Geography
 Located on the
southeastern part of Mindanao, Davao City is tagged as the largest
city in the world in terms of land
area, covering 244,000
hectares.
Davao City is
part of Davao del Sur province although owing to its size, it is
usually treated as a distinct
geographical area. The city is part
of Region XI (Southern Mindanao).
Of the total
land area, only about 10% has been urbanized, 43% is used in
agriculture and the rest remains
forested land.
32 kms. west of
the city proper, Davao hosts Mt. Apo, highest peak in the
Philippines at 10,311 feet above sea
level.
Davao enjoys generally fair weather throughout the year. It hardly,
if at all, experiences typhoons and storms.
However, being bordered
on the east by Davao Gulf, the city is visited by Amihan
(unruly northeasterly winds
particularly during the period July to
September. |
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Map of Davao City |
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Population
(2000): 1,147,116
Annual growth rate (1999-2000): 3.04%
No. of households: 240,057
Average household size: 4.77
Davao City has the
biggest population in the Southern Mindanao region and second
largest population in the whole of Mindanao. But while it is
considered as a major economic center, its annual growth rate is
relatively low compared to other provinces in the Southern Mindanao
region such as General Santos City with 5.10% and Sarangani with
3.78%. |
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Language / People
Davao City is a
melting pot of many local, indigenous as well as foreign peoples.
These indigenous
groups include the Bagobos who occupy areas along the slopes of
Mt. Apo, the farming group of B’laans, forest dwelling Guiangans
or Obos,
the Mandayas who are silversmiths, the Mansakas in Davao
Del Norte and Davao Oriental, the Atas, the shore dwelling
Kalangans; and the Manobos who live
in riverside communities.
Other than the
local dialect -- called Dabawenyo or Dinabaw -- Filipino, English,
and Chinese are commonly used in official and business
transactions. Other
commonly used dialects include Ilonggo and
Cebuano. Other dialects from the Luzon area, like Ilocano, are
also relatively common. |
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Economic Status
Davao is a progressive
city, serving as one of the economic, education, and cultural
centers of Mindanao. Most agencies, both government and
non-government, involved in Mindanao affairs maintain their
headquarters here.
In 1993, the Invest in
Davao program was launched to further propel its economy. Among the
growing business opportunities here include property development,
tourism facilities, agri-business and food processing, light
industries (such as garments, footwear), and shipment.
Davao has a
well-developed infrastructure system, including road networks,
telecommunications, and information technology.
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Major products / Industries
Owing
to Davao’s extensive arable land, the city has extensive
plantations where various fruits are grown including,
banana, durian, coconut, mangosteen, and pomelos. Other
agricultural produce include hemp, ramie, corn, rice and
coffee. Top export products include the above-mentioned
agricultural produce as well as coconut oil, processed
food, and furniture. Cuflower is also a thriving
industry due to the good weather. A wide variety of
flowers are grown here and the most famous is an orchid
specie called
waling-waling which is endemic to Davao.Given its
natural harbor, fishing is also considered a major
industry. Davao also houses sea ports, both government
and private-sector run, where the traffic of products
from the region passes through.
Davao is a popular tourist destination given its mix of
urbanized setting , rural feel, and resort-type
facilities. The city’s annual Kadayawan Festival (every
second week of August) is a popular event. |
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Brief
History |
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It was not until
the mid-1800s -- about three centuries after the Spaniards first
set foot on the Philippine islands and only half a century before
the Philippine
revolution which ended their conquest -- when Davao
was invaded by the Spaniards. Before this, Davao was largely ruled
by Moro chiefs although there also
existed Christian settlement
areas. |
According to
local historians, Davao is derived from different words -- “Davoh”,
“Dabu”, and “Duhwow or Davou” -- used by three Bagobo subgroups to
refer
to the Davao River which served as an important waterway for
them. Davao could also be traced to the word “Daba-daba,” meaning
fire, which was the
term used by ethnic tribes to refer to the
land lying just south of the Mindanao region. |
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Transportation
and communication facilities started to be developed in the area
during the American Occupation. |
It
was declared a city on March 16, 1937 by then President Elpidio
Quirino. It was later subdivided into three provinces, namely: Davao
del Norte, Davao del
Sur, and Davao Oriental. |
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