The Lay of the Land

Territorial Delineations

DAVAO OR NUEVA GUIPUZCOA (its first Spanish name) was not known as a geopolitical entity until the middle of the 19th century. A decree dated 29 January 1819 provides the earliest delineation of the heretofore uncharted territory that fell into Spanish control following Don Jose Oyanguren’s conquest of the Taglooc Bay (now Davao Gulf) area. The decree reflects Governor General Narciso Claveria’s appreciation for the courageous exploit of Oyanguren in gaining control of the Davao Gulf territory, for he named it Nueva Guipuzcoa in commemoration of Oyanguren’s home province in Spain. The capital settlement was named Nueva Vergara, in honor of Oyanguren’s hometown, Vergara.

The boundaries of the territory of Nueva Guipuzcoa were not explicitly defined because the area needed to be explored further at that time. The initial concept of the Province of Nueva Guipuzcoa was the land mass periphery to the Davao Gulf from Sarangani Island going upward. Following the same coastal line on the east side of the Gulf, it proceeds down to Cape San Agustin and from there on the Pacific side, the territory goes up to Point Cauit near Lanuza then part of the ancient province of Caraga.

First Map of Davao

In 1860, Mindanao was divided into five politico-military districts. Nueva Guipuzcoa became the Fourth District. Nueva Guipuzcoa’s northern boundary was brought down from Point Cauit to Point Tagubon (between Mati and Manay). Its territorial jurisdiction therefore covered the region from Point Tagubon west ward to the original Davao Gulf area, down to the present South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat Provinces with Malaluna Point near Lebac, as the farthest southern boundary. Fort Lebac, established together with the naval station in Glan, emphasizes Davao’s jurisdiction that separated it from Maguindanao territory.

The section which fell under the Commandancia (Military District) of Bislig encompassed the territory from Lianga (above Bislig) down to Point Tagubon and consisted mainly of scaterred settlements of Mandayan lumads in Cateel, Baganga, Caraga and Manay, with a sprinkling of Christian inhabitants who lived scattered along the coasts.

This section of the cast coast later became the object of intense evangelization activities from the mission station of Caraga. The Jesuit missionaries who returned to the Philippines in 1859 and were reassigned to take charge of the missions in Mindanao, had in 1847 taken over the parishes in the east coast originally founded by the Recollect missionaries as early as 1620.

The decree of 8 January 1858, which changed the name of Carhaga Province to Surigao Province, created confusion simply because Craga in the recent century had been associated only with the Province of Davao. Actually the name Caraga was given to the old settlement as early as 1671 “in commemoration of the ancient province of that name.” Caraga (in present-day Davao Oriental) then served as the farthest and most important Spanish missionary outpost. Since 1638, it had been a part of the Commandancia of Bislig.

As a frontier town on high plateau from which a vantage view of the far horizon could be seen. Caraga was occasionally visited by the intrepid Recollect missionaries, but their limited number precluded the establishment of a regular mission house in this frontier. The mission parish of Caraga was only established in 1874 with the assignment there of Jesuit Fathers Pablo Pastells and Juan  Terricabras, who earlier served in Bislig.

Meantime, in 1867, before the Jesuits took over the major Christian settlement at the mouth of Davao River, the head town of Nueva Vergara was renamed Davao upon the petition of the inhabitants who felt that he original name they had been using since time immemorial deserved to be restored. This was readily done and even the Province of Nueva Guipuzcoa was renamed after this major river settlement in Davao Gulf.

One more in 1887, following the assumption into office of Maximum Lillo y Garcia as Davao Governor, the northern boundary of the province was moved up to Cape Catarman between Lingig (in today’s Surigao Sur and Cateel,, Davao Oriental). The territory was incorporated into the jurisdiction of the Commandancia of Mati, just as the Commandancia of Glan (in today’s Saragani Province) had jurisdiction over the southern limits of Davao, which extended southwestward to Malaluna Point near the Bay of Tuna (in present-day South Cotabato). This was the extent of Davao Province’s territory when Mindanao in 1858 was reorganized into districts, and Davao became known as the Fourth District.

The same boundary lines and designation of Davao as Fourth District were adopted during the American military occupation of Mindanao. As provided in General Order No. 10 by the Military Department of Mindanao and Jolo limits of Davao District included “the old Spanish Commandancia of Glan, Davao and Mati as far as the eight parallel of north latitude.

The Davao-Cotabato boundary was further clarified when the Philippine Legislature in 1916 amended the Administrative Code and defined therein the Cotabato-Davao boundary as follows:

The eastern boundary of the Province of Cotabato separating said province from the Province of Davao is as follows: Beginning at a point where the boundary separating the Province of Bukidnon from the Province of Cotabato leaves the eastern watershed of the Pulangi River, thence in a southerly direction along the crest of the said divide which is sometimes known as the Mt. Apo range of mountains, to the southernmost peak of Mt. Apo, thence along the watershed that divides the waters that flow into Davao Bay from those that flow into Mindanao River and Sarangani Bay to Tinaca Point.

The common boundary with Surigao on the north has remained at the 18th parallel of north latitude until it was slightly modified on 3 December 1927 upon the approval of Act No. 3358 of the Philippine Legislature. Under the provisions of the said Act, the barrios of Palo Alto and San Roque of Davao Province’s Municipality of Cateel were annexed to the Surigao Province’s Municipality of Lingig. That parcel of territory lies along the Pacific Coast.

As technically described, Davao’s northern boundary lies on the 8th parallel of north latitude, it begins on the northwest from 125º20’ east longitude on the Bukidnon-Agusan border to the Pacific Coast, except that paecel corresponding to the barrios of Palo Alto and San Roque, which belong to Surigao. The exact extent or delineation of these two barrios, however, is a subject that continues to cause disputes between the municipalities of Lingig and Cateel Inhabitants along the disputed boundary have been subjected for a long time now to vexing irritation as tax collectors from both municipalities demand payment in favor of the municipal government they represent.

In 1963, during the term of Gov. Vicente Duterte, officials of Bukidnon, Cotabato and Davao met to clarify the boundary of the three provinces. They reached an amicable agreement upon the testimony of Datu Tulamac L. Salumay, who pointed out the specific landmarks made in 1917 when he was employed by the U.S. Government as a forestry guard.

Topography, Vegetation and Marine Life

     The most interesting topographical feature of Davao is the dormant Mount Apo, with its silvery peak rising to an elevation of 10,312 feet, the highest in the Philippines. Its center lies between the parallels 10º7’50º latitude north of the meridian; 124º45’30º longitude east of Greenwich. It slopes 15 miles down east towards the coast along the town of Sta. Cruz.

        Three peaks constitute its crown on the highest and southeastern peak is found the crater. Long before reaching this peak, one hears low and intermittent rumblings with increasing intensity as one goes higher. At times the earth shakes as if an eruption is about to take place.

       The mid-eastern cordillera of Mindanao coming from Agusan southward divides itself into two at the Apo, one going to the southernmost portion of Sarangani Point; the other ending on the western side of Sarangani Bay. The eastern cordillera, which originates from Surigao, runs through the eastern part of Davao ending at Cape San Agustin.

These cordilleras give Davao its mountainous features and contribute to the formation of rivers, many of them deep enough for flatboat navigation and for lowland irrigation. Davao’s plateaus, gently rolling hills, valleys and plains make the province suitable for the cultivation of a variety of crops.

The mountain range from Sarangani Strait to Calapsin Pont, which used to abound in animal life, is the habitat of several varieties of hardwood, gum-producing trees and oil producing lumbang nuts. Dotting the mountain range are patches of level and gently-sloping lands converted into highly productive coconut plantations by the pioneering American soldiers following their discharge from the U.S. Army in the 1900s.

Within the Gulf, near Davao City, are the islands of Samal and Talicud. The latter’s narrow level coasts are cultivated to coconut. In the early 1950s, Talicud looked more of a forested island. Samal is almost a plateau but for the gradual rise of its fringes from the shore. Samal Island was the major supplier of Davao poblacion’s requirements for livestock and fruits up to the 1950s when farmers expanded their coconut plantings to the upland portion. Most of these coconut plantations, like those found along the shore lines of mainland Davao date back to the early American occupation in 1900. Samal’s plateau-like interior is broken here and there by some rolling hills, which have been put to full cultivation with assorted crops.

Davao’s rugged and irregular coast provides excellent harbors of all sizes. The bays and coves of Tumanao in Sarangani, of Malalag. Talomo, Malipano, Babak, Pujada in Mati, Santiago in Caraga, Lambajon in Banganga and Boston in upper Cateel, including Sta. Ana and Sasa, provide anchorage and shelter to foreign and local ships alike. Its deep rivers, particularly Tuganay, Bincungan, Libunganon and Hijo provide useful venues of transportation of hinterland products.

Lately, however, the lush forests of the hinterlands have been extensively denuded, causing river siltation, floods and creating havoc to farms and crops.

Davao’s wide gulf and open seas abound in fish, from the multicolored species along the shallow shores to the bluish marlin in its deep waters just outside the gulf. But the seas potentialities lay in the variety of tuna fish to be found in the gulf and the surrounding basin as far south as the Celebes and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean to the east. Of the 21 species of tuna and tuna-like fish known in the Philippines eight are relatively common in these waters and are only waiting for enterprising capitalists to tap the promise of a fishes industry in Davao.

The sheltered waters of Davao Gulf, with its rich marine life, also offer great potentialities for pearl culture. The Aguinaldo Development Company set up pilot pearl grounds in San Jose facing a nearby islet. Malipano, the historic spot where Don Jose Oyanguren first dropped anchor in March 1848. Results of the experiment in pearl culture so far indicate that Davao waters are capable of rearing large pearls of a quality comparable to those produced in Japan.

Fishponds along Davao’s extensive coastline as well as fishpens and seaweeds in its numerous sheltered coves are part of Davao’s alluring prospects.

Rainfall and Prevailing Winds

Nature’s great endowments to Davao are its rainfall and its location outside the typhoon belt. Where the rest of the country is regularly buffeted by strong winds from the north during the mornings and the southeast breeze in the afternoons and evenings most of the year. Davao’s regularly and evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year enhances the growth of various crops, making it an ideal agricultural country.

Early explorers in search of new lands and spices reached Davao’s shores because of the patterns of wind direction and sea currents at different periods of the year. These patterns also affected the movement of ancient peoples (from whence our common ancestry evolved) and their spread through the centuries, thereby accounting for the many shipwrecks that occurred in Davao’s east coast and the migrations of people from neighboring countries in the south.


Updated on April 13, 2017@ 7:46pm by Rhey Mark H. Diaz