Davao City: From Third Philippine Republic to Post-EDSA

Davao City under the Third Philippine Republic

Soon after the liberation of Davao City, the city government was reestablished. On July 4, 1946 the Third Republic of the Philippines was inaugurated. The first President of the Third Republic, Manuel A. Roxas, appointed Atty. Leon Garcia Sr. as Mayor of Davao City. He was succeeded by Atty. Bernardo Teves in 1949 who served as mayor until 1952. Mayor Teves was succeeded by Atty. Rodolfo B. Sarinas who in turn was succeeded by Atty. Julian A. Rodriguez Sr., the last appointive mayor in Davao City who served until the end of the 1955.

Davao City Hall

            The City Hall building of Davao City which was earlier constructed in 1926 as a municipal building was destroyed in 1945 during the Liberation Period. After the Liberation Period of Davao, the government authorities started the restoration work and the building was fully completed in 1947.   

            The period saw the unprecedented influx of people in this city. Among the more prominent migrants in the 1950’s and 1960’s were the business tycoons Alcantara,Almendras, Dakudao, Dizon, Floirendo, Maglana, Pamintuan, Robillo, Santos and Sarmiento. This was the period of the logging industry. Huge logging concessions were acquainted by this Filipino businessman and later, some grew powerful corporations that were even backed by capital of multinationals. Factories were opened that gave employment to countless Filipinos. The Banan and pineapple industry boomed later in the 1990’s.

             Businesses of all sorts were established in the city. A great change in the city was felt huge concrete structures mushrooming everywhere. Civic organizations were brought to the fore like the Jaycees, the Lions Club, the Rotary, Kiwanis Clubs and others. All these civic organizations produced worthy projects. 

Current Davao City Hall

              More and more schools (public and private) were opened and one state college, the University of Southeastern Philippines, was established. The Schools Division of Davao City was created as a separate Schools Division in November 1960. From then on schools have grown population-wise because of the influx of migrants coming from different parts of the country. The universities namely: The University of Mindanao, International Harvardian University, Ateneo de Davao and the University of Immaculate Conception which was inaugurated September 8, 1992. Since the time the Schools Division of Davao City was created in 1960 there were already ten who occupied and one occupying the position of superintendent, namely: Pedro Aguada; Pedro O. Sanvicente; Victoria D. Montgomery; Sol T. Carpio; Cecilia O. Quintillan; Leonor Penalosa; Ramon Y. Alba; Exuperia G. Madrazo; Dr. Luceria M. de Leon, Arnold Mollaneda and the present occupant Dionisio Abitong.

              Other known private colleges established are the San Pedro College (Nursing), Brokenshire College and Davao Doctor’s College. The other private Catholic Secondary Schools are the Stella Maris Academy, Assumption School of Davao and Holy Cross College of Davao.

Industrial plants and factories can be found in Davao City during the 1960’s and 1970’s only to be closed  in the later 1970’s and early 1980’s because of economic depression.

First election under the Republic

The first elected mayor was Engineer Carmelo Porras when he won in the election November 1955. Mayor Porras served for three consecutive terms to wit: 1955-1959; 1959-1963; and 1963-1967. The first election was held after the City Charter was amended by Republic Act 1368 which was approved on June 18, 1955 providing for the election of the government officials from the mayor to vice-mayor and ten councilors.     

 Another revision Davao City Charter was made on July 19, 1965 when Senate and House of Representatives enacted Republic Act. No. 4354 defining the city as a “Public corporation emphasizing the greater participation of the citizenry in government affairs”. The powers and duties of the three branches of government increased.

Subsequent elections and Davao Politics

The successor of Mayor Porras was Atty. Elias B. Lopez when the latter won in the election of 1967. On January 27, 1969 an amendment was made again on certain sections of the Revised Charter known as Republic Act No. 5501 which further increased the membership of the City Council from 10 to 14 who were to be elected at large by qualified voters. Mayor Lopez issued Executive Order No. 1 dated February 2, 1971 subdividing the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Davao into eight (8) districts.

Current Davao City Hall

             Mayor Lopez was succeeded by Luis T. Santos who won in the election of 1971. On September 2, 1947 the Presidential Decree No. 557 was issued declaring “all existing barrios, and also that may be created later as barangays, and all references to the barrio in any existing law shall be understood as referring to the barangay.” The same presidential decree also adopted the Revised Barrio Charter (RA 3590) as the Barangay Charter. The term barangay includes not only the barrios which were declared as barangays by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 557 but also the Citizens Assemblies which were created pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 86 in chartered cities and in poblacion of municipalities where there were no barangays.

            Davao City poblacion is subdivided into four sub-districts A,B,C and D with (10) urban barangays each in addition to the eight and now nine (9) outlying political districts composed of rural barangays numbering 167.

Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 826, dated November 14, 1975, the name of the City Councilor was changed to Sangguniang Panlungsod and the membership thereof. In addition, the Sangguniang Panlungsod included representatives from four different sectors, namely: capital, professional, industrial labor and agricultural labor and five selected Barangays Captains. Under Presidential Decree No. 826, Section 2, the City Mayor was designated as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

In 1981, upon the termination of the Martial Law Regime, Davao City was once again under the leadership of Mayor Elias B. Lopez who won in the election of 1980. During the latter part of his second term as Mayor, the Local Government Code was implemented. The City Government officials then were Mayor Elias B. Lopez, Vice-Mayor Cornelio Maskarino and the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod were Hon. Alexis Almendras, Hon. Bienvido Amora, Hon. Lydia Bangoy, Hon. Jose Jison, Hon. Valentino Banzon, Hon. Antonio Castillo, Hon. Julieta Feliciano, Hon. Tomas Monteverde, Jr., Hon. Pantaleon Pelayo, Jr., Hon. Exuperio Porras, Hon. Alfredo Vergara, Hon. Domingo Zuno, Jr. The Vice Mayor was designated as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

After the February 25, 1986 people power revolution at EDSA, the new dispensation replaced the city government officials with a new set headed by OIC Zafiro Respicio, a former Assemblyman of the defunct Batasang Pambansa was appointed Hon. Rodrigo Duterte was appointed Vice Mayor and the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod were Hon. Ruben Abarquez, Hon. Nilo Abellera, Hon. Benjamin Baneso, Hon. Antonio Castillo, Hon. Danilo Dayanghirang, Hon. Dante Escalante, Hon. Rene Galope, Hon. Luz Ilagan, Hon. Luis Lacerna, Hon. Cesar Ledesma, Hon. Nicanor Magno, Hon. Corazon Malanyaon, Hon. Tomas Monteverde, Jr., Hon. Nemesio Rasgo., Hon., Jacinto Rubillar, Hon. Teodulfu Vega, and Hon. Antonio Vergars.

Urban Davao City

Then came the Congressional Elections of May 11, 1987. The elected Congressional were Hon. Jesus Dureza for the First District; Hon. Cornelio Maskarino for the Second District; and Hon. Luis Santos for the Third District (left the post vacant when he was appointed Secretary of Local Government  by President Corazon Aquino).

The first local government election under the new regime was held on January 18, 1988. Elected as mayor was Hon. Rodrigo R. Duterte. The vice-mayor ship  was won by Hon. Dominador Zuno, Jr. Elected councilors were Luis Bonguyan, Alexis Almendras, Bonifacio Militar, Aristeo Albay, Leo Avila III, Gerardo Nograles, Nilo Abellera and Antonio Vergara for the First District; Valentino Banzon, Sinforiano Alterado, Antonio Castillo, Danilo Dayanghirang, Liborio Lumain, Diosdado Mahipus, Tomas Monteverde Jr. and Jaime Rodriguez for the Second District; and Corazon Malanyaon, Cesar Robillo, Renato Bangoy, Victorio Advincula, Agosto Fuentes, Shane Dolor, Teofilo Venus and Guillermo Saldana for the Third District. (Davao: It's History and Progress by Gloria P. Dabbay, 1998)

After the first term of newly elected local officials in Davao were Rodrigo R. Duterte reelected as Mayor of Davao and Luis C. Bonguyan as Vice Mayor. The Sangguniang Panlungsod elected officials are Aristeo V. R. Albay, Leonardo R. Avila III, Nilo G. Abellera, Antonio H. Vergara, Bonifacio E. Militar, Rene V. Galope, Pilar C. Braga, Erasto L. Librado, Danilo C. Dayanghirang, Tomas A. Monteverde, Jr., Antonio S. Castillo, Cornelio C. Reta III, Diosdado A. Mahipus, Sr., Jaime Q. Rodriguez, Nenita R. Orcullo, Pedro R. Salvador, Romanito B. Pilay, Agosto P. Fuentes, Frances Mabel A. Robillo, Jose Pl. Dalodo, Leonora T. Cascabel, Shane L. Dolor, Paz C. Mata, Teofilo M. Venus, Nazario K. Navarro, Sr., Cesar C. Cabading, Marlene A. Librado, Myrna L’Dalodo-Ortiz and Elizabeth M. Fuentes. Congressman .

Updated on  April 13, 2017@8:13pm by Rhey Mark H. Diaz