast to the Davao Gulf.
Their migration during the
Spanish regime was a slow and scanty process because of the lack of motivation
for settling in this area, the almost non-existent transportation facilities,
and the horror stories about Moros running amok (juramentado).
The advent of American
sovereignty in Davao and the country as a whole may be considered the true
beginnings of Christian migration to these parts. The Americans, impressed with
the economic potentialities they saw in the fertile lands of Davao, lost no
time in settling here and opening vast areas for coconut and abaca plantations.
General Leonard Wood, first governor of the Moro Province (1903-1906), may be
credited with opening Davao to modern settlement and migration.
Through his encouragement,
some fifty discharged American soldiers began some thirty-odd plantations along
the coast of Davao. These plantations needed workers, and word on the opportunities
offered by these new enterprises lured more Americans who have retired from
military service and workers from various sections of the country.
The prevailing peaceful
conditions, the vision of acquiring a parcel of land for oneself, and the
availability of regular and even free means of transportation in the 1920s to
1930s fueled emigrations to this area.
In the years that followed,
these plantation workers shifted for themselves and started their own farms.
Soon they, too, invited relatives, friends and neighbors back home to come to
Davao. Through word of mouth and letters, the “promise” of Davao began to
spread as never before.
The acquisition by Japanese
corporations of extensive landholdings for abaca plantations spurred greater
migration by Filipinos to Davao. Able-bodied men who came ahead to work in
these plantations were followed by their family groups. The prosperity brought
by increased agricultural development induced the growth also of other
enterprises. Transportation facilities increased, as did commercial enterprises
to cash in on the apparent boom that Davao was experiencing from its abaca and
copra products. Public works projects increased. As more hands were needed for
these different endeavors, so did settlers arrive to swell Davao’s population.
In a span of some three
decades, the population of Davao province grew from 65,463 in 1903 to some
107,385 in 1918 and to 292,000 in 1939. The idea of Davao as a land of promise
caught the nation’s imagination.
The different groups, which
composed the Christian inhabitants of Davao, followed a pattern of endeavor
peculiar to their region of origin. Generally, the hardworking Ilocanos became
farmers. Many were also found in business in population centers: jewelry and
dry goods stores with a number of itinerant salesmen who peddled their goods on
credit, payable a few months later during their next round of the town or barrio.
Quite a number, too, were found in the public markets as stall owners engaged
in food merchandising lines.
The Boholanos and Cebuanos,
who comprised the greatest number among Davao settlers, often operated carinderias
(small eating places serving native foods) and stores in the smaller towns,
although some were also engaged in farming. The Antiqueños dominated the
shipping lines as crew members; many of them were also engaged in farming. So
were the Leyteños, to a lesser extent.
The Ilonggos preferred farming
and storekeeping. They also engaged in fishpond operation. Because of their
number, people from the eastern Visayas provinces worked as wage earners in the
abaca plantations, hemp processing and abaca baling companies as well as in the
logging, lumber and plywood industries, Predominant in number and basically
inclined towards following the footsteps of their forebears, these Visayans
generally dominated the politics of the province. Pioneers all, Davao’s various
ethnic groups showed a seriousness of purpose to make good in whatever endeavor
they were in if only to justify that their original aim coming to Davao was
finding fulfillment.
Lest it be misunderstood, the
Filipino migrants to Davao were not all farm workers, storekeepers or sailors.
A great many of them were rich hacenderos (landed gentry), established
professionals, successful businessmen or stable small farmers in their province
of origin who came for the varied opportunities that fast-growing, peaceful
places usually had plenty to offer.
The Foreign Settlers
The Chinese. Next
to the Spanish colonizers, the Chinese were the earliest foreigners to settle
in these parts. As early as 1852, there were reportedly two Chinese inhabitants
in the territory known as Nueva Guipuzcoa. For the years 1893 and 1895, the
population reached 34. Practically all were residents of the east coast towns.
The first reports by American
army commanders in Davao showed that until 1904 there were still only two
Chinese residents in the Davao poblacion. Also found here in that year
were one Belgian and one Syrian named Juan Awad.
The Chinese in Davao, as everywhere else, have always
been engaged in general merchandising. In pre-war years, they came second only
to the Japanese in dominating the commerce of Davao. They had thousands of
unpretentious sari-sari stores, which blended into the background of the
smallest Filipino barrio. Prior to the Manchurian “incident” in 1931, Chinese
stores were the end outlets of Japanese goods. Following that incident, they
refused to handle Japan-made products, thereby forcing the latter to build up
their own system of retail distribution.
The Americans.
The development of Davao into a bustling metropolis can be partly attributed to
the pioneering efforts of its foreign settlers. First among these pioneers were
the American occupation forces in the early 1900’s that conducted a thorough
survey of Davao’s terrain, blazed pathways through jungles, set up telephone
lines and subsidized a steamer for the transport of passengers and cargoes.
Within a few years these ex-servicemen had converted thick jungles into plantations.
They introduced the large-scale culture of coconut, abaca and livestock and
organized the first Davao Planters’ Association, which paved the way for
Davao’s entry into foreign commerce. In the development of Davao’s lush forests
into productive haciendas (country estates or plantations), these, true
pioneers brought down Japanese workers from the Baguio road project. The
latter, in due course. Took over the major role in the agricultural development
of the province.
By their prosperity, they
lured thousands of laborers and home seekers from other parts of the
Philippines to this region. One keen observer of Philippine development has
said, “In this great frontier region, the Japanese have caught the touch of
progress from the hands of the American pioneers.
The Japanese. Like the American settlers,
the Japanese engaged in the cultivation of extensive plantations. Where the
Americans planted vast tracts of land to coconut, the Japanese had abaca as
their prime crop. As they collected capital for investment from their home country, the Japanese bought
out the American coconut plantations. Soon, they engaged also in logging,
fishing and large-scale merchandising with goods being sent by big business
houses in Japan. A number to foundry shops, refreshments parlors and bars, to
plush restaurants. Others operated apa (Spanish barquillos), manjo
(Japanese cake) and candy
factories while still others engaged in the manufacture of toyo (soy
sauce), liquor and soft drinks. Some ran hotels, newspapers and
printing shops as well as ice and cold storage plants. They had schools for
their children wherever their number justified having one, with three major
ones in Mintal, Calinan and Centro poblacion (where the University of
Mindanao now stands). Just before the war with Japan broke out, the Japanese
population in Davao was estimated at over 19,000. For around three decades
prior to their deportation at the end of World War II, they controlled
practically every major phase of Davao’s economic life.
The Indonesians.
One other group of foreign settlers in Davao was the Indonesians. Coming
mostly from the small islands south of Sarangani where rocks and sand comprise
the soil, the Maroris as they were often called, could not grow sufficient root
crops to meet their needs. The prevailing winds directed their sailboats to
Mindanao, bringing them to Davao or Cotabato like their fathers and
grandfathers before them.
Bringing what little copra
they had produced on their island, they bartered these with foodstuffs and
other commodities. Often the menfolk stayed on to work in the coconut
plantations mainly for subsistence, at times to earn a little cash for their
folks back home. They have therefore been charged of competing with local labor
since they accepted cheap wages. Of greater concern, however, was the fear
expressed by some quarters that some immigrants might be
Communist-indoctrinated agents sent here to promote their ideology. The number
of Indonesian migrants has not been fully ascertained.
Politico-Military Government
The Philippine Commission Act.
No. 787, providing for the organization and government of the Moro Province,
took effect in 1903. Military control over the territory was partially lifted,
and civilians shared in the administration of government. The plum positions,
however, were still held by the military because of the uneasy peace conditions
in the area. Further, military officials were not only experienced in
administrative work but also were accorded greater respect by non- Christian
tribes who resented the peremptory if not abusive authority of the Spaniards.
Thus, in the sub province of Davao, Lt. Edward C. Bolton, 17th
Infantry, was appointed as the first quasi-civil governor. Like his fellow
district governors in Cotabato, Lanao, Jolo and Zamboanga, Lt. Bolton was also
the commander of the troops in Davao who maintained peace and order.
Lt. Edward C. Bolton
As chief executive of Davao,
Lt. Bolton proved to be a dedicated administrator. Being one of the first major
explorers of Davao’s coast and hinterland and likewise one who was familiar
with the economic setup in Luzon(having been active in the military campaigns
in Tarlac before coming down to Davao), Lt. Bolton knew that the people of the
District could benefit better from the rich resources of their land if properly
directed. Hence, he himself went out to the people, most of whom still were
wild and timid, to cultivate their friendship and cooperation. With assurance
of his assistance and protection, he kept the people peacefully settled. He therefore
had a hand in the formation of many new villages as well as the reestablishment
of abandoned ones. During his term, important places were linked with telegraph
lines, and the constabulary was furnished with sailboats for better
communication and new contracts with isolated settlements. Tribal wards were
formed to strengthen links between the government and tribes. He encouraged the
inhabitants to plant crops not only for food but also for commerce. A steamer
had regular runs for transporting passengers and cargoes.
Land ownership and municipal
boundaries were defined, and schools, public buildings, roads and a wharf were
constructed. Government trading centers were set up in strategic places outside
of Davao proper, and health services provided. A feeling of security for life
and property was felt everywhere. Within three years, Davao was on another real
path to progress. Bolton’s selfless dedication to his duties ironically brought
about his early demise. Unarmed and unescorted, he was murdered on the night of
6 June 1906 while visiting the Tagacaolos in southern Davao to reconcile the
natives and former American soldiers who had settled in that area. His
attackers were led by Mungalayon, Simbanan deputy headman of the Tagacaolo
tribe.
News of Bolton’s death reached
the governor of the Moro Province in Zamboanga a week later, and warrants for
arrests were issued. On 3 August 1906, a small detachment of soldiers led by
Quartermaster Sgt. Casey found Mungalayon. The armed Tagacaolo chieftain resisted
arrest and was shot to death.
Civil Government comes of
Age
The Moro Province was
abolished in 1913 by virtue of Philippine Commission Act. No.2309. In its
stead, the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was instituted. Although the central
administrative structure and legislative powers were similar to the previous
politico military systems, the new setup had a civilian official instead of a
military man as governor. The Philippine Commission appointed Frank W.
Carpenter as the first civil governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu.
Similarly, civilians were appointed as district governors.
Shortly after, the Philippine
Commission enacted on 23 July 1914 Act. No. 2408, this gave additional
autonomous powers to district governments, such as Davao.
First Filipino Governor.
An auspicious event in the political life of the special province of Davao was
the assumption into office of Eulalio E. Causing on 1 January 1915, marking
both the transferring for the first time of the governorship to Filipino hands
and the institution of a purely civil government setup in Davao. The highest
position held by a Filipino up to that time was that of district secretary, a
position first held beginning 1 March 1913 by Ricardo Pelayo.
Another political milestone
that firmed up Filipino participation in government affairs was the enactment
of Act No. 2429, calling for, among others, the election of the third member of
the Provincial Board. Previously, all the three members of the board were
appointed officials. An election held on 16 April 1915 upheld Francisco Bangoy
as the first elective Filipino provincial board member in Davao. The elected
third member, together with the appointed governor and the provincial
secretary-treasurer, composed the legislative board of Davao Province at this
time.
The passage of the Jones Act
brought about more changes as it laid the framework for greater powers of
self-government by Filipinos. Government departments and bureaus were
reorganized, including the Special Department of Mindanao and Sulu, which was
abolished in 1920 and replaced with the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes (Act No.
2878). This Bureau functioned until it was abolished at the inception of the
Commonwealth Government in 1936. It hastened the general development work and
extended the benefits of popular elections for the office of the governor, in
the Special Provinces, including Davao.
Representation in the
Philippine Legislature. The same organic Jones Act paved the way
for the direct representation of the special provinces in the national legislative
body. It abolished the Philippine Commission, which then served as the upper
law-making body and created the Philippine Legislature.
The new bicameral body
consisted of the Senate as the upper chamber and the House of Representatives
as the lower chamber. This allowed the dual degree of representation for the
special or non- Christian provinces. Two senators represented the 12th
Senatorial District, which covered Davao, Baguio, Nueva Vizcaya, Mt. Province,
Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Lanao, Sulu and Zamboanga.
In the House of
Representatives, Davaoeños were appointed as Davao’s representatives. Like the
senators for the non-Christian provinces, they held office at the pleasure of
the governor general. The first Davao representative was Teodoro Palma Gil, who
served consecutively for three terms.
Gubernatorial Elections.
The first gubernatorial elections in Davao took place on June 6 1922. Atty.
Celestino Chavez, Francisco Bangoy and Cayetano Bangoy vied for the position,
with Chavez serving as the first elected governor up to 1925.
Congressional Elections.
Congressional elections were held preparatory to the establishment on 15
November 1935 of a Commonwealth Government as provided forth by the
Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934. The first elections for Davao’s Representatives
to the National Assembly were held on 18 September 1935. Previous to that,
Davao’s delegates to the then Philippine Legislature were appointed since 1916.
Atty. Romualdo C. Quimpo was the first of the elective
assemblyman from Davao who won over Atty. Rafael Castillo and Atty. Donato C.
Endriga. Next in line in 1938 was Atty. Cesar M. Sotto, who yielded to Atty.
Juan Sarenas in 1941. The Japanese invasion of the Philippines at the end of
1941m however, prevented Sarenas from assuming office.
Constitutional Convention.
In 1934-1935, Davaoeñoes took part in the Constitutional Convention tasked with
formulating the fundamental laws on the land. Elected in plebiscite were
lawyers Pantaleon A. Pelayo, Sr. and Rafael S. Castillo.
One
of the more important of the draft pertaining to alien landholdings and
agricultural projects. Mindanao in general and Davao in particular needed
special attention to give concrete foundation to the social amelioration
program championed by President Manuel L. Quezon. Davao especially was heavily
populated by Japanese settlers, who were clever and aggressive enough to circumvent
legal barriers and obtain huge tracks of the best agricultural lands.
During
the convention, Pelayo denounced Japanese land “grabbing” in Mindanao,
especially in Davao. He speech was headlined by the metropolitan newspapers. It
created such a stir among the delegates that the Convention decided to prevent
aliens from acquiring private agricultural lands in the Philippines. Shortly
after the expose, the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce (who later became
Senate President) Eulogio Rodriguez ordered the cancellation of all leases land
cultivated by the Japanese. The Japanese Government protested, and Pres. Quezon
had to step into the picture. Petitions for consideration by those affected by
the order of cancellation were never acted upon until the war broke out. During
the war, Rodriguez was imprisoned by the Japanese in Fort Santiago, perhaps
because of the order cancelling the land leases. In Davao, the Japanese offered
a price on his head, but Pelayo had gone to the hills and joined the resistance
movement. (Davao History by Corcino, 1998)
The Municipality of Davao
The establishment of the municipal government of Davao
was in 1901, by virtue of Act No. 82 of the second Philippine Commission. It
was housed in a building located on the spot of what is now occupied by the
Sangguniang Panlungsod. That time the first floor was occupied by the municipal
government while the second floor was occupied by the Provincial Government
(first Provincial Government building was located on a spot near the PC
Barracks now named Camp Domingo Leonor).
The first municipal president of Davao was Damaso Suazo
who was elected by indirect vote of the people through the prominent citizens
of the municipality called upon to select their municipal president while the
vice president was Teodoro Palma Gil. Damaso Suazo was succeeded by Angel
Brioso followed by Anuncio Generoso, then Tomas Monteverde and back again to
Damaso Suazo. Suazo was succeeded by Ciriaco Lizada, the last to occupy the
position under the civil government. Ciriaco R. Lizada, a pioneer migrant from
Luzon married a Dabawenya. (It was said that after a convention of all
municipal presidents in Mindanao held in Zamboanga, Lizada was able to bring
some money as aid to the municipality of Davao. He used the money for the
improvement of the Osmena Park).
Because complete peace was not yet achieved in Mindanao,
a military government was established in 1903 known as the Moro Province with
Zamboanga as capital. Davao was established as a district with seven
municipalities. The Bagobos, Tagacaolos, Mansakas, Guingans, Mandayas and the
Muslims were organized as tribal wards administered by native headmen. During
the period military explorations in the interior was done by the American
government.
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| San Pedro Church in 1901 |
The native inhabitants’ relation with the American
colonizers was full of conflict from the very beginning. The natives felt they
were exploited by the American planters and deprived of their ancestral land.
Natives were also subjected to taxation to pay for colonial administrative
expenses. Male inhabitants were required to work in public highways and if they
refuse they were forced to pay taxes. These colonial exploitations were causes
of social unrest that led to murders and mutinies.
On June 6, 1906 Lt. Edward Bolton, governor of the
District of Davao who became a plantation owner himself, was assassinated with
another American by the name of Benjamin Christian, an employee of the Culaman
Company in Malita. The assassin was Mungalayon, a Tagacaolo chief. (It was said
that Mungalayon, a Tagacaolo chief was aggrieved because Governor Bolton had
appointed a rival to a government office. But others maintain that Mungalayon
was embroiled in a land dispute with some American planters and Bolton was
killed while attempting to settle the dispute). In 1909 a local constabulary
unit mutinied against their abusive American Officers and many Americans were
killed including a prominent plantation owner Roy E. Libby.
In 1903 Davao had only sixteen American pioneer-settlers.
In 1905 when Davao was still a district under the Moro Province there were reports
that between twenty and thirty Americans were making successes on hemp and
coconut plantations scattered at wide intervals along the Davao Gulf coasts.
1910 the Secretary of the Davao Planters Association Otto O. Hanson wrote in
his report that the planters had transformed a “gloomy forest ruled by boar and
boa constrictor in the Philippines into a most active garden spot.”
Lt. Edward Bolton while still a governor formed a
corporation, together with his friends in the military, which invested in the
development of abaca and coconut in what was to become the Culaman plantation
in Malita. Captain James Burchfield developed his land in Daliao which he named
Kentucky Plantation, after his home state in the United States. Sgt. William
Gohn developed a plantation in Santa Cruz.
During this early period of the American regime the town
of Davao was already established as a trade center in Mindanao for coffee,
cacao, abaca and cattle. More American settlers invested their savings in
rubber and coconut plantations. The savings of these pioneering Americans were
from their civilian employment after their discharge from military service.
First and foremost among the problems that faced the
American planters/landowners was ferm labor. At first local indigenous tribes
were hired and then recruited Christian Filipinos from Luzon and the Visayas to
work in the newly-opened plantations but did not prove to be effective. Hiring
indigenous ethnic tribes proved to be a handicap because they were the
unwilling workers. Another thing that caused the shortage of farm laborers were
the devastating pestilences and calamities that resulted in the death of native
workers. The demand for laborers could not be met by natives alone.
The need of the American plantation owners for hardy and
industrious laborers was met by the unemployed Japanese laborers who were
brought to the Philippines by the American builders of the Kennon zigzag road
in Baguio (1899-1904). They were recruited and brought by the American
discharged soldiers turned plantation-owners to work in the latters’
plantation. These Japanese arrived in Davao in
the years 1904 and 1905. Thus started the continuous migration of the Japanese
to Davao. (However, the very first Japanese to arrive in Davao were those
brought by a certain Matute [Spanish trader] in the late 1800’s. They were
hired by Juan Awad, a Lebanese pioneer migrant and by Teodor Palma Gil to work
in their farms in Lapanday and Tigatto. ) It was Ohta Kyosaburu, a Japanese
merchant from Kobe, Japan who came to the Philippines in the early 900’s to
arrange for the important of the job-seeking abaca laborers and to act as the
labor contractor for the labor- seeking abaca plantation owners. These Japanese
laborers were imported into Davao in 1904-1905. Japanese settlement in Davao
was attributed to three factors namely; (1). The need of the abaca plantation
owners for the hardy and industrious laborers; 2) the presence in the
Philippines of unemployment Japanese who had been brought by the American
builders in Kennon zigzag road in Baguio; and (3) the foresighted enterprise of Ohta Kyosaburu
who was brought to Davao by Governor Carpenter.
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| Ohta Kyosaburu |
This long association with the Japanese gave me an
opportunity to study closely to individual traits. I admire Japanese for his
honesty, clean habit, industriousness and methodical and thorough manner of
what he does. The Japanese I their houses adopt in a sense of scrupulous
cleaning habit ts. Upon waking up in the morning the first sound one hears in
Japanese houses in the tap made by the housewife dusting the paper window panes
and paper sliding doors. This is done with quick strokes of the tufted sticks.
She then sweeps the floor, mops with a damp clothes and with shiny floor and
mirrors of quality. The front and backyards are likewise given attention
making, them spotless clean and trim every morning and thereon. The Japanese
are industrious. They work from dawn to late evening everyday of the week
throughout the year. They do not have an (8) hours Labor nor the Blue Sunday
Law. To my mind this is the key to the phenomenal rise of Japanese nation.
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| Osaka Bazaar |
Osaka Bazaars, general and department store that catered
to the needs of the Japanese settlers, were opened not only in the poblacion
but also in outskirts. One was opened in Tugbok District and other one in
Daliaon Toril. There was a report made on the history of Osaka Bazar in Naming
Anggalan Tugbok District, Davao City by Mrs. Lydia P. Hofer, a college
instructure in USP-CDM of Mintal Davao City. The report was made possible
through an interview with Mr. Pasama Ambet, a pure native Bagobo and pre-war resident
of Naming, Anggalan. According to the native “ the Osaka Bazar which has a
constructed by the Japanese contributed to the development of our places in the
business center. It is a place where the people of the Anggalan converge for
economic before the Second World War. The Osaka Bazar was built of wooden
materials derived from a trees of the virgin forest in Naming, Anggalan.
The forests were cleared, opened planted to abaca and
ramie and abaca. The land around Osaka Bazar were owned by the natives who
agreed that natives who agreed that their land be rented by the Japanese. The
payment will be percentage from the income /harvest of ramie and abaca for the
use of land”. The Japanese who contributed much to the economic advancement of
Davao during the period were Ohta Kyosaburu and Yoshizu Furukawa, owner of
business firms which major enterprise was the raising of abaca for the making
of hemp. Ohta, the organizer of the Development Company of Talomo introduced
the experimentation in the growing and harvesting of abaca and other
agricultural product such as, coffee, rubber, and cotton. Furukawa Yoshizo
established the Furukawa Corporation in Daliao. Some Japanese pioneer workers
during the period intermarried with the ethnic indigenous tribe like the
Bagobos and some other ethnic tribes. The descendants of such unions are
getting along well with the other groups of people in the community. To quote
Modesto Farolan in his book The Davao Problem, he said: natives are those
pioneers of many years ago, most of them, who jungle. These industrious
pioneers lived in isolation, some dying in their wilds often unheard of, and of
them who successfully withstood the rigors of life were also the one that learned
to live the natives way of life. Was unnatural then, that love developed
between Japanese and Bagobos under such circumstances.
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| Yoshizo Furukawa |
The latter association with the former undoubtedly has
been a civilizing influences of incalculable value, which neither the soldiers
gun nor the teachers book could have accomplished. If one is to judge today by
the mode of life of the native wives of Japanese and the old-timers and their
mestizo children, the Japanese –Bagobo unions are not an unhappy kind. Colonel
Carmi A. Thompson, who sent to the Philippines’ as special representatives of
U.S. President Coolidge, said to his Japanese host that he was already aware of
what happening in Davao and further said that he recognized the introduction of
capital investment and application of machine power by the Japanese had made
possible the progress of Davao.
Prosperous American planters developed abaca, coconut and
rubber plantations. The wealth of the Americans is almost in the plantation
around the gulf area. The abaca farming was transformed into a plantation
economy. The Japanese developed the production of export. The abaca production
progressed with the establishment of firms for the cultivation and processing
abaca into fiber known as “ Manila Hemp”. When at first, the Japanese were
hired as the plantation workers by the American, foreign and Filipino migrant
planters and hacenderos like Dr, Santiago P. Dakudao and Marcelino Maruya, they
later became plantation owner themselves when they were able to purchase land
through the financial help expanded to them by their home government. From on
the Japanese developed abaca plantation of their own and acquired more land
from mostly the Bagobo tribe and those brought from the American who left.
Japanese corporation were established like the Ohta Development Company. Davao
Mercantile Corporation, Furukawa Plantation Company and Southern Cross
Plantation Co. The Japanese not only controlled hemp making the Davao but also
fishing and lumber making.
They dominated the trade, commerce and industry Some
American planters did not succeed in their attempt to cultivate and developed
the rich land of Davao. They failed to secure the needed capital and did not
have the skill to pioneer I their newly-opened land. It was aggravated further
by the rigors and hazards of tropical living, unlike the Japanese worker who
almost came from the Okinawa or Kyushu and Western Honshu, Japan who found life
in Davao similar to their places of origin. The under-financed American pioneer
planters encountered several hardships and had difficulty adjusting to alien
surroundings. All the factors combined led to this American exodus leaving only
a few to continue the venture. They sold their plantation then left for home.
Those who stayed and succeeded were married to the native women of Bilaan and
Mandaya ancestries.
Those who continued the venture were W.H. Gohn, Ralph
McFie, Jerry Roscom and Edward Christiansen. Some other American within recall
to stayed behind were the Joyces, the Peabody of Malita, the Bakers, the
Haleys, the Hughes, the burchfields, the Balcans, and the cars ( Angel and
Johnny Carr). The Americans planters with financiers from Manila, Zamboanga and
even from the United States developed larger plantations, than the others, like
the Mindanao plantation Company known then as the Crumb Plantation Company and
the Mindanao Estate Company in Padala later identified as the Walstrom
Plantation. These were the early corporate plantations that provided training
experiences in abaca and coconut culture. The socio-cultural influences of the
American were the democratic ways of life, public education and the Protestant
religion. In 1903 Rev. and Mrs. Robert Black were sent by their home church in
the United States to Davao upon the request of the pioneer American planters
and congregational missioners in the “primitive and pestilential Davao Gulf”.
In 1908 the American, established the first Mission
Hospital in which later became the Brokenshire Memorial Hospital in memory of
Dr. Herbert Brokenshire, the adventurous American who came in 1926 who
administered the Mission Hospital with dedication for fifth teen years until he
died in the Philippines during the Second World War. The American cultural
policies were heavily concentrated on public education. Public schools were
established and opened both in the elementary and the secondary levels in the
town proper and outskirts. At the beginning school official and teachers are
American but later the Filipinos took over after they were trained as teachers.
But, most of the indigenous ethnic tribes resisted education. School officials
and teachers exerted efforts to reached them for the education of their
children. Extension classes were opened to interior to reached the most
isolated tribes.
The early American community of Davao composed of former
soldier-turned-settlers/planted, school teacher, protestant, missionaries,
engineer who built bridges and roads, and government officials and their
families. They took part in the different social and economic activities in
their community. The American settled in their costal plantation. Wives of
plantation owners described life in the frontier community as joyful despite
hardship and deprivation. Every so often they would bored launches which piled
to Davao Gulf to make business with the native inhabitant with interior such as
buying abaca and selling things. In the town proper or cabecera an American
club was organized on week-ends it served as the gathering place for lonely
planters and their families coming from the coast plantation. The Club became
the center of social activities and a place for American to relax and share
experiences with one another. People lived simply without hotels and no
recreation center except one cinema house was owned by Jerry Roscom, an
American pioneer settlers, preserved their language and costumes.
 |
| Old Municipal Hall |
The foreign Christian Filipino migrant in the town proper
maintain the existence wholly different and distinct from that of the native
indigenous tribe and Muslim. Many of the native encountered discrimination and
suffer social disadvantages. The gap between the group was cause caused by the
difference in education, social background, wealth and social standards. The
indigenous people tribes lag behind the Christian Filipinos and foreign migrant
in matters of educational attainment. The Davao Muslims are intermediate
position culturally between the Christian migrant and ethnic indigenous tribes.
The wide diversity of the social, nationality and cultural group of which the
present Davaoenos is composed made Davao the melting pot in Southern
Philippines. Because of such diversity existed different regional groupings.
In the poblacion Tagalog, Ilocanos, Visayan, Bicolanos,
Bagobo, Bilaans, Mandayas and the Muslim communities of the Tausug,
Maguindanaoans, Maranaos, and Calagans retained their respective linguistic and
cultural identities. The Muslim in the Davao comes from the different ethnic
groups. But in some differences in their folkways, they form a strong coherent
and unified specially when it comes to religious customs and tradition. In 1914
the Moro department was abolished and the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was
created. Davao became one of the provinces of said department with Davao
Municipality as its capital. In 1917 when Eulalio Causing was still the
governor, the first election for the president of the Municipality was held.
Juan dela Cruz was elected as president against his opponent in Facundo Joven.
Since then all municipal president were duly elected by popular vote. Those
elected in the succeeding election were Constancio Guzman, Gregorio Torres,
Vicente Masecampo, Bruno Gempesaw and Albert Zamora.
Masonry in Davao
Masonic ideas and practices were introduced in the
province of Davao during the early part of the American regime when Frank
Carpenter, an American Mason was Governor and Celestino Chavez, a Filipino Mason was Deputy Governor
of Davao. It was in 1918 when a group of Masons met for the first time to
discuss the idea of forming a Masonic Lodge in Davao. With proper dispensation
from the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands, the Sarangani Lodge No. 5 was
organized in 1919 in the town of Davao.
The members of the Masonic group indulged themselves in
charitable and humanitarian activities. The influence of Masonry in the Davao
society became predominant and noticeable. Their annual installation of
officers had always been a significant social affairs attended not only by
Masons with respect. It is said that Masons contributed much to the social and
cultural development of Davao.
Another social activity of great significance was the
establishment of the Davao Masons’ Women’s Auxiliary composed of wives of Davao
Masons. This organization sponsored wholesome social gatherings such as grand
ball, picnics, excursions, or birthday parties that promoted goodwill, unity
and fellowship among Davao Masons and non- Masons. Through this organization,
the Davao Puericulture Center and the Davao Women’s Club were organized to
promote and advance the interest and welfare of mothers and babies.
Festivals were social affairs involving the whole
community. The more popular festivals are religious in nature. The Roman
Catholics celebrate yearly the feast of St. Peter every 29th of June. When
fiesta time comes people from the outskirts troop to the town proper or
cabecera to hear mass at San Pedro Church in the morning and stay up in late in
the afternoon for the procession in honor of the patron saint – St. Peter.
Other social and religious festivals are on Christmas, New Year, Easter Sundays
and other holy days of obligation. Majority of the Christian migrants in Davao
are Roman Catholics and few are Protestants.
The organizer of the protestant church in Davao related
to the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) the evangelical
church, was Reverend Robert Black who was sent in 1903 by the Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Mission, now the United Church Board for World
Ministries.
In 1920 under Act 2878, the Department of Mindanao and
Sulu was abolished. The Bureau of non- Christian Tribes took its place and
Davao became independent province.
The first hospital was
established by the provincial government in 1920 in Washington St. its first
director was Dr. Simeon Macasaet.
The old building of the present City Hall which was the
municipal building was constructed in 1926 during the administration of Arsenio
Villarosa who was then acting the Municipal President vice Masecampo who was
suspended. The municipal councilors then were Ceferino de la Cruz, Eduardo de
la Cruz, Gregorio Castillo, Ceferino Martinez, Pedro L. Tesorero, Sr., Ruperto
Lizada, Epifanio Magno and Jose Arquiza.
During the first few years of the American period Davao
was still sparsely populated. But later, whem people from other places heard of
the good fortune that Davao offers, they kept coming.
Evidences also showed that some adventurous Filipinos
from Luzon and Visayas were also interested to acquire land in Davao to be
developed by them. Upon approval of their application for homestead, they left
for their destination at government’s expense. But as soon they reached their
destination they were left to themselves to continue their ventures. Unfortunately,
most of this adventurous Filipinos did not succeed as the Japanese did because,
unlike the Japanese government, the Philippine government was not to willing
nor in a position to extend financial assistance. Because of lack of financial
support from the government, the Filipino homesteader left his homestead and
became a “cargador” or “caritonero”. To quote one writer, “Facing the stiff
competition given him by the Japanese who are by nature better farmers and
trained in the art of coaxing plants to give greater returns, the Filipino
homesteader prefers to sell his interest in the land to the Japanese and then
work for him”.
World War I years (1914-1918) saw the “boom” of hemp
industry. Prices of the Manila hemp got higher and land cultivation increased
rapidly. Christian 1 in- migration in Davao continued. Visayan and other ethnic
group from Luzon arrived because they were attracted by the profits and higher
wages in the abaca industry promoted by the Japanese.
During the second decade of the
American regime saw the coming of more Japanese in Davao that by 1916 there was
estimated 10,000 Japanese. By the end of 1918 out of the 164 plantations in
Davao the Japanese owned 71, the Americans 34, the Filipinos 44 and other
nationalities 15, according to the report of Teopisto Guingona, Sr. the acting
Governor then of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu.
More and more Japanese immigrants came to Davao in the
midst of prosperity. Aside from the abaca and hemp industry the Japanese also
engaged in independent businesses like the retail trade that they even competed
with the Chinese. The end of the World War I up to the middle of 1930s was a
period which saw the unimpeded growth of the Japanese settlement in Davao.
During the period, the more affluent foreign and meztizos
in the locality were the Gutierrezes, the Medels, the Chicotes, and Astorgas,
the Matutes, the Sezes, the Echevarias, and the Saavedras. The prominent family
of the Gamirs came from a Chinese and Bulakena union. The Villa Abrilles, the
Tans, and the Lims are scions of Lim Juna who came long before the Americans
came.
The more affluent native Dabawenyos at the time were the
descendants of the early Christian settlers from Surigao, Caraga, Baganga, and
Sigaboy who joined Oyanguren in his conquest of Davao.
During the time there was only one public elementary
school and one public secondary school, the Davao High School in the poblacion
proper. Both schools were first located at the Magallanes street. The Davao
High School was located at the site between the Court of First Instance
Building which later became the Regional Trial Court and the Present Register
of Deeds Building. Another oldtimer said
that the Davao High School held its first graduation exercises in the school
year 1927-1928 with Angela Pongos as
valedictorian and Victoria Dacanay as salutatorian. The principal was Mr.
Adolfo Cascolan. The Davao High School was transferred to its present site
immediately before the outbreak of the Second World War.
The only elementary school in the poblacion proper, the
Davao Central School, was opened in the early 1920s and was then located at the
rear of the present City Hall. It was transferred, a few years later, to its
present site along Ponciano Reyes Street. The present name of the school is
Kapitan Tomas Monteverde, Sr. Elementary School. Among its first teachers were
Diosdado Perez, Sr. and Mrs. Concepcion Breva Sarenas.
In the outskirsts, the first school was put up in Daliao
being the center of development in 1918. Mr Eustaquio Desabilla was the first
lone teacher assigned handling Grades I, II, and III. One of his pupils was Marcela Agton, a
daughter of Datu Agton, whom he married later. Daliao Primary School was fully
developed in 1921. Later, Juuan de la Cruz donated a part of the land he
acquired for a school site. That same school was transferred to Toril in 1924.
When it became a complete elementary school it was named Daliaoan Elementary
School. The first graduation was in 1928 with Mr. Florencio Valera as the
school principal. The valedictorians of the class were Sergia Saavedra Bangoy
(the wife of the adopted Atty. Andres Calizo).
When the Sta. Ana area in the publication was developed,
another elementary school was established- The Sta. Ana Elementary School. The
first private schools at the time were the Immaculate Conception Institute
(presently The University of Immaculate Conception) for girls founded by the
RVM Sisters St, peter school for boys (first handled by the Jesuits and later
by the P.M.E priest), and the Davao Institute which was organized by Mr.
Godofredo Duremdez (Located at Claveria Street in the vicinity of the Awad
building).
As the population grew, more school more opened. Fresh
high school graduates were hired to teach elementary school pupils because of
the shortage of teachers. The school Division Superintended, Mr, John Stumbo,
Even recruited fresh graduates of the Zamboanga Normal School, Class 1937, To
teach in Davao.
During this Period there were few landmarks in the
poblacion. There were two Churches (San Pedro Church for the Roman Catholics
and the Evangelical Church for the Protestants); two hospitals ; The Davao
Public Hospital Establishes by the provincial government in 1920 and the
Mission Hospital Established by Robert
Black Who introduce Protestantism in Davao ( there was also the Mintal Hospital
owned by the Japanese in the outskirt ; the provincial government building ;
the city Hall; the Puericulture Center; and the Awad Building that housed the
Mindanao Theater .
The awad building was located at the end of Claveria
Street (now Claro Recto St.) before reaching San Pedro Street. It was
considered the tallest building in Davao then which was a six (6) Storey structure.
The awad building (on what is now DBP building) was built out of its time in
the early 1920’s. it was made of huge timber bolted together and had six (6)
storeys. Besides the Awad building was the old PNB building and behind was the
old Power Plant owned by the Awads. The Awad enterprises collapsed and the
electric franchise was acquired by the Davao Light and power Company a
corporation organized on September 24, 1929 in Manila the original
incorporators and their subscription to the capital stock and payments.
The Plant was transferred to the site of Ponciano Reyes
Street (Now Cayetano Bangoy Street) at about 1930.
Outside the poblacion proper in the district of Toril
among the known early Christian settlers were Juan de la Cruz, Cayetano Bangoy,
Sr. and Victoriano de Guzman. Toril in the early part of the American regime
(1904) was a semi-forestedn area. The only areas inhabited were those along the
seashore like Daliao, Sirawan and Lipadas. The Pagan Natives were at nearby
places Like Bago, Balyok and Lubogan. One native who had direct contact with
the Christian settlers was Datu Dalmacio Agton, a Taganbawa whose farm was in
Bago Gallera. From there he moved his residence to balyok then to Daliao and
finally to Toril proper. Agton being a datu claimed a vast parcel of land
covering parts of Daliao, Lipadas, Lizada, Marapangi, Bago and Lubogan (named
such for it was the Wallowing place for carabaos in the neighboring places).
Datu Agton was a kind and accommodating datu. He shared a part of his claimed
land to Juan de la Cruz who put up a cattle ranch. That was how Toril (ranch)
got its name. Datu Agton shared also a part of his land with an American
settler, Mr. Mcffie who developed it into a coconut plantation. That parcel of
land covered parts of Crossing Bayabas, Piedad and Bago. To a Japanese settler,
a certain Mr. Tadakuma, he gave part of Bago which was developed into an abaca
plantation. Another American settler, Mr. Libby, acquired land through Datu
Agton’s negotiation with other native datus. The placed developed by Libby was
later on named after him.
Daliao, the center of Toril’s early development of its
proximity to the seashore was the passage of the people going to Davao
poblacion proper. There was no road connecting Toril to Davao poblacion so
people from Toril passed by the seashore during low tide on horseback or by
hiking. The coming of more Christian settlers like the Monteverde, the Andayas,
the Rasays, the Antepasados, the Guardians, and the Lizadas helped a lot in the
development of Toril.
It was still in the early 1900s (1906) when the American
planters left Davao. From then on the Japanese developed abaca plantations of
their own by acquiring land from mostly the Bagobo tribe. They even went to the
point of occupying land illegally because under the Philippine Act of 1902,
“alien individuals could not acquire public lands”. Because the Japanese, like
Ohta Kyosaburu, were so determined, they invoked the Public Land Act (No.926)
of 1903 which permitted any legally organized corporation to purchase or lease
agricultural land in the public domain up to a maximum 1,024 hectares, leases
being for 25 years. Because of such development, Ohta in May 1907 established
the Ohta Development Corporation in Talomo with himself as the majority
stockholder, he invited his compatriots to invest by putting into the
corporation the money they saved that was originally intended to the used for
their return trip home. The Philippine government awarded to the corporation
the 1,015 hectares of public land for which it applied. Thus started the era in
Davao which placed the Japanese in the limelight.
The success of the Ohta venture stimulated the investment
of new capital from Japan. Other Japanese-sponsored plantations corporations
followed like the Furukawa Plantation in Dalio, the Tambongon Trading
Corporation, the Mitsui Bussan Co., the Osaka Boeki, the Southern Cross
Plantation Company and others. These clever Japanese discovered other
extra-legal devices by which additional land can be brought under their
control. Because they have sufficient capital, they resorted to purchasing
private land (no law then prohibited the sale of private property to aliens),
subleased for a contracted period land held by Americans, Filipinos, Spaniards
and others. Because of the new system employed by the Japanese in acquiring
additional land, the Philippine government passed the Public Land Act of 1919
which provided that “no individual or
corporation could purchase or lease land unless 61% of the capital stock was
owned by a United States or Philippine citizen”. So in 1919 no additional lands
were acquired by Japanese corporations. But a few years after 1919, systems
were again employed by the Japanese. The two principal means of Japanese land
acquisition were Dummy Corporation whose Filipino incorporators were well paid
(as claimed by the Japanese) for the former’s “trouble” and the so-called
“pakiaw” system.
The history of abaca in the Philippines was from the
years 1900 to 1930. The years 1914 to 1918 (World War I) was the wartime boom
in hemp sale. It was during those years when the major enterprises of the
Japanese settlement like the raising of abaca for the making of hemp prospered.
But the years 1918 to 1922 was an economic setback in hemp sale. There was a decline
in the price of hemp. In 1923 the market recovered. After 1923 the management
of abaca plantations in Davao was made up of university-trained personnel who
arrived from Japan. The former managers were relegated to the background.
During this period the Japanese community grew and
developed in Davao. Ohta became one of the leaders of the Japanese community.
It was also during this period (the 1920s) that the Japanese colony in Davao
continued to prosper. A self contained community had developed. There was the
Japanese school built in one of the main streets (present site of the
University of Mindanao along Bolton Street); clinics and hospitals (like the
Mintal Hospital in the outskirt) staffed by Japanese nurses and doctors were
opened; newspapers came direct from Japan; Japanese shops and Japanese banks
were opened; Japanese style houses were built and also Japanese entertainment
parlors were opened. In March 1920 an annex of the Manila Consulate of Japan
was opened in Davao and housed in the site where the present University of
Mindanao Gymnasium is located (corner of Ponciano and Bonifacio Streets). On
February 6, 1932 the Davao Consular Annex was raised to a consulate. The more
known companies of Japanese enterprises operating in the poblacion were the
Mitsui Bussan and the Osaka Boeki Kaisha, Inc.
The Japanese community in Davao was well organized and
self-contained. The Japanese settlers were observed by other inhabitants as
industrious, thrifty and obedient to laws. The community established the
Japanese Davao Association which served as the center of their activities. It
coordinated the social interests of the Japanese settlers. The association was
organized to assure better living conditions for the members and their
families. It also provided financial and medical assistance to those in need of
help and extended educational benefits to their children. Primary and secondary
schools were built and maintained by the Japanese Davao Association in the town
proper and outskirts patterned after the prevailing system in Japan with
Nipponggo as the medium of instruction.
Mintal town was known then as “little Nagasaki” because
there were more Japanese residents than Filipinos. The first modern hospital in
Davao, the Ohta Development Company Hospital in Mintal, was built by the
Japanese. The Mintal Hospital was opened with Japanese doctors and Japanese
nurses as employees. Only a few Filipino doctors were hires like Dr. Santiago,
P. Dakudao, Sr. and Dr. Juan Santos Cuyugan to name a few. Typical Japanese tombs
can be found at the Mintal cemetery. The memorial shrine for the mainland
Japanese who died in Davao is found at the Mintal cemetery. The finest monument
the Japanese built in Davao is the K.S Ohta Monument, an obelisk structure
erected on February 28, 1926 on the grounds of the Mintal Public Elementary
School, the former site of one of the biggest Japnese Primary Schools built in
Davao on April 21, 1924. According to Michael Dakudao, the “the towering
monument was built with an inscription in Japanese which read, ‘K.S. Ohta, who
believed in Davao and Helped It Grow (1876-1917).’ The monument’s construction
cost was financed by Ohta’s friends which consisted of Japanese, Filipino,
Chinese and American nationalities who deemed it a fitting tribute to the
enterprising Japanese pioneer who envisioned Davao as a paradise.” The Japanese
community also constructed and maintained private roads but also open to the
public without charge. There was communal exclusiveness among the Japanese
settlers that prevented their integration into the mainstream of Davao society.
Only a few married native women.
The Japanese immigrants are classified as entrepreneurs,
merchants, settlers, laborers. The early Japanese workers did not bring their
women along. From 1923 to 1927 saw the coming of the Japanese women immigrants
when the prices of hemp increased. The Japanese migrant/settlers (unlike the
Chinese) had not intermarried extensively with native Filipino women. Only a
few married women of the Bagobo tribe who can lawfully acquires land for them.
However, the collapse of the economy in Davao forced many Japanese settlers and
their families, although reluctantly, to return home to Japan.
The early 1930s saw the coming of
some Japanese military officers who became high officials of their companies
and some became capitalists and businessmen. It was rumored then that they
could have come also to gather military information. During the war they became
active military officers of the Japanese Imperial Army.
During this period one could see in the poblacion big
bazaars owned by the Hindus and the Japanese (notably the Osaka Bazaar);
department and grocery stores owned by the Chinese like Tung Chong and Me Hang
Groceries; film studios and mini factories of “manjo” (Japanese hopia) owned by
the Japanese and only small sari-sari stores owned by Filipinos.
It was amusing to note, however, that during this period
in Davao the dialect spoken in the poblacion when dealing in business with
foreigners was Chavacano or the “corrupt” Spanish. No Chinese or Japanese
national could understand those who speak in Tagalog or Visayan. But
surprisingly, Tagalog has also been widely spoken (known then as Tagalog sa
Mati) despite the presence of many Visayans. (The influx of the Visayan
migrants started in 1915 when the first appointive civil governor of Davao,
Eulalio Causing of Cebu brought hundreds of sacadas (plantation workers) from
his home province to work in abaca and coconut plantations in Davao.
At about the same time that the Japanese capitalists and
laborers kept coming to Davao in early 1900s, groups of adventurous Filipinos
from Luzon, Visayas and other part of Mindanao and even foreigners from
far-away land came also after hearing of the good fortune that Davao offers.
These pioneer migrants mixed freely with the tribal groups of Bagobos,
Mandayas, Manssakas, Manobos, Muslims and Calagan Dabawenyos. Among them were
the professionals trying to seek better opportunities in the practice of their
professions; government employees and officials who were either assigned to
Davao o transferred to offices here; homesteaders who appled for land to
cultivate; small businessmen; and even the lowly “cargadors” and “caritoneros”
who made good in Davao and later on became successful businessmen and
landowners. Most. If not all, of these early migrants were able to acquire large
tracts of land either by purchase from the government or from some natives.
Some also acquired land through intermarriages with the ethnic indigenous
tribes and native Dabawenyos.
The well known pioneer migrants from Luzon and Visayas
were those who came in the late 1800s as political refugees and in early 1900s
as professionals, government officials and employees, homesteaders and even
plain job-seekers who turned businessmen and hacendreros instead. Those from
Luzon were Ciriaco R. Lizada, Feliciano and Alejandro Inigo, Vicente Fernandez,
Juan Sarenas, Julian Rodriguez Sr., Rafael Castillo, Cipriano Villafuerte, Sr.,
Pedro L. Tesorero, Sr., Alberto Zamora, Romualdo and Cenon Rasay, Jose Diaz,
Jose Porras, Roman Joaquin, Domingo Leonor, Antonio Hernandez, Vicente Hizon y
Panlilio, Sr., Leon Garcia, Sr., Simeon Macasaet, Baldomera Sexon, Benjamin
Panganiban, Manuel Babao, Angel Villarica, Modesto Quitain, Sisenando Paras,
Juan de la Cruz, Victor de Guzman, Bernardo Guerrero, Alfonso Oboza, Juan
Belisario, Sr., Pedro Santos, and Pedro S. Carriedo. From the Visayas came
Tomas Monteverde, Sr., Casiano Salas, Bruno Gempesaw, Margarito Pongos, Fedeico
Puyod, Vicente Guinoo, Macario Panuncialman, Diosdado Perez, Sr., Andrez
Calizo, Desiderio Gil, Jose Ebro, Sr., Alfonso and Isaac Dalisay, and Santiago
and Elias Dakudao. The Chinese mestizos were the Gamirs, the Angliongtos, the
Lims, Te Engfos and the Montojos.
The affluent Dabawenyos families whose houses were built
along the main streets were those of the Pichons, Bangoys, Bastidas, Awads,
Suazos, Cabaguios, Palma Gils, Villaricas, Generosos, Dalisays, and the Gamirs
of Claveria; the Lizadas, de la Cruzes, Hizons, Monteverdes, Bangoys and
Perezes of Bolton-Rizal; and the Rasays, Inigo, Ang Bansings, Lims and Gracias
of San Pedro.
Davao poblacion then occupied only a small portion of the
present poblacion with only two main streets, namely: San Pedro and Claveria
Streets. The third street was Magallanes. Other streets were secondary. The
poblacion was like a small barrio. Houses were of nipa and some bamboo with the
exception of some made of wood with roofs of galvanized iron owned by prominent
families. The streets were shorter and narrower than most of the streets now.
The Osmena Park which was known as Plaza Oyanguren was a part of the Church
property until 1917 when the first civil governor, Eulalio Causing of Cebu,
requested the church authorities to relinquish the church claims on the
property.
In San Pedro Church masses were
at 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning on ordinary days and at 7:00 and 8:00 in the
morning on Sundays. The Benediction was in the afternoon. There was a Parvolito
class at the convent and children who were enrolled were taught how to pray,
read, and write words in Spanish.
.jpg) |
| San Pedro Church |
Life then in Davao was very simple. There was peace all
around. The occupation of the people were farming, weaving sinamay, stripping
abaca, copra making and fishing. Others were laborers, vehicle drivers,
businessmen, and professionals. The prominent professionals during the late
1930s were lawyers Romualdo Quimpo, Rafael Castillo, Leon Garcia, Sr., Arsenio
Suazo, Antonio Habana, Jr., Jorge Lorredo, (first city fiscal of davao), Pedro
Quitain, Dominador Zuno, Manuel Cabaguio, Pantaleon Pelayo, Sr., Tiburcio
Cervantes, Jose Diaz, Vicente Hizon, Sr., Juan Sarenas, Isidro Bastida, and
Donato Endriga. The known medical practitioners were Simeon Macasaet, Benjamin
Panganiban, Sr., Baldomera Sexon, Jose Ebro, Sr., Ambrosio Babista, Manuel
Babao, Juan Belisario, Sr., Franciso Palma Gil, Pedro Santos and Santos Cuyugan.
(Davao City: Its History and Progress
by Dabbay, 1998)
The Christian migrants from the Visayas also formed their
social organizations the purpose of which was also the same as those of the
other Christian Filipino migrants. The Waray-Waray Association was organized by
the Leytenos and Samarenos who speak the Waray dialect. Like the other
migrants’ association they meet and hold social affairs.
June 2, 1923 the
then Consul General of the Republic of China to the Philippines, Ho. Chou
Kuo Shian, arrived in Davao for the
first time on an observation tour. Upon seeing the big number of Chinese
residents in Davao, he proposed the opening of a Chinese school for the children.
The proposal was welcomed by the residents. On June 6 a meeting of the Chinese
residents was called by the Honorary Consul during the meeting the Davao
Chinese Educational Association was organized with Mr. Chua Chin San elected as
the first Board Chairman over a membership of twelve. Later both Mr. Te and Mr.
Chua worked for the recruitment of funds, teachers and government approval for
the school. On June 3, 1924 the school opened in a rented house in San Pedro
St. with two classrooms to thirty pupils. Because of the dire need for a school
site to put up a school building, the Board approached Mr. Luna Lim Villa
Abrille who immediately donated a one hectare lot in Sta. Ana Avenue which
became the site of the Davao Chinese High School.
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| Te Chiu Im |
Davao during the Commonwealth Period
 |
| Signing of CA 51 of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon |
Before the inauguration of the Philippines Commonwealth
on November 15, 1935 there was the Philippines Constitutional Convention which
was convened at the session hall of the House of Representatives in Manila on
July 30, 1934. The Davao delegates to that convention were Atty. Rafael
Castillo and Atty. Pantaleon Pelayo, Sr. The Dabawenyos voted for the
ratification of the Constitution.
The
P.M.E. (Piere Missionaries Etrangeres) Priests of the foreign Mission arrived
in Davao in 1937. The Dabawenyos benefitted much in their coming. These P.M.E.
fathers contributed to the spiritual growth of Davao City. New Parishes and
more Catholic schools were opened and charity organizations were put up. Youth
Clubs taught and directed schools and seminaries. They also published
newspapers and religious materials.
The
late 1930 marked the coming to Davao City of a group of young teachers, fresh
graduates of the Zamboanga Normal School, who were recruited by Superintendent
of Schools John Stumbo to teach in Davao.
The
prominent later migrants of Davao during this period were: Nicasio Torres who
came in 1937 as manager of the Marsman & Co. (He bankrolled the
organization and start-of Roman Tesoro, Martiniano Capili, and Juan Mercado who
achieved success in the field of business. The later migrants who achieved
success in the field of politics were Romualdo C. Quimpo, Pantaleon Pelayo.
Sr., Antonio Habana, Jr., Cesar Sotto and Donato Endriga. (Davao City: Its History and Progress by Dabbay,
1998)
Creating the City of Davao
“The
motive of the creation of the City of Davao was the presence in Davao and
Guianga of many Japanese nationals. It was then feared that through elections,
the Japanese would be in a position to control Davao and Guianga.”
 |
| Old City Hall of Davao |
Commonwealth
Act No. 51, otherwise known as the Charter of the city of Davao, received
presidential approval on October 16, 1936.
As
a city, Davao had the fortunate services of able administrators. The City Mayor
then, as provided by the charter, was appointive, and the advantages of that
setup was succinctly describe by President Quezon:
… the law
which provides for the appointment instead of the election, of the mayor will
free the new cities from the influence of partisan politics in the
administration of their affairs and in execution of their laws. Thus,
efficiency and impartiality of the city government, in the administration and
execution of its laws and ordinances, will better insured.”
According
to a foreign observer, Quezon’s selection process gives credence to his stated
impartiality:
“In his
selection of mayors, President Quezon has kept himself from considerations of
party and appointed men of proven ability and high standing. Illustrative of
his policy was the selection of Honorable Santiago Artiaga as the first
appointed mayor of Zamboanga and later of Davao. For many years, Mr. Artiaga
had been city engineer of Manila where he had made a great record of
constructive achievement and had remained entirely outside party politics.
After giving the city government of Davao a good start, Mr. Artiaga was
transferred to the governorship of Bukidnon, a frontier province essential to
Commonwealth’s plan for the development of Mindanao.”
In
1937 the capital town of Davao city was converted into a chartered city, now
the city of Davao. Davao as it is known today was once a part of one Davao
province before it was divided into three different provinces in 1967. The
formal inauguration of Davao as a city was on March 1, 1937 although its
charter (referred to as the Commonwealth Act No. 51) was approved by the
Philippines Assembly and signed into law by Presidents Manuel Quezon on October
16, 1936. Hon Romualdo C. Quimpo, the first elected assemblyman from Davao is
responsible “creating” Davao into a city which was originally the old
municipality of Davao combined with the municipal district of Guianga.
The
known businessmen of the period were foreigners like the Chinese Tung Chong,
Lim Juna, and Me Hang; the Syrians Juan Awad and the Borgailys; the Naroomal
Utomal, and the Japanese Ohta Kyosaburu and Furukawa Yoshizo.
|
|
Before
the outbreak of the Second World War, Davao city was known as “Davaokuo”
because of the presence of so many Japanese nationals that even gave rise to
the so-called “Davao Problem” of the Philippine National government. There were
fears being felt by Filipinos in Davao and in Manila that because of the great number
of Japanese nationals acquiring large tracts of agricultural land law-fully and
“unlawfully” obtained, Davao might be under the full economic control of the
Japanese .
 |
| Inauguration of Davao City |
Although
the Japanese were already in Davao as early as the first few years of the
American regime, it was only during the 1930s when the landholding question
became an issue in Philippine politics.
Admittedly,
the wonderful development of Davao, economic wise, can be attributed to these
people. To quote President Quezon in his speech to the people of Davao on June
28, 1939 on the occasion of a trip made by him, he said……
The residents of Davao know that the
question of Japanese colony in Davao took place under the American
administration. That the man who brought OHTA (founder of the Ohta Development
Corporation in Talomo, Davao) Was
Carpenter (ex-governor of Davao); that it was Governor Cameron Forbes Who
sympathized with the policy of developing Mindanao even with the help of
foreigners. The Japanese have developed these lands that were undeveloped
before. They have taught us how to have modern plantations. If the Filipinos
should take advantage of what we can learn from the Japanese are doing here,
The coming of the Japanese to Davao, instead of being an evil, it would be a
blessings for the Filipinos.
|
|
The
Filipino lawyers who were active in the field of politics at the time were
Romualdo Quimpo, Juan Sarenas, Pantaleon Pelayo, Sr., Manuel Cabuguio, Sr.,
Donato Endriga and Antonio Habana, Jr., Cesar Sotto and Dr. Alberto Zamora,
optometrists, were also active politicians then.
 |
| Celebration of Inauguration of Davao City |
Davao City under its charter was under the administration
of a mayor appointed by the President of the Commonwealth with the approval of
the Commission on Appointments. The City council was the legislative body
composed of the mayor who was the presiding officer, the city engineer and the
city treasurer as ex-officio members, and five councils, two of whom to be appointed
by the president with the consent of the Commission on Appointments and be
elected by popular vote.
The Davao City Council then was composed of Santiago
Artiaga as mayor and presiding officer, Manuel Zabat (acting city engineer) and
Jose Elayda (City Treasurer) as ex-officio members and five city councilors –
Jose Ebro, Antonio Habana, Jr., Isidro Bastida, Alberto Zamora and Cesar Sotto.
On November 14, 1937 there was an election and the first three councilors
elected where Manuel Cabaguio, Isidro Bastida and Donato Edriga.
Mayor Artiaga served as mayor up to 1939 when he was
transferred to Bukidnon as governor. The next mayor of Davao City was Hon.
Agustin Alvarez who served in 1940. Next to him was Mayor Pantaleon Pelayo,
Sr., who served up to the time World War II broke out and Davao City was bombed
by the Japanese on December 8, 1941. (Davao
City: Its History and Progress by Dabbay, 1998)
Progress in Education
When
the American soldiers arrived in Davao in 1899, the immediate challenge was how
they might be understood. While Spanish could be used in official circles with
an American who knew the language serving as interpreter, the process was
impractical and slow. Thus, the American soldiers took to giving lessons to the
young natives
A common picture of that
period depicts a khaki-clad soldier and a young boy sitting on the grass and
poring over an illustrated magazine or pamphlet. Pointing at a picture, the
soldier would pronounce the name of the object. Sometimes, the soldier would
point at a specific part of his body and say the name of the part. Fingers
would be used as symbols for numerals. This was how education began, with
off-duty soldiers having friendly sessions with their pupils. After a while,
American soldiers started teaching the adults, too.
Soon after, formal classroom
education began. Abandoned mission schools were repaired, and regular teachers
were employed. This started in October 1901when three American teachers were
assigned to Davao. These Thomasites formed part of the group who arrived in
Manila for the United States on the transport Thomas on August 23, 1901.
The adult students in due
course became the pioneer native teachers. By 1902, around ¼ of the 2,825
children school age in Davao were attending classes in Mati, Caraga, Baganga,
Cateel, Davao poblacion and Guianga. The native teachers’ pay at that time was
“not more than Php 30.00 a month”. The fundamental subjects taught then were
the three R’s, geography, hygiene and sanitation. Henry S. Townsend served as
the first superintendent of schools for the Department of Mindanao and Jolo,
with headquarters in Zamboanga.
In June 1903, Act No. 787 was
passed, providing for the establishment of a public school system in the area
along with appropriations for the construction of school buildings. At this
time, Dr. Najeeb M. Saleeby replaced Townsend and was authorized to established
schools in various towns, Rancherias or townships-ranging from the primary
level, vocational up to the secondary level. With the availability of school
funds, slates and pencils were supplied freely to the pupils. Copybooks with
one line of writing at the top to be copied on the whole page facilitated the
learning of writing. Athletic games were introduced, and prizes offered to the
winners. Programs and contests, to which the pupils’ parents were invited, were
also held.
In 1904, additional American
teachers were assigned to Davao. Once each was assigned to Mati, Caraga and
Cateel, two in the Davao poblacion, and another one, Mr. Orville Wood, was
assigned in Sta. Cruz but practically had to reorganize the village there since
it was abandoned by the natives when Spanish sovereignty in Davao ended. Many
of his students in Sta. Cruz were Bagobos. By 1905, government school buildings
were constructed in Mati, Caraga, Baganga and Cateel. Two years later in 1907,
another school was constructed in Boston, Cateel.
In April 1905 a normal
institute in Davao trained Filipino teachers. Some pensionados were sent also
to Zamboanga secondary school for primary, vocational and normal training.
Education in Davao was further
bolstered with the opening of a private school in 1905 by the Religious of the
Virgin Mary. Called the Colegio de San Pedro, it used Spanish as
In June 1906, the schools in Davao had a total enrolment
of 1,023, with a daily average attendance of 575. This increased gradually as
Jesuit parochial schools were opened.
When the Moro Province was reorganized into the
Department of Mindanao and Sulu in 1913, the administration of the schools was
transferred to the Bureau of Education in Manila. Mindanao and Sulu schools
were then included in the allotment of funds from the general appropriations
for education/ Laws pertaining to education began to be applied to Mindanao and
Sulu. Prior to this, appropriation for these districts had to be enacted by the
Philippine Commission.
In 1915, the number of schools and teachers in Davao
significantly increased. Forty schools opened with an enrolment of 3,837;
teachers numbered 74. The Jesuit parochial schools likewise had 1,210 pupils in
the primary level. The Presbyterian Mission, which also operated the Davao
Mission Hospital, held for 120 pupils.
In 1917, the Mampising Agricultural and Rural High School was
constructed. A report by the Philippine Commission at the end of that year
mentioned the requisition of materials for the sixth wooded school building and
teacher’s cottage.
School population figures
during those years showed steady progress. In 1918, Davao had 42 primary
schools, 2 intermediate and 19 vocational schools. These had an enrolment of
5,913 of which 3,880 were male and 2,033 were female. They were under 74
teachers, two of whom were Americans. By 1920, the division had 98 schools with
a total enrolment of 7,286 under 222 teachers. In 1922, the Davao Provincial
High School was organized, with Mr. Dominador Fernandez as principal, class
teacher and division academic supervisor all in one. Again in 1925, the number
of schools increased to 212, teacher to 226 and enrolment to 9,098. Four years
later, the schools numbered 132, with an enrolment of 9,806. Eventually, there
were 709 teachers assigned as follows: 512 for the primary school; 123 for
intermediate school; 41 for secondary school; 12 district supervisors; 19
elementary school principals and 2 secondary principals. Such was the growth of
public schools in Davao when the Pacific War broke out in 1941.
The private-run St. Peter’s
School for Girls, an outgrowth of the Colegio de San Pedro, continued to grw
steadily. Its counterpart, the St. Peter’s School for Boys, established in 1934
and conducted by the Jesuit fathers, also continued to operate, although with
limited students. In 1932, a new vocational school and secretarial school
called the Davao Institute was opened by Godofredo Duremdes. This school later
branched out to Bunawan and Cateel.
The Chinese community of Davao
organized the Davao Chinese School in 1924. Primary education was initially
opened, with instructions in both Chinese and English. Filipino teachers were
employed mainly to teach the English classes. Supported by the Davao Chinese
Educational Association, the school initially operated in a rented building
along San Pedro Street. Later, its own school building was set up on a
two-hectare site owned by one of the Chinese old-timers, the late Done
Francisco Villa-Abrille Lim Juna.
The St. Peter’s School for Girls
was renamed Immaculate Conception Institute and opened a high school department
with eight girl students in the first year. Higher year levels were later
opened until it had 200 colegeialas in 1940. In 1941, its enrolment doubled.
Meanwhile, the St. Peter’s
School for Boys began offering complete primary education in 1934. Two years
later, it also opened first and second years of high school. This was followed
by the opening of the third and fourth year levels in the ensuing years. Its
school building was located at the back of St. Peter’s Church but facing
Claveria Street. In 1941, a two-storey
building was constructed at Claveria Street (on the present open field of the
Ateneo de Davao University, at the junction of Claveria and Jacinto Streets.
This had barely been used when war broke out.
In the towns, two private
schools run by RVM Sisters were established simultaneously in 1935: Our Lady’s
Academy in Baganga and the Holy Family Academy in Caraga. These provided
elementary educations to children in the east coast towns were transportation
facilities to and from Davao poblacion had always been difficult and irregular.
In addition to the above named
private schools, a number of vocational schools were also in operations, I.e.,
schools for hair science, dressmaking and flower-making and secretarial science
and music.
Such was the educational setup
when in 1941 the Japanese Imperial forces invaded Davao and destroyed most of
the school buildings, including equipment and books, which took a quarter of a
century to build and accumulate. (Davao History by Corcino, 1998)
Economic Growth
Davao
City emerged from an obscure Spanish colony and military outpost to a bustling
and notable city that it is today only some sixty years ago. It has often been
dubbed the Queen City of Mindanao. The attribution to the national coffers
comprises ¼ of the total amount collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in
the entire Mindanao and Sulu.
Its
swift transportation, hand in hand with that of the Province of Davao, was
brought about by the interplay of three major factors. It has been endowed by
Providence with rich natural resources, including fertile soil and mild
tropical climate free from typhoons. It has been peopled by settlers from
progressive nations, whose foresight, technology and capital have inspired an
equally important group of home seekers from every part of the country. It has
received special attention from the national government.
The
intermingling of different peoples in Davao-the Americans with their vision, propensity
for bulk production, ad capital for commerce; the Japanese with their
aggressiveness, ingenuity and industry; and the Filipinos with their knack of
learning, forbearance and deep interest in owning a piece of land-has resulted
not only in a fruitful, complementary relationship but also in an atmosphere
that is inspired greater immigration from Luzon and the Visayas to Davao.
The
national government enhanced Davao’s economic development in many ways. It
rushed the subdivision of public lands, constructed roads and bridges,
established agricultural colonies as well as extended banking, postal and
communication facilities. It also provided technical men, such as surveyors,
land inspectors and agricultural agents, to help settlers with their problems.
More directly, it sponsored through the National Land Settlement Administration
the bringing in of thousands of settlers to Mindanao, including those in the Koronadal Valley in Cotabato and the Compostela-Monkayo region in Davao.
Likewise, through the Bureau of Labor, the government projects in these parts,
many of whom decided to settle here, with their families following afterwards.
(Davao History by Corcino, 1998)
Strides in Agriculture
Agriculture
has been the primary foundation of Davao’s economic well-being and will
continue to be so for a long time. From its total land area of 1,949,895
hectares, about 68 percent (1,333,647 ha.) is designated alienable and
disposable lands and 32 percent (616, 248 ha) as possible permanent timberland.
Only a small percentage of this vast area is under actual cultivation for
agricultural production.
Davao’s agricultural progress may
be said to have started with the American ex-soldiers early in the 199s. Their
years of hard work produced thousands of hectares of plantations. During all
these times, some of the laborers, especially the Christian migrants from the
Visayas, staked for themselves a piece of land in an adjacent area. It was the
beginning of the growth of Filipino farm ownership. It was one of the important
effects of the American pioneering venture. That was not all, however. One
perceptive observer in later year describes how this led to the recruitments of
Japanese farm laborers to this area starting in 1903.
“In
due course, some of these Japanese formed the nucleus in the origination of
Japanese corporations led by Oda Kyosaburo, commonly known as K.S. Ohta, which
acquired lease on public lands.”
Some
of these early Japanese laborers became contractors for the corporations that
gradually expanded. They sought help and advice from veteran American planters,
such as Roy E. Libby and Capt. James L. Burchfield. They increased efficiency
by paquiao (the contract system of labor) and improved the crude
abaca-stripping machine. They used chemicals to check plant pests, constructed
drainage, roads, and even a wharf. They set up agricultural experiment stations,
seedbanks and farm cooperatives. Many of these facilities were made available
to Filipino farmers. From their example, the Filipinos learned improved
techniques of cultivation. Davao’s agriculture developed, and soon its produce
became known in the world market. (Davao History by Corcino, 1998)
Transportation and Communication
The economic activities of the Davao Gulf territory may
be traced to the early contracts of Spanish traders from the Bislig
commandancia with Sigaboy residents. Christians from Surigao and Bislig had
penetrated the eastern seaboard to avoid Spanish authorities because of pola,
taxes or unlawful acts.
These
Christians, in order to survive, developed contacts and traded with the Monobos
for basic commodities and later for commercial crops, luring merchants from
Bislig who extended the shipping route to Sigaboy. In time, they looked
westward across the Davao Gulf to the settlement of Datu Bago to expand their
trading contacts.
After
the establishment of Davao, the first Christian settlement in the Davao Gulf
territory in 1848, transportation and communication linkages with the Christian
communities in the east coast and Manila became imperative. These, however,
came about slowly. In the first four years following Davao’s conquest only one
or two ships came to Davao. Davao’s shipping contacts with Manila in 1852 were
augmented by visitation of ships to maintain the military outpost. The politico-military
governors who came after Oyanguren were encourage to engage in trading to
enhance the province’s economy.
Much
later, occasional visits by trading vessels from Sandakan in Borneo to Jolo and
Zamboanga came to Davao for trade and commerce, although these small
coal-powered launches came rarely.
Transportation
and communication greatly improved only with the coming of the Americans to
these parts. The US Government at this time not only sent regular military
transport vessels to service the needs of the military outpost in Glan, Davao,
Mati and Baganga but also hired the steamship Bolinao to carry mail
maters and provide passengers and cargo shipping for the civilians.
The
Bolinao was leased from the Fernandez Hermanos Company with Don Simeon
Marfori as her purser; Don Feliciano Iñigo served as the Davao agent. Later,
other ships of the Fernandez Hermanos took up the route from Manila to Davao to
supplement the route of Bolinao.
In
the Davao Gulf are itself, an American investor, Mr. Boardman of the Panay
Railroad Company, provided the first motor launch that transported Davao
hardwood to Ilo-ilo for its railway.
The
Americans who organized the Davao Planters’ Association made arrangements with
the Columbian Rope Company to send ships from the US to the Davao Gulf are
where substantial volumes of abaca, copra and other products were available for
the export market. Direct shipping was a great improvement over he old system
of shipping the farm produce to Zamboanga where the products would be picked up
by foreign vessels bound for Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Europe. Davao
panters thus wre able to save in transportation costs.
These
foreign ships spent several days on the shores near the plantations around
Davao Gulf to load the products. To facilitate loading and unloading, the Davao
Planter’s Association contributed funds for the construction of Sta. Ana Wharf
in 1909.This wharf ushered in motor lauches, which collected produce around
Davao Gulf and the eastern seaboard, including Bislig, for storage in warehouse
near Sta. Ana Wharf.
Simultaneously,
roads were developed to transport products by motor vehicles to the Sta. Ana
Wharf. Members of the Japanese Community, erstwhile workers in the American
plantations, gradually acquired their own plantations and constructed their own
roads leading to their won pier facility.
Japanese
pioneer Ohta Development Company, which had some 40 subsidiary companies,
constructed its own pier and warehouses in Talomo. The Furukawa Plantations,
for its part, put up its own facilities in Daliaon.
Furukawa,
which started acquiring lands in 1914, developed its own subsidiary companies,
which practically equaled the properties of Ohta Development Company in area.
The presence of these large companies and volume of produce they exported led
naturally to direct shipping by Japanese companies to Davao, some of which
called on Australia. American and Japanese shipping companies that carried
Davao’s produce abroad made Davao a bustling trading center. Ships from Europe
brought in machinery and motor vehicles. Foreign investment in Davao progressed
significantly, making Davao a major contributor to the national economy. (Davao
History by Corcino, 1998)
Communications.
With Davao’s economic progress, the need for communication facilities became
paramount. Communication services required connections within Davao territory
and the rest of the world. As early as 1900, the American occupation troops in
Davao immediately established telephone lines for its use. These linked Davao
headquarters to its stations in Malalag and overland to Makar (present day
General Santos City). An exclusive wireless service linked the Davao-based US
Army to Zamboanga City and other parts of the country, including ships at sea.
Japanese corporations also had their own wireless facilities reaching Japan and
their ships at sea.
In
1917, the Davao Telephone Company was organized by Col. Stevenot who also
organized the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company in Manila. Several
other private corporations had their own commercial facilities connecting them
to their mother company and contacts worldwide.
In
the 1930’s, broadcast news from Manila heard over radio sets drew Davao closer
to the national capital and the outside world.
Development
in transportation and communication facilities in Davao have been augmented
tremendously after the war and up to the present, linking Davao to the world
through satellite and computer technology (Davao History by Corcino, 1998).
Updated on aPRIL 13, 2017@8:09pm by Rhey Mark H. Diaz
Constancio Guzman was once a mayor of Davao City.He has still heir who works on the remainaing Land that he left. There is one heir who later will announce his arrival.
ReplyDeleteConstancio Guzman is a Mayor of Davao Municipality not Davao City. It means during his time, Davao is still a Municipality and not an Independent city.
DeleteHello Rhey, thank you for this article.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the source of information on the Business person Naroomal Utomal. I ask as I might be related to this person, but I need more information.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Rhey, do you have any more information about Roy Libby?
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance.
The street Jose P.Palma Gil St.was named after my paternal grandfather. The whole lot [approximately 14,000 sq/m was family donated] named ater my Teodoro Palma Gil Elementary School where the located along the present day Quirino Ave. was formerly Tomas Claudio St.stretches all the to Capt. Tomas Monteverde was my paternal grandma's grandpa was how the Garcia's related to us. I should know since that's where i spent my childhood.No disrespect to the researcher if i may asked. Is he a descendant of Gregorio Zaide? Good Lord.Almost all the prominent names mentioned are my relatives. My paternal To this day i still vividly remember stories told by our old"s. the first mayor of Davao city was Porras. also a relative no less. And Gempesaws and Dutertes.The Saint Peter school is where my father graduated elemntary as salutatorian was situated in Toril. Why was this audaciously published and for public consumption yet as if resources of such are first hand. My grandfather finished law and was a classmate of Claro M. Recto at UST. Thderafter went to Columbia University and cosequently the first davaoeno who obtained his doctor of laws degree at Indianapolis University.The Palma Gil mansion adjacent to Apo View Hotel along the same street named after my paternal grandfather Jose P. Palma Gil was where i spent my lots of good childhood memories. You are trying to change the course of Davao at the expense of our family. Shame on you. My lola's mansion spread all the up to bolton Sr. where Tombo's mispelled Stombo Water delivery is situated is where we eat b-b-cue[banana glaze with butter while roasted, and even bread ] after our afternoon game we fondly call BIROS. Am not even half way thru with this . But i recon you[whoever the researcher may be]have the decency to remove this.Shame on you. Having the audacity to publish it yet at the expense of our hijos de dabaw. What an abysmally dysfunctional misfit degenerate nincompoop you are complete with references 1998 edition as if. Good Lord God, so poignant if education is your field of inexperience. Mahiya ka naman. or at least have the decency to rewrite it.No, i prefer totally erased. Gone to oblivion.
ReplyDeleteIn addition the Medialdeas, Guinoo's,Lanzars,Campos the Arconcels the Tionkos[one of whom married tita solita hizon if my memory serves me right] omitted as well relatives as well landowner from Central bank today up to N.Torres whom consider Davaoenos as well.Good thing you have Me Hang that's where my mama bring us after Sunday mass for chips of our choice as an incentive. Gempesaws are there at least. Who the hell commisioned you to ewrite this. Lolo Maning's Cabagio's name spelled cubuguio. Lolo Odok's name you murdered ommiting the letter o making it teodor. You idiot. a research flimsily done permitted to published for public consumption at that. San ka nag-aral hunghang. I sometimes lack to letter and ever prepositions thas because my hand doesn't work as fast as my brain does. But i guarantee you, when i open my mmouth you don't have to edit any.Which was why at one point in i was invited to write an article owned by no less than our current DFA Sec.Teodoro Locsin. whom to best of my vivid memory havent even seen once in my life in persson. I declined. Another senior PDI correspondent said to write which i also decline . I said I don't have the knack for it. Dan i 'm not even half as good as as an impromptu speaker. so i said that's why you are as garrulous as me and i don't write the way you in the same manner am not a writer. So insistent hat i said if you're really hell bent on acquiring my services hire a stenographer who can catch up with my pace.you read my comment the word there after was misspelled and maybe meron pa iba. that's precisely i dpn't like writing. Because of that bad habit. When i write that's it no review post agad. Only to end up reaing it posted na some typo errors carelessly posted sans review. I challenge you to prove a point . If by chance while ongoing conversation with me i slipped even for once i'll pay you. On the condition you sign a waver you must at least be flawlessly confident and on't ask questions such what do i mean. Because talking to me implicitly tantamount to be loquaciously faluting. I hate derision . But you left me no choice but to continually sneer you for tinkering with our name. People who tinkers with my family all the more with our my name is what makes me go out my mind. Especially with intelligence that to me is abysmally fathomable to accept. remove this trash worthy of languishing in quagmire if you do not want another one of this. Next time is guaranteed God forbid.
ReplyDelete