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SOUTH COTABATO
Islamic religion was introduced in Cotabato in
1515 by Shariff Muhammad Kabungsuwan,
founder of the Sultanate of
Maguindanao.
The first Spanish expedition to Cotabato was
in 1525; the second in 1596; and the third in
1639. The fourth expedition was launched in
June 1851. In 1854, the province was made a
politico-military province under the
jurisdiction of Zamboanga. Three campaigns
were launched in 1861. In 1899, during the
Philippine Revolution and the Spanish-American
War, the Spaniards evacuated Cotabato. A local
government was established in the province
under Ramon Vilo.
A rival
Muslim government was also organized under
Datu Ugalingan Piang. In 1967, Cotabato
was divided into two, the southern part of
which became South Cotabato.
Former
Names:
Mindanao and Maguindanao
Land
Area:
7,468.8 square kilometers
Capital:
Koronadal
Population:
770,473 (1980)
Principal Dialects:
Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Ilocano, Tagalog and
Maguindanao
Income
Classification:
First Class Province
No. of
Cities:
1 (General Santos)
No. of
Municipalities:
18 (Alabel, Banga, Glan, Kiamba, Koronadal,
Lake Sebu, Maasin, Maitum, Malapatan,
Malungon, Norala, Palamolok, Sto. Ni�o,
Surallah, Tampakcan, Tantangan, T�boli and
Tupi)
No. of
Municipal Districts:
None
Topography:
The terrain of South Cotabato is characterized
by Mountains, rolling hills, and plains. The
highest peak in the Philippines, Mt. Apo,
separates the province from Davao del Sur.
There are several rivers which drain the
province, the most important of which is the
Allah River.
No. of
Principal Rivers:
1 (Allah)
No. of
Mountains:
4 (Apo, Matutum, Parker and Talaumpang)
Climate:
Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the
year making the climate comfortable.
Average
Annual Rainfall:
36.76 inches
Principal products/crops:
Corn, rice and coconut
Industries:
Pineapple canning, livestock and poultry
raising (major industries), logging and
fishing
Mineral
Resources:
Copper
Forest
Resources:
Timber, firewood, almaciga, rattan, nipa,
lumbang nuts and gutta-percha.
Tourist
Attractions:
Pineapple plantations of Dole Philippines, the
banana plantation of Standard Fruit
Philippines, Sebu Falls in Allah Valley, the
Tagabilis between Surallah and Kiamba, the
palace of the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram at
Darul Jambangan, Maubu beach and the cassava
plantation of High Valley Company.
Governor:
Ismael D. Sueno
Congressmen:
Adelbert W. Antonio, Hilario L. de Pedro III,
James L. Chiongbian
DAVAO
The
three Davao provinces (Davao, Davao del Sur
and Davao Oriental) were formerly united until
1967 when they were separated into independent
provinces. In the 19th century,
seven major tribal groups occupied the Davao
provinces. Of these, the Manobo and Bagobo
groups were the most numerous. The Manobos
occupy most of Davao del Norte while the
Bagobo tribes settled on the northern part of
Davao del Sur.
The province of Davao dates back to 1914 but
its structuring of municipalities was not
completed until 1936. Political sub-division
of Davao into the three provinces was made on
May 8, 1967, by virtue of Republic Act No.
4867.
On June 17, 1972, Congress approved Republic
Act No. 6430 changing the official name of the
province of Davao del Norte to Davao only.
Former
Name:
Davao del Norte
Land
Area:
8,129.8 square kilometers
Capital:
Tagum
Population:
725,153 (1980)
Principal Dialects:
Cebuano and Panay- Hiligaynon
Income
Classification:
First Class Province
No. of
Cities:
None
No. of
Municipalities:
21 (Asuncion, Babak, Carmen, Compostela,
Kapalong, Kaputian, Mabini, Maco, Mawab,
Monkayo, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan,
New Corella, Panabo, Pantukan, Samal, San
Mariano, Santo Tomas, San Vicente, and Tagum)
No. of
Municipal Districts:
None
Topography:
Majority of its lowland areas are located at
the center of the province. This is known as
the Davao Piedmont. It is drained by its
principal rivers which run north to south and
empty their waters into the Davao Gulf. Both
Davao and Davao del Sur are separated from the
surrounding provinces on the west by the
Central Mindanao Highlands.
No. of
Principal Rivers:
3 (Liguabanon, Saug and Tuganay)
No. of
Mountains:
26 (Mt. Tagubud is the highest)
Climate:
Generally mild with no marked rainy or dry
season. The province is not within the typhoon
belt and dry periods are not extreme as to
cause drought even during the warm month of
April.
Average
Annual Rainfall:
93.69 inches
Principal products/crops:
Corn and banana (major crops), rice, coconut,
abaca, and other tropical fruits.
Industries:
Logging, fishing, livestock and poultry
raising (major industries)
Mineral
Resources:
Copper, gold, silver, limestone and marble
Forest
Resources: Timber
Tourist
Attractions:
Davao Penal Colony, Madaum Beach, Mainit Hot
Spring, Masarra Mines and Kamunod Cave.
Governor:
Prospero S. Amatong
Congressmen:
Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Jr., Baltazar A. Sator,
Rodolfo P. del Rosario, and Jesus C. Dureza
DAVAO ORIENTAL
Davao Oriental is the easternmost province
among the Davao provinces. Its shores face the
Pacific Ocean and stretch from its northern
boundaries to the southern peninsula tipped by
Cape San Agustin.
The
Spaniards established their first permanent
Spanish settlement in Caraga town in 1591. The
long coastlines of Davao Oriental provide rich
fishing grounds. The manufacturing concerns of
this province include food processing plants
which transform the prized Davao fruit,
durian, into candies and preserves. There are
also shoe factories, furniture shops, ice
plants, cement factories, and repair shops.
Home industries such as weaving,
candle-making, crude pottery and rope making
can be found in Davao Oriental, as in majority
of Philippine provinces.
Former
Name:
None
Land
Area:
5,164.5 square kilometers
Capital:
Mati
Population:
339,931 (1980)
Principal Dialects:
Cebuano and Panay-Hiligaynon
Income
Classification:
Third Class Province
No. of
Cities:
None
No. of
Municipalities:
11 (Baganga, Banay-Banay, Boston, Caraga,
Cateel, Governor Generoso, Lupon, Manay, Mati,
San Isidro and Tarragona)
No. of
Municipal Districts:
None
Topography:
The province is dominated by the highlands of
the Pacific Cordillera running from north to
south of the province. The whole east coast is
irregular with deep embayments. Small river
deltas can be found at the head of each bay
constituting the arable lowlands.
No. of
Principal Rivers:
2 (with other Davao provinces)
No. of
Mountains:
26 (with other Davao provinces)
Climate:
Generally mild with no marked rainy or dry
season.
Average
Annual Rainfall:
44.67 inches
Principal products/crops:
Corn, rice, citrus, coconut and abaca
Industries:
Logging, fishing, livestock and poultry
raising
Mineral
Resources:
Copper, gold, silver, and residual magnetite
Forest
Resources:
Timber
Tourist
Attractions:
Lupon Beach, Atlas Mines, Caraga Catholic
Church, Capitol Hillsides, Waniban Island,
Aliwagwag Falls, Cateel Hot Springs, Kalapagan
Hot Springs, Saguegue Caves, Bitoon Beach, and
the Mount Apo and Mayo Rivers.
Governor:
Leopoldo N. Lopez
DAVAO DEL SUR
The
elongated province of Davao del Sur stretches
from Davao City southward to Sarangani Strait.
The province has limited alluvial plains and
shares some areas of the Davao Piedmont within
Davao City.
Little is known of Davao before the Spaniards
came, but it appears that several scattered
tribal groups occupied the shores of Davao
Gulf, from the Sarangani Strait to the eastern
side of the Gulf culminating at Cape San
Agustin. These tribes belonged to the general
Muslim group of the Maguindanao. By the time
the Spaniards came, they had already settled
in many sites away from the shores that were
to become important towns. Some of these towns
are Tagum in Davao, Samal in Davao del Sur,
and Mayo which is now a part of Davao City.
In
1970, Davao del Sur had the biggest share (53
percent) of the combined population count of
the Davao provinces. This has made the
province the most densely populated with 177.7
persons per sq. km. Half of the population,
however, lives in Davao City.
Former
Name:
Nueva Guipuzcoa
Land
Area:
6,377.6 square kilometers
Capital:
Digos
Population:
1,133,599 (1980)
Principal Dialects:
Cebuano and Panay-Hiligaynon
Income
Classification:
Second Class Province
No. of
Cities:
1 (Davao)
No.
of Municipalities:
15 (Bansalan, Digos, Don Marcelino, Hagonoy,
Jose Abad Santos, Kiblawan, Magsaysay,
Malalag, Malita, Matanao, Padada, Santa Cruz,
Santa Maria, Sarangani, and Sulop)
No. of
Municipal Districts:
None
Topography:
The province has limited alluvial plains and
shares some areas of the Davao Piedmont within
Davao City. Both Davao and Davao del Sur are
separated from the provinces that bound them
on the west by the Central Mindanao Highlands.
This mountain ranges has its highest peak in
Davao del Sur at Mt. Apo, an active volcano
rising to 2,953.51 meters (9,690 feet).
No. of
Principal Rivers:
2 (with other Davao provinces)
No. of
Mountains:
26 (with other Davao provinces)
Climate:
Generally mild with no marked rainy or dry
season. The province is not within the typhoon
belt and dry periods are not extreme as to
cause drought even during the warm month of
April.
Average
Annual Rainfall:
75.92 inches
Principal products/crops:
Corn, rice, citrus, coconut and abaca
Industries:
Rice, corn, and sugar milling and various
machine shops
Mineral
Resources:
None
Forest
Resources:
Timber
Tourist
Attractions:
Todaya Waterfalls, Aguinaldo Pearl Farms, Bago
Inigo Fish Farm, Bago Experimental Station,
Mt. Apo National Park and Reservation,
Binaton, Bagabo Villages, Balut Island, Seven
Hills, the Don Mariano Marcos Foundation
School, Astorga beach resort, Apo Beach, and
the Ligid Island Resort.
Governor:
Douglas RA Cagas
SURIGAO DEL SUR
Surigao
del Sur is one of the provinces in the
Philippines most laden with minerals. Large
amounts of gold, copper, silver, chromite,
lead, zinc, iron and nickel have been found in
the province.
About 28 percent of the total land area
consists of farmlands. The towns of Cantilan,
Tago and San Miguel are the rice granaries of
the province.
Surigao del Sur became the 56th
province of the Philippines when it was
created on September 26, 1960. It has 213
barangays at present and its irregular
coastline has three bays which are important
ports of the province, namely the Lenuza Bay,
the Lianga Bay, and the Bislig Bay.
Former
Name:
None
Land
Area:
4,552.2 square kilometers
Capital:
Tandag
Population:
377,647 (1980)
Principal Dialect:
Cebuano
Income
Classification:
Third Class Province
No. of
Cities:
None
No. of
Municipalities:
19 (Barobo, Bayabas, Bislig, Cagwait, Cantilan,
Carmen, Carrascal, Cortes, Hinatuan, Lanuza,
Lianga, Lingig, Madrid, Marihatag, San
Agustin, San Miguel, Tagbina, Tago and Tandag)
No. of
Municipal Districts:
None
Topography:
The coastal regions are made up of small
lowlands separated from each other by rugged
promontories. The Diwata Range lines the
northern boundaries of the province. Offshore
are coral reefs and tiny islets which make
Surigao del Sur almost inaccessible to big
shipping vessels.
No. of
Principal Rivers:
1
No. of
Mountains:
None
Climate:
Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the
year with no distinct dry season. Surigao del
Sur does not experience severe storms although
it is exposed to the northeast monsoon and
trade winds.
Average
Annual Rainfall:
182.94 inches
Principal products/crops:
Rice, corn, rootcrops, copra and abaca
Industries:
Lumbering and farming
Mineral
Resources:
Gold, copper, silver, nickel, iron, chromite,
lead, zinc, coal, cobalt and limestone
Forest
Resources:
Timber and rattan
Tourist
Attractions:
Tandag Beach, Point Tugas (world�s largest
iron reserves), and Dalahican and Tamoyas
beaches.
Governor:
Salvacion C. Cejoco
Congressmen:
Mario Serra Ty, Ernesto T. Estrella. |
