Davao de Oro, officially the Province of Davao de Oro (Cebuano: Lalawigan sa Davao de Oro; Filipino: Lalawigan ng Davao de Oro), is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Nabunturan while Monkayo is the most populous. It used to be part of the province of Davao del Norte until it was made a separate province in 1998.
The province borders Davao del Norte to the west, Agusan del Sur to the north, and Davao Oriental to the east. To the southwest lies the Davao Gulf. The first elected governor was Jose Caballero, formerly a lawyer for a mining group in the province. It was formerly known as Compostela Valley (shortened to ComVal; Cebuano: Kawalogang Kompostela) from its inception until December 2019, when a plebiscite ratified the law that proposed to rename the province to Davao de Oro.[3]
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Davao de Oro, the 78th province in the country, was created out of Davao del Norte Province by virtue of Republic Act No. 8470, signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on January 30, 1998. The new province was officially named Compostela Valley.[4] On March 7 of the same year, the law was ratified through a plebiscite conducted in the eleven (11) municipalities of the mother province.
The movement to create a new province by dividing Davao del Norte started in the 1980s during the time of Congressman Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr., himself the author of RA No. 6430. However, this was not realized until his death in the late 1980s. His son, Rogelio M. Sarmiento, who became his successor in Congress, pushed for the passage of the bill creating the province.
Upon consultation with the governor of Davao del Norte, Prospero S. Amatong, the province's other two legislators, 3rd District Congressman Rodolfo P. Del Rosario and 2nd District Congressman Baltazar A. Sator, and other provincial and municipal officials, it was decided that the addition of four municipalities, namely Maco, Mabini, Pantukan, and Laak to the proposed province would be the most ideal and equitable configuration as this would make both provinces on an almost equal footing in terms of area, population, and development opportunities. It was also decided that Nabunturan would be the capital town because of its more central location.
The name originally proposed for the province was Davao del Norte, the former name, or so it was thought, of the mother province. However, the House of Representatives’ Reference and Research Bureau, which conducted the research and legal work on the creation of the province, found out that the mother province continues to be officially referred to as Davao del Norte in most official documents including the 1987 Philippine Constitution despite the passage of RA No. 6430 on June 17, 1972, renaming it as Davao Province. Tedious technical and legal issues needed to be resolved before the name could be adopted. The proposal was thus shelved and the name finally agreed upon was Compostela Valley, referring to the great fertile plain in the heartland of the province.
The origin of the province’s inhabitants came from the ethnic tribes of the Mansaka, Mandaya, Manobo, Mangguangan, Dibabawon, Aeta, Kamayo, Davaweño and Kalagan. Similar to the history of other Mindanao provinces, most of the present populations of the province are descendants of migrants who came from Luzon and Visayas islands during the pre-war and post war eras, among the Luzon migrants were Tagalogs from Bataan (thus, the town New Bataan) & Ilocanos from North Central Luzon. The bigger wave of immigrants came during the time of President Ramon Magsaysay wherein the policy of attraction adopted by the national government was to offer parcels of land to tenant-farmers. Although a virtual melting pot, the Visayans (mostly Cebuano-speaking) are the dominant group in Davao de Oro.
Upon its establishment, Davao de Oro was ruled by a succession of three governors during the first four months of its existence. The first governor of the province was Prospero S. Amatong, the three-term governor (1986-1998) of the then undivided province of Davao del Norte, who held the position only for a day. As the law creating the new province allowed incumbent elected officials of Davao del Norte the option to serve the remainder of their term in Compostela Valley, Amatong took this option and assumed the governorship of the then-Compostela Valley on March 26, 1998. The following day, he resigned and filed his candidacy for the congressional seat of the 2nd district of the new province. The governorship was turned over to Luz M. Sarmiento, by virtue of a presidential appointment. Sarmiento, the wife of then Congressman Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. served the province from March 27, 1998, to June 30, 1998. She was succeeded by Jose R. Caballero.
Jose R. Caballero, a practicing lawyer and former vice governor of then undivided Davao del Norte (1988-1992) was the first elected governor of Compostela Valley.
Arturo T. "Chiongkee" Uy is the fourth governor of Compostela Valley. He first served the province as member of the 3rd Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Compostela Valley (2004-2007) before he was elected as governor in the May 2007 national and local elections. He was reelected unopposed during the May 2010 national and local elections.
In 1955, the barrio (barangay) of New Sabonga was transferred to the municipality of Compostela from the municipality of Asuncion.[5]
On June 23, 1957, then President Carlos P. Garcia signed Republic Act No. 2038[6] which separated Compostela from Nabunturan. The first Mayor appointed by President Carlos P. Garcia was then Mayor Pio P. Galenzoga, one of the pioneer settlers.
In the same year the sitios of Kao, Magkagong, Margosan, Matilo, Magangit, Cabacungan, Tigbatinao and Camanlangan were constituted into a barrio known as Santo Niño.[7]
At the time, Compostela was an incongruous mixture of wooden-roofed houses concentrated along the Agusan River which was properly known as "dungguanan" (embarkation). This area later became its center of trade and commerce or Poblacion.
A Senate bill officially renaming Compostela Valley to Davao de Oro was passed in 2019. Provincial officials led by Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy justified the renaming as part of an clear up confusion with its geographic location, with the province's name sometimes associated with Cagayan Valley and the town of Compostela in Cebu, and associate it further with fellow provinces in the Davao Region.[3] The plebiscite was held on December 7, 2019, with the majority of participants voting in favor of the name change.
Geography
Davao de Oro covers a total area of 4,479.77 square kilometres (1,729.65sqmi)[8] occupying the northeastern section of the Davao Region. The province borders Davao del Norte to the west, Agusan del Sur to the north, and Davao Oriental to the east. To the southwest lies Davao Gulf.
The population of Davao de Oro in the 2020 census was 767,547 people,[2] with a density of 170 inhabitants per square kilometre or 440 inhabitants per square mile.
The majority of the inhabitants are migrants from Cebu, Samar, Bohol and other Visayan provinces. The cultural minorities in the province include the Kalagan, Mansaka, Mandaya, Dibabawon, Mangguangan and Manobo groups such as the Atta, Talaingod, Langilan, and Matigsalug Manobo.
Arnold Bajo is the most successful defender of the poor minorities, especially the Mandayas. He died in a battle while defending the poor. According to legends, 40 days after his death, his bodily spirit was infused into the statue of Ara-Araba, the local tribe's god of harvest. From then on, he was worshipped as a god by the members of the Mandaya tribe.
Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion of this province forming 74% of the province population.[11]
Others
Other significant religious minorities include Protestants which form 15% of the province population[12] and Iglesia ni Cristo which form 2% of the province population.[13] Other religions are divided between Sunni Islam and Animism.
Davao de Oro was billed as the second richest province in the Philippines by the Commission on Audit by year 2017.[22] That year, its provincial government posted a record high of ₱18.75 billion worth of assets, the largest in whole Mindanao.[23] As of 2019, with an increase of ₱20.099 billion worth of assets, it remains the richest province in Mindanao.[24] The economic drive which brought the province to this status was caused by numerous business establishments, banana plantations, and vast gold and silver mines across the province, further augmented with its up-to-date transportation infrastructure.
The province possesses one of the largest gold deposits in the Philippines, with 10 out of its 11 towns having one or more gold mines,[25] the largest of which is at Mt. Diwalwal in the town of Monkayo. The town of Nabunturan, the provincial capital, is also home to the biggest gold ring in the Philippines, "The Solidarity Ring."
The main sources of livelihood in the province are agricultural products such as rice, coconut, cacao, coffee, papaya, mango, pineapple, durian and banana. Some residents in the province have fishponds and culture their own fish like tilapia and milkfish.
Government
Davao de Oro is headed by its governor as the chief executive. The vice governor is the presiding officer of the Davao de Oro Provincial Board, the province's legislature. Each municipality elects its own mayor, and a vice mayor presiding its Sangguniang Bayan.
Northern Mindanao is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region X. It comprises five provinces: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte, and two cities classified as highly urbanized, all occupying the north-central part of Mindanao island, and the island-province of Camiguin. The regional center and largest city is Cagayan de Oro. Lanao del Norte was transferred to Northern Mindanao from Region XII by virtue of Executive Order No. 36 in September 2001.
Davao del Sur, officially the Province of Davao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos. Davao City is the largest city in terms of area and population within the province's jurisdiction, yet it is administratively independent from the province; as such, Davao City is only grouped for geographical and statistical purposes and serves as the regional center of Davao Region.
Davao del Norte, officially the Province of Davao del Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital and largest city is Tagum. The province also includes Samal Island to the south in Davao Gulf.
Davao Region, formerly called Southern Mindanao, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region XI. It is situated at the southeastern portion of Mindanao and comprises five provinces: Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental.
Davao Oriental, officially the Province of Davao Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is the city of Mati which is the most populous, and it borders the province of Davao de Oro to the west, and Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur to the north. The province is the traditional homeland of the Mandaya and Kalagan/Kaagan.
Santo Tomas, officially the Municipality of Santo Tomas, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Davao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 128,667 people.
Compostela, officially the Municipality of Compostela, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 89,884 people.
Laak, officially the Municipality of Laak, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 79,744 people.
Mabini, officially the Municipality of Mabini, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 43,552.
Maragusan, officially the Municipality of Maragusan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 64,412 people.
Mawab, officially the Municipality of Mawab, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,631 people, making it the least populated municipality in the province.
Nabunturan, officially the Municipality of Nabunturan, is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 84,340 people.
Monkayo, officially the Municipality of Monkayo, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 93,937 people, making it the most populous town in the province.
Montevista, officially the Municipality of Montevista, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,558 people.
The legislative districts of Davao del Norte are the representation of the province of Davao del Norte in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.
The legislative districts of Davao de Oro are the representations of the province of Davao de Oro in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.
The governor of Davao de Oro is the local chief executive of the Philippine province of Davao de Oro.
Davao del Norte's 2nd congressional district is one of the two congressional districts of the Philippines in the province of Davao del Norte. It has been represented in the House of Representatives since 1987. The district covers the western and coastal areas of the province, namely the cities of Panabo and Samal, and the municipalities of Braulio E. Dujali, Carmen and Santo Tomas. Prior to redistricting in 1998, the district covered parts of what is now the province of Davao de Oro, as well as the capital, Tagum, in what is now the 1st district. It is currently represented in the 19th Congress by Alan R. Dujali of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
Davao de Oro's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district for the House of Representatives of the Philippines in the province of Davao de Oro. It was created ahead of the 1998 Philippine House of Representatives elections by the same republic act of July 19, 1997 that established the province initially named Compostela Valley. The district encompasses two noncontiguous areas of Davao de Oro: Laak in the Davao–Agusan Trough and the valley and coastal municipalities adjoining the provincial capital of Nabunturan, namely Mabini, Maco, Mawab and Pantukan. Much of these areas were previously within Davao del Norte's 2nd district. Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga of the PDP–Laban currently serves as this district's representative in the 19th Congress, the first under the province's new name of Davao de Oro.
Local elections in the Philippines took place on May 9, 2022. These were conducted together with the 2022 general election for national positions. All elected positions above the barangay (village) level but below the regional level were disputed. The following 18,180 positions will be disputed:
References
↑ "List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
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