CITY OF THREE TOWNS

HISTORIA DE DAVAO

By Antonio V. Figueroa  

Wikipedia defines, gerrymandering as “a form of redistribution in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are deliberately modified for electoral advantage.” Congressional districts, for instance, are divided to give a politician, usually an affiliate of a dynasty, the territory where he is assured of victory and usually without opposition from a clan member.

The case of Samal, Davao region’s largest atoll, however, is unique. Three (3) towns, namely Kaputian, Babak and Samal, had to be merged to form what is now known as the Island Garden City of Samal. The fusion was made under Republic Act 8471, which was enacted on January 30, 1998.

In early times, the island was interchangeably known as Samal or Isamal, the last being an anthropological term coined to distinguish its natives from the Samal-Laut tribe in Jolo. Most of the settlers, which are a mixed population of Mansakas, Mandayas and Muslims, lived along the coastal areas and in pre-colonial times had to rely for food through fishing, farming, and hunting. Renowned anthropologist H. Otley Beyer wrote that the pre-historic Samal natives were distinct from other Davao inhabitants.

 

Physically they are remarkable as they are almost the only Philippine people not modern mestizos, who are predominantly of tall Caucasic type. They are mixed considerably with Indonesian blood and some of the women show Mongoloid features. Their culture is quite unique.

 

In 1848, the natives became part of recorded history for helping the Spanish conquistador Jose Oyanguren in subduing the ubiquitous Datu Bago, the Moro chieftain of Davao.

Samal, which became a municipal district of Davao on June 8, 1948 under Executive Order No. 151, was a one-town turf with Barrio Peñaplata as economic hub and government center. Over time, with population expanding the place was divided into two municipalities. On May 28, 1953, the municipality of Babak, which was carved out of the original Samal town, was created by Executive Order No. 590. Some of its sitios, namely Mambago, San Isidro, Sto. Niño, San Antonio, San Agustin, Dangcaan, Balet, Tambo, Camudmud, and Cogo, were later converted to barrios on June 16, 1955 under Republic Act 1307.

Kaputian, on the other hand, was created under Republic Act 4754, which was signed on June 18, 1966. By virtue of Executive Order No. 184, it was declared a regular municipality of Davao Province, with the islet of Malipano and Talicud Island were placed under its administrative control.

Babak traces it place-name to two (2) traditions. First, the town’s name evolved from ‘tagbak,’ a green leafy shrub the natives reportedly used in making baskets other handicrafts. The second school of thought suggests that the old town’s name was actually derived from ‘bakbak,’ a tree the natives used as landmark for trading and bartering of goods. (Curiously, a watering hole in Davao City popularly known as ‘bakbak’ seems to draw inspiration from this tradition.)

Recent researches, though, have included ‘umbak,’ also known as ‘bakbak,’ which refers to the dried outer leaf sheath of the abaca stalk, especially its innermost layer, which is widely used as raw material for handicrafts, as a possible place-name source. Another candidate is the crab-eating frog, the ‘bak-bak’ (Fejervarya cancrivora), which is found in the western Pacific. However, further study is needed to make this case compelling.

Kaputian was known among Spanish missionaries as Cervera, after the capital of Segarra, in the province of Catalonia, Spain. Datu Budas used to rule this virgin territory but prior to World War II sold it to the Fernandez brothers (Vicente, Ramon and Jose), owners of Compaña Maritima, who developed the place into Hacienda Samal. According to oral tradition, Kaputian, meaning ‘a state of purity or whiteness,’ got its name from the white sand that can be found at the southern portion of the island.

Geographically, Samal, a city of 30,130 hectares and host to a 118.5-km continuous coastline, is typically a hilly turf with an uneven distribution of lowlands. It is surrounded by numerous islets, the largest of which is the Talikud Island. The other atolls include the Big Liguid, Small Liguid, Arboles Shoal, also known as Sanipaan, Small Malipano, Dela Paz, Big Malipano and the Wishing Islet. Big and Little Liguid are part of Barangay Balet while Arboles Shoal is a part of Barangay Tambo. Big and Small Malipano, Dela Paz and Wishing Islet are part of Kaputian District.

Administratively, the city has five major urban areas, namely Pichon and Villarica of Babak District, Peñaplata of Samal District and Sta. Cruz of Kaputian District. The most progressive population center is Peñaplata, which means ‘silver rock’ in Spanish; it is host to a primary pier located in its southwestern side, which can be accessed via the Pakiputan Strait, the channel between Davao City and Samal.

Aside from its alluring beaches, spelunking sites, waterfalls, and adventure-laden mountain trails, the city is also host to two of the world’s most important attractions. The Monfort bat cave, the world’s largest colony of fruit bats, is roost to more than 1.8 million bats. In contrast, the Bracken bat cave in Texas, USA, the world’s largest assembly of insect-eating bats, only hosts around a million. The domestic fruit bats belong to the species Geoffroy’s rousette (Rousettus amplexicaudatus).

An erstwhile aquatic farm where white-lipped oysters were cultivated for their pink, white, and gold pearls, world-class Pearl Farm Beach Resort, on the other hand, is a 14-hectare hideaway accessible by a short 45-minute boat ride from the Davao marina wharf. It is a private paradise nestled in the quiet side of the city, facing the Malipano Island. Given its countryside location, the pristine beaches and the tropical foliage surrounding it, the resort is one of the must-see tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.