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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF DAVAO DEL SUR
FAST FACTS
Capital : Digos
Area : 6,377 sq. km
Population : 1,482,648
Cities : Davao City
No. of Towns : 15
Click Here To View The
List Of Towns.
LOCATION
Davao del Sur is in southeastern Mindanao. It is bounded on the
north by
Davao Province, on the east by Davao Gulf, on the west by
Cotabato
Province, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato, and on the south by
the
Mindanao Sea. Geographical, Davao City is in Davao Del Sur. It is
a highly
urbanized city, with an area of 2,443 sq km and a population of
849,947.
THE LAND
The western part of the province is dominated by Mount Apo which
, at
2,954m, is the country's highest peak. Mount Tanglao and Mount
Latian are
two other landmarks in the hinterlands. Wide fertile valleys are
found between
the mountain ranges and the narrow coastal plains in the east.
The weather is
basically warm with no marked seasons. Rainfall is evenly
distributed
throughout the year.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Davao del Sur was created from the old province of Davao in 1967
under
Republic Act No. 4867. Davao derived its name from the Bagobo
word
Daba-Daba referring to the Sacred Brass of the tribe's legendary
chieftain,
Datu Duli, who lived in Mount Apo. The letter "o" was
added to the word,
making it Daba-o-Daba-o which, to the Bagobos, means justice and
the datu's
fairness to his people.
As years went by, the word was shortened to Dab-o and,
eventually, Davao.
Davao City was founded by a Spanish expedition led by Jose
Oyanguren in
1848. He named the village Nueva Vergara after his hometown in
Spain. It
became a city under Commonwealth Act No. 51 on October 16, 1936.
THE PEOPLE
The majority of the population are Visayan migrants. Cebuano is
the most
widely spoken language. Other prominent migrant groups are the
Ilonggos and
the Ilocanos. Several ethnic groups exist in the provinces, among
them
B'laans, bagobos, Manobos, and Tagacaolos. These early settlers
occupied
the slopes and base of Mt. Apo and developed their own cultures
which have
been preserved to this day. The Bagobos, for example, are known
for their
colorful dresses woven from abaca fiber and ornamented with
beads, shells,
metal disks, and embroidery in geometric patterns. They also wear
bells as
anklets or costume accessories so when they jingles walk or
dance.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Because of its favorable climate and fertile soil, Davao del Sur
is primarily an
agricultural province. It is popularly known as Coconut Country
since coconut
is its majority commercial crop. Its rice and corn production is
more than
sufficient for its population. Other crops grown are bananas,
cacao, ramie,
coffee, fruits, and vegetables.
Davao City is the commercial center of southern Mindanao. Foreign
and
domestic vessels load and unload goods at its port. Davao Gulf is
the major
fishing grounds of the city. There are eleven coastal
municipalities facing the
Philippine Sea. Logging has supported wood-processing industry
but rapid
forest depletion is a cause of concern.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:February 02, 1999.
