Davao Occidental

Davao Occidental
Province
Balut Island in Sarangani
Flag Seal
Etymology: Davao Occidental (i.e., "Western Davao")
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 6°05′N125°40′E / 6.08°N 125.67°E / 6.08; 125.67
Country	Philippines
Region	Davao Region
Founded	28 October 2013
Capital and largest municipality	Malita
Government
•  Governor	Franklin P. Bautista (PFP)
•  Vice Governor	Lorna P. Bautista-Bandigan (Lakas)
•  Congressman	Claude P. Bautista (Lakas)
Area [1]
• Total	2,163.45 km2 (835.31 sq mi)
• Rank	57th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Latian)	1,624 m (5,328 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [2]
• Total	317,159
• Rank	65th out of 81
• Density	150/km2 (380/sq mi)
• Rank	59th out of 81
Demonym	Western Davaoeño
Divisions
•  Independent cities	0
•  Component cities	0
•  Municipalities	5 Don Marcelino Jose Abad Santos Malita Santa Maria Sarangani
•  Barangays	105
•  Districts	Legislative district of Davao Occidental
Time zone	UTC+8 (PHT)
Spoken languages	Cebuano Sangirese Sarangani Tagalog Filipino English Indonesian
Income classification	4th class
Website	davaooccidental.gov.ph

Davao Occidental (Cebuano : Kasadpang Dabaw; Filipino : Kanluraning Davao), officially the Province of Davao Occidental (Cebuano : Lalawigan sa Kasadpang Dabaw, Lalawigan sa Davao Occidental; Filipino : Lalawigan ng Kanluraning Davao, Lalawigan ng Davao Occidental), is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. ^{[3] [4] [5]} Its capital is the municipality of Malita, the most populous town in the province. To the east lies Davao Gulf. It also shares a maritime border with the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi to the south.

History

Sultanate era

Davao Occidental was part of a Sultanate of Maguindanao but for the Sarangani, it was later became part of Buayan Sultanate.

American colonization era

What is now Davao Occidental was once a part of the now-defunct Davao Province which encompasses the entirety of present-day Davao Region. Section 1 of Philippine Commission Act No. 164 dated December 10, 1904 indicated that much of its area as far as what is now Malita once belonged to the municipality of Santa Cruz. The original chief inhabitants of the area were the indigenous Lumad tribes including the Matigsalugs and Tagakaulos. Around the early 1900s onward, migrants from Luzon and the Visayas settled in the area, many of whom intermarried with the indigenous people; as decades progressed, the descendants of the migrants became the majority of the population.

The municipality of Malita was founded on November 13, 1936 per Proclamation No. 64 signed by President Manuel Quezon. ^[6] It was the first town to be established in the area of what is now Davao Occidental and would later serve as its provincial capital. More towns in the area are established later: Trinidad (now Jose Abad Santos) in 1948, Sta Maria in 1968, Don Marcelino in 1979, and Sarangani in 1980.

Philippine independence

On May 8, 1967, Davao Province was split into three provinces, one of them being Davao del Sur which included the municipalities of what would later comprise Davao Occidental.

Foundation

Main article: 2013 Davao Occidental creation plebiscite

Davao Occidental was created through Republic Act No. 10360 enacted on July 23, 2012, comprising five of the eight municipalities that constitute the 2nd district of Davao del Sur. The law was passed by the House of Representatives and Senate on November 28, 2012, and December 5, 2012, respectively, and signed by President Benigno Aquino III on January 14, 2013. ^{[3] [7]} A plebiscite was held on October 28, 2013, along with the barangay elections and the majority of votes cast were "Yes", ratifying the province. ^[4]

The motive of creating the province was to boost the economic condition and social progress of the municipalities. Senator Bongbong Marcos, who sponsored the creation of Davao Occidental, said that the distances of Digos, Davao del Sur's provincial capital, to other municipalities in the 2nd congressional district are far-off that impairs the effective delivery of basic services, as well as the access to government offices. ^[8] However, Davao del Sur Representative Marc Douglas Cagas considered the creation of the province as nothing more than gerrymandering and political convenience. ^[9]

Government officials of Davao del Sur, with assistance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, exercised jurisdiction over the Davao Occidental until the elected local officials of the 2016 elections assumed office on June 30, 2016. ^{[10] [11]}

Patroness

Our Lady of the Rosary of Malita is the patroness and protectress of the province since October 7, 2024, through the Resolution No. 82-2024 released by the Provincial Government Office of Davao Occidental on September 11, 2024. The devotion started during the 19th century which further propagated through its canonical (rather, episcopal) coronation that took place on October 7, 2022. ^[12]

Geography

Davao Occidental covers a total area of 2,163.45 square kilometers (835.31 sq mi) ^[13] occupying the southwestern tip of the Davao Region in Mindanao. The province is bordered on the northwest by Davao del Sur; west by Sarangani and northeast by Davao Gulf.

The topography of Davao Occidental is hilly, rugged and sloping, with nearly the whole province consisting of mountains. Its eastern shoreline consists of cliffs and beaches with hills immediately on their backs. Coconut trees and hardwood trees mostly dominate the provincial mainland.

Government

The province of Davao Occidental is governed by a governor and a vice governor. The whole province is a lone congressional legislative district. ^[13] The municipality of Malita, the largest and most populous in the province, serves as the provincial capital and the place where the provincial officials of Davao Occidental convene.

Administrative divisions

The province comprises 5 municipalities.

Political divisions

	Municipality  [i]		Population			±% p.a.	Area [13]		Density		Barangay
			(2020) [2]		(2015) [14]		km2	sq mi	/km2	/sq mi
6°12′02″N125°41′40″E / 6.2005°N 125.6945°E / 6.2005; 125.6945 (Don Marcelino)	Don Marcelino		14.4%	45,540	44,554	+0.42%	407.30	157.26	110	280	15
5°54′46″N125°38′39″E / 5.9129°N 125.6441°E / 5.9129; 125.6441 (Jose Abad Santos)	Jose Abad Santos		23.1%	73,381	76,332	−0.75%	600.06	231.68	120	310	26
6°24′40″N125°36′30″E / 6.4110°N 125.6082°E / 6.4110; 125.6082 (Malita)	Malita	†	37.3%	118,197	117,746	+0.07%	883.37	341.07	130	340	30
6°33′13″N125°28′27″E / 6.5537°N 125.4742°E / 6.5537; 125.4742 (Santa Maria)	Santa Maria		18.1%	57,526	53,671	+1.33%	175.00	67.57	330	850	22
5°24′44″N125°25′17″E / 5.4123°N 125.4215°E / 5.4123; 125.4215 (Sarangani)	Sarangani		7.1%	22,515	24,039	−1.24%	97.72	37.73	230	600	12
	Total			317,159	316,342	+0.05%	2,163.45	835.31	150	390	105
		†  Provincial capital					Municipality
The globe  icon marks the town center.

Demographics

Population census of Davao Occidental

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1918	17,050	—
1939	30,775	+2.85%
1948	39,087	+2.69%
1960	48,704	+1.85%
1970	99,907	+7.44%
1975	127,604	+5.03%
1980	161,366	+4.81%
1990	209,429	+2.64%
1995	219,825	+0.91%
2000	254,512	+3.19%
2007	272,570	+0.95%
2015	316,342	+1.88%
2020	317,159	+0.05%
Sources: 2015: Philippine Statistics Authority [14] 2010 and earlier: Combined census data of Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Malita, Santa Maria and Sarangani, all previously of Davao del Sur province [15] [16]

The population of Davao Occidental in the 2020 census was 317,159 people, ^[2] with a density of 150 inhabitants per square kilometer or 390 inhabitants per square mile.

The population mostly consists of people whose ancestors originate from the migrants from Visayan Islands and Luzon. The Lumad natives only form a small part of the population and live in the more mountainous and forested areas of the province. Indonesian settlers of Sangirese descent even live in the province.

Economy

The shores of Malita as seen from the hilltops.

The main industries in Davao Occidental are aquaculture and agriculture. Economic produce in the province include fish, bananas and coconuts which are then exported to several major cities within southern Mindanao, including Davao City. Rice farms are only limited to the few flat lands in the province due to its mountainous and thickly forested nature.

The capital town of Malita is the province's main commercial hub.

Tourism has started to gain traction in the province, with potential tourist destinations mostly concentrated in the province's coastal beaches and the Sarangani and Balut islands in the south. ^[17]

Transportation

Davao Occidental is served by only one partially-coastal highway that traverses the whole length of the provincial mainland from north to south, and could only be accessed by going through the road crossings in Sulop in Davao del Sur province and, farther ahead, in the city of General Santos. Buses, jeepneys and passenger vans that originate from and serve the cities of Davao and Digos are the main primary modes of transportation in the province. Boats serve as the primary maritime mode of transportation for coastal areas not yet accessible by roads and the island municipality of Sarangani.

See also

• Davao del Sur
• 2016 Davao Occidental local elections

References

1. "Province: Davao Occidental". PSGC Interactive. Makati, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
2. Census of Population (2020). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
3. "Republic Act No. 10360: An Act Creating the Province of Davao Occidental". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Metro Manila, Philippines: Congress of the Philippines. January 14, 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-11-10. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
4. Cayon, Carina (October 30, 2013). "DavSur voters approve of Davao Occidental". Philippine Information Agency. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
5. "Davao Occidental, PH's 81st province". Manila Bulletin. Yahoo! News Philippines. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
6. "Executive Order No. 64, s. 1936". Archived from the original on 2023-07-08. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
7. "COMELEC to conduct plebiscite for the creation of Davao Occidental". Official Gazette. COMELEC. September 18, 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-05-24. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
8. "Davao Occidental Province Soon To Be Realized". Senate of the Philippines. May 16, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
9. Regalado, Edith (January 24, 2013). "'Creation of Davao Occidental just for political convenience'". Philstar. Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
10. Carillo, C.A. (November 10, 2013). "Davao Occidental province to be created". BusinessWorld. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
11. "Plebiscite results favor new Davao province". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 30, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
12. 7 October 2024
13. "Province: Davao Occidental". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 January 2016.
14. Census of Population (2015). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
15. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region XI (Davao Region)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
16. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
17. Top 10 Must Visit Attractions in Davao Occidental

External links

• Media related to Davao Occidental at Wikimedia Commons
• Geographic data related to Davao Occidental at OpenStreetMap
• Republic Act No. 10360: "Charter of the Province of Davao Occidental" Archived 2017-11-10 at the Wayback Machine