181-470: Events/Artifacts (north to south) Events/Artifacts Artifacts This article covers the history of the current Philippine republican state following the 1986 People Power Revolution , known as the Fifth Philippine Republic . The return of democracy and government reforms beginning in 1986 were hampered by national debt, government corruption, coup attempts , disasters ,
362-476: A shootout with MILF rebels in Mamasapano delayed passage of the law. Growing public frustration with post- EDSA governance led to the 2016 election of populist Rodrigo Duterte , whose presidency saw the decline of liberalism in the country albeit largely retaining liberal economic policies. Among Duterte's priorities was aggressively increasing infrastructure spending to spur economic growth;
543-627: A stalled impeachment process, Estrada was overthrown by the 2001 EDSA Revolution and he was succeeded by his Vice President , Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on January 20, 2001. In Arroyo 's 9-year administration, her rule was tainted by graft and political scandals like the Hello Garci scandal pertaining to the alleged manipulation of votes in the 2004 presidential elections . On November 23, 2009, 34 journalists and several civilians were massacred in Maguindanao. Benigno Aquino III won
724-533: A 17th-century war against the Dutch , 18th-century British occupation of Manila , and conflict with Muslims in the south. Administration of the Philippines was considered a drain on the economy of New Spain, and abandoning it or trading it for other territory was debated. This course of action was opposed because of the islands' economic potential, security, and the desire to continue religious conversion in
905-853: A Sultanate with sovereignty over Davao Gulf in equal standing with the Muslim kingdoms of Maguindanao and Sulu . Although the Spaniards began to explore the Davao Gulf area as early as the 16th century, Spanish influence was negligible in the Davao region until 1842, when the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines Narciso Clavería ordered the colonization of the Davao Gulf region, including what
1086-604: A campaign promise of wiping out criminality in six months. As of February 2019, the death toll for the Philippine Drug War is 5,176. In 2017, he oversaw the battle of Marawi against insurgent groups, and the rehabilitation of the city . The implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law led to the creation of the autonomous Bangsamoro region in Mindanao. Former senator Bongbong Marcos won
1267-516: A century of U.S. military presence in the Philippines. In the 1992 elections, Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos (Lakas-NUCD), endorsed by Aquino, won by just 23.6% of the vote, over Miriam Defensor Santiago (PRP), Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. (NPC), House Speaker Ramon Mitra (LDP), former First Lady Imelda Marcos (KBL), Senate President Jovito Salonga (LP) and Vice President Salvador Laurel (NP). Early in his administration, Ramos declared "national reconciliation" his highest priority. He legalized
1448-513: A checkpoint in Barangay Tigatto on October 19, 1984. These seminal events prompted prominent city figures like Soledad Duterte to organize a protest group called the "Yellow Friday Movement", which slowly gained support until 1986, when Marcos was finally ousted and forced into exile. From various sectors such as the academe, there were other ordinary Davaoeños are honored at the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani , which honors
1629-402: A claim on eastern North Borneo . In 1965, Macapagal lost the presidential election to Ferdinand Marcos . Early in his presidency , Marcos began infrastructure projects funded mostly by foreign loans; this improved the economy, and contributed to his reelection in 1969 . Near the end of his last constitutionally-permitted term, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972 using
1810-466: A full-blooded Bagobo, won the mayoral elections of 1967. By the late 1960s, Davao had become the regional capital of southern Mindanao; with the reorganization, it became the regional capital of the Davao Region (Region XI) and a highly urbanized city in the province of Davao del Sur. Things began to take a turn for the worse late into Ferdinand Marcos ' first presidential term, when news about
1991-485: A kilometer down south, as Maguindanaons and Bagobos alike among other nearby tribes in the area flocked into the settlement, eventually becoming the main trade entrepot in the Davao Gulf area. With his immense overlordship of Davao Gulf, Datu Bago was eventually crowned Sultan by his subjects at his capital Pinagurasan in 1843, effectively making his realm virtually independent from the Sultanate of Maguindanao, becoming
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#17327722983742172-581: A major non-NATO ally. Under President Duterte , ties with the United States weakened in favor of improved relations with China and Russia . The Philippines relies heavily on the United States for its external defense; the U.S. has made regular assurances to defend the Philippines, including the South China Sea . Since 1975, the Philippines has valued its relations with China —its top trading partner, and cooperates significantly with
2353-493: A minority in addition to languages indigenous to the city, such as Giangan , Kalagan , Tagabawa , Matigsalug , Ata Manobo , and Obo . Other languages varyingly spoken as well in the city include Maguindanao , Maranao , Sama–Bajaw , Iranun , Tausug , Ilocano and Kapampangan . Philippine Hokkien and Japanese can also be heard privately spoken by Chinese Filipinos and Japanese Filipinos among their fellows in Davao, whereas Mandarin ( Standard Chinese ) and Japanese
2534-659: A more capable defense system. The Philippines has long struggled against local insurgencies , separatism , and terrorism . Bangsamoro 's largest separatist organizations, the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front , signed final peace agreements with the government in 1996 and 2014 respectively. Other, more-militant groups such as Abu Sayyaf and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have kidnapped foreigners for ransom, particularly in
2715-599: A persistent communist insurgency , and a military conflict with Moro separatists . During Corazon Aquino 's administration, U.S. forces withdrew from the Philippines , due to the rejection of the U.S. Bases Extension Treaty , and leading to the official transfer to the government of Clark Air Base in November 1991 and Subic Bay in December 1992. The administration also faced a series of natural disasters, including
2896-601: A security concern for his neighbors. Aquino named long-time friend, Paquito Ochoa, Jr. , as Executive Secretary . Aquino appointed Corazon Soliman as Secretary of Social Welfare & Development , a position she once held under the Arroyo administration but later resigned in 2005. On June 22, 2010, Leila de Lima accepted the offer to join the cabinet and later took over the helm of the Department of Justice on July 2, 2010. On July 15, 2010, Vice President Jejomar Binay
3077-531: A six-year term ) and the House of Representatives , the lower house , with members elected to a three-year term. Senators are elected at-large , and representatives are elected from legislative districts and party lists . Judicial authority is vested in the Supreme Court , composed of a chief justice and fourteen associate justices , who are appointed by the president from nominations submitted by
3258-427: A three-tier social structure: nobility, freemen, and dependent debtor-bondsmen. Among the nobility were leaders known as datus , who were responsible for ruling autonomous groups ( barangays or dulohan). When the barangays banded together to form a larger settlement or a geographically looser alliance, their more-esteemed members would be recognized as a " paramount datu ", rajah or sultan , and would rule
3439-399: A tropical maritime climate which is usually hot and humid. There are three seasons: a hot dry season from March to May, a rainy season from June to November, and a cool dry season from December to February. The southwest monsoon (known as the habagat ) lasts from May to October, and the northeast monsoon ( amihan ) lasts from November to April. The coolest month is January, and
3620-674: A tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship in a nonviolent revolution . The Philippines is an emerging market and a newly industrialized country , whose economy is transitioning from being agricultural to service- and manufacturing-centered. It is a founding member of the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , ASEAN , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and
3801-470: A typical year, usually from July to October; eight or nine of them make landfall . The wettest recorded typhoon to hit the Philippines dropped 2,210 millimeters (87 in) in Baguio from July 14 to 18, 1911. The country is among the world's ten most vulnerable to climate change . The Philippines has a democratic government, a constitutional republic with a presidential system . The president
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#17327722983743982-701: Is Islam at 15%. Other Christian groups, such as the Iglesia ni Cristo , Jesus Miracle Crusade , Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) and Kingdom of Jesus Christ , form eighteen percent of the city's religious background. The Seventh-day Adventist Church , the United Church of Christ in the Philippines , the Philippine Independent Church and the Baptists constitute the city's other Christian denominations. Some of
4163-473: Is Quezon City . Both are within Metro Manila . Negritos , the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by waves of Austronesian peoples . The adoption of animism , Hinduism with Buddhist influence, and Islam established island-kingdoms ruled by datus , rajas , and sultans . Extensive overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Chinese people to
4344-494: Is head of state and head of government , and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces . The president is elected through direct election by the citizens of the Philippines for a six-year term. The president appoints and presides over the cabinet and officials of various national government agencies and institutions. The bicameral Congress is composed of the Senate (the upper house , with members elected to
4525-685: Is a founding and active member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and a member of the East Asia Summit , the Group of 24 , and the Non-Aligned Movement . The country has sought to obtain observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation since 2003, and was a member of SEATO . Over 10 million Filipinos live and work in 200 countries , giving the Philippines soft power . During
4706-796: Is a priority hotspot for biodiversity conservation ; it has more than 200 protected areas , which was expanded to 7,790,000 hectares (30,100 sq mi) as of 2023 . Three sites in the Philippines have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River , and the Mount Hamiguitan Wildlife Sanctuary. The Philippines has
4887-495: Is also taught in Chinese class and Japanese class of Chinese Filipino schools and Japanese Nikkei Filipino schools . A linguistic phenomenon has developed in the city whereby locals significantly mix Tagalog terms and grammar into their Cebuano Bisaya speech because of varying reasons such as, the normalcy of the older generations of Cebuano-speaking families speaking Tagalog to their children at home, some migrant settlers to
5068-426: Is divided into three congressional districts, which are subdivided into 11 administrative districts with a total of 182 barangays . Davao City is the regional center of Davao Region and also the center of Metro Davao , the second most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines . The city serves as the main trade, commerce, and industry hub of Mindanao, and the regional center of Davao Region. The region of Davao
5249-537: Is hilly in the west (the Marilog district) and slopes down to the southeastern shore. Mount Apo , the highest peak in the Philippines, is located at the city's southwestern tip. Mount Apo National Park (the mountain and its surrounding vicinity), was inaugurated by President Manuel L. Quezon (in Proclamation 59 of May 8, 1936) to protect the flora and fauna of the surrounding mountain range. The Davao River
5430-492: Is home to Mount Apo , the highest mountain in the Philippines, which is highly visible in most parts of Davao City. The city is also nicknamed the " Durian Capital of the Philippines". The region's name is derived from its Bagobo origins, who are indigenous to the area. The word davao came from the phonetic blending of three Bagobo subgroups' names for the Davao River , a major waterway emptying into Davao Gulf near
5611-628: Is now Davao City was once a lush forest inhabited by Lumadic peoples such as the Bagobos and Matigsalugs , alongside other ethnic groups such as the Aeta , Maguindanaon and the Kagan . Davao River was then called Tagloc River by the Bagobos, Maguindanaons and Tausugs who then inhabited a settlement near the mouth of the river to the sea around what is now Bolton Riverside due immediately southwest of
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5792-580: Is now Davao City, for the Spanish Crown. This came after the loss of their colonies in the Americas from the 1820s to 1830s which gravely reduced their sources of revenue to the point that the royal government in Madrid could no longer continue to properly provide financial support to what remained of its worldwide colonies. Thus, it became more urgent for local officials in the colonies, including
5973-407: Is significant rainfall in winter, the largest rainfall occurs during the summer months (see climate chart, below). Mount Apo is home to many bird species, 111 of which are endemic to the area. It is also home to one of the world's largest eagles, the critically endangered Philippine eagle , the country's national bird. The Philippine Eagle Foundation is based near the city. Plant species include
6154-420: Is the city's primary drainage channel. Draining an area of over 1,700 km (660 sq mi), the 160-kilometre (99 mi) river begins in the town of San Fernando, Bukidnon . The mouth of the river is located at Barangay Bucana at Talomo District. Davao has a tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen climate classification Af ), with little seasonal variation in temperature. The areological mechanism of
6335-536: Is the patron saint of the city. Poverty incidence of Davao City Source: Philippine Statistics Authority Davao is part of the East Asian Growth Area , a regional economic-cooperation initiative in Southeast Asia . According to the foundation, the city has a projected average annual growth of 2.53 percent over a 15-year period; Davao was the only Philippine city to reach
6516-575: The Reconquista . The Spanish–Moro conflict lasted for several hundred years; Spain conquered portions of Mindanao and Jolo during the last quarter of the 19th century, and the Muslim Moro in the Sultanate of Sulu acknowledged Spanish sovereignty. Philippine ports opened to world trade during the 19th century, and Filipino society began to change. Social identity changed, with
6697-525: The 2010 Philippine presidential election . The transition was in charge of the new presidential residence, cabinet appointments and cordial meetings between them and the outgoing administration . On May 11, 2010, outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed an administrative order, creating the Presidential Transition Cooperation Team. Arroyo instructed outgoing Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza to lead
6878-597: The 2010 national elections and served as the 15th president of the Philippines . The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed on October 15, 2012, as the first step of the creation of an autonomous political entity named Bangsamoro . However, a clash that took place in Mamasapano , Maguindanao killed 44 members of the Philippine National Police - Special Action Force and put
7059-599: The 2016 Philippine presidential election . The transition was in charge of the new presidential residence, cabinet appointments and cordial meetings between them and the outgoing administration . Duterte's presidency began following his inauguration on June 30, 2016, at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of the Malacañang Palace in Manila, which was attended by more than 627 guests. On July 12, 2016,
7240-535: The 2022 election . Marcos's renewal of a pro-US foreign policy, however, has been viewed as a reversal of Duterte's cordiality with China, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea have since escalated. The Philippines is an archipelago of about 7,641 islands , covering a total area (including inland bodies of water) of about 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 sq mi). Stretching 1,850 kilometers (1,150 mi) north to south, from
7421-603: The 2022 presidential election , 36 years after the People Power Revolution which led to his family's exile in Hawaii . He was inaugurated on June 30, 2022. With the People Power Revolution , Corazon Aquino 's assumption into power marked the restoration of democracy in the country. Aquino immediately formed a revolutionary government to normalize the situation, and provided for a transitional " Freedom Constitution " that restored civil liberties and dismantled
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7602-552: The Asian Financial Crisis . The economy did, however, recover from it. From a low −0.6% growth in 1998 to a moderate growth of 3.4% by 1999. Like his predecessor there was a similar attempt to change the 1987 Constitution under a process termed as CONCORD or Constitutional Correction for Development. Unlike the proposed changes under Ramos and Arroyo, the CONCORD proposal, according to its proponents, would only amend
7783-576: The Batanes Islands (where they built stone fortresses known as ijangs ) and northern Luzon . Jade artifacts have been dated to 2000 BC, with lingling-o jade items made in Luzon with raw materials from Taiwan. By 1000 BC, the inhabitants of the archipelago had developed into four societies: hunter-gatherer tribes, warrior societies, highland plutocracies , and port principalities. The earliest known surviving written record in
7964-498: The City of Davao ( Cebuano : Dakbayan sa Dabaw ; Hiligaynon : Dakbanwa sang Davao ; Tagalog : Lungsod ng Dabaw ), is a highly urbanized city in the Davao Region , Philippines. The city has a total land area of 2,443.61 km (943.48 sq mi), making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area . It is the third-most populous city in the Philippines after Quezon City and Manila respectively, and
8145-684: The Coral Triangle ecoregion, Philippine waters have unique, diverse marine life and the world's greatest diversity of shore-fish species. The country has over 3,200 fish species (121 endemic). Philippine waters sustain the cultivation of fish, crustaceans, oysters, and seaweeds. Eight major types of forests are distributed throughout the Philippines: dipterocarp , beach forest, pine forest, molave forest, lower montane forest , upper montane (or mossy forest ), mangroves , and ultrabasic forest. According to official estimates,
8326-864: The Cordillera Administrative Region , and Cagayan Valley . The Moro ethnic groups of the city include the Maguindanaons , Maranaos , Iranuns , Tausugs and Sama-Bajaus . There are also historical and recent migrant Chinese Filipinos and Japanese Filipinos coming from other parts of the Philippines that have made sizable communities in Davao. Modern more recent migrants also include Indonesians , Malaysians , Chinese people (both from China and Taiwan ), Japanese people , and Koreans , that have recently settled and made small communities in Davao City. Non-Asian foreigners, such as Americans and Europeans, are also present in
8507-498: The East Asia Summit ; it is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Its location as an island country on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes it prone to earthquakes and typhoons . The Philippines has a variety of natural resources and a globally-significant level of biodiversity . During his 1542 expedition, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named
8688-519: The Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship . However, these peaceful citizens lacked the political clout to influence the situation much before 1983. One stabilizing element was the designation of then-Colonel Rodolfo Biazon as commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade assigned to Davao. In what the international press dubbed "the most sophisticated approach" to addressing the insurgency, Biazon eschewed
8869-489: The Intertropical Convergence Zone occurs more often than that of the trade winds and because it experiences rare cyclones the climate is not purely equatorial but subequatorial. Average monthly temperatures are always above 26 °C (78.8 °F), and average monthly rainfall is above 77 millimetres (3.03 in). This gives the city a tropical climate, without a true dry season ; while there
9050-531: The Jabidah massacre ignited a furor in the Moro community, and ethnic tensions encouraged with the formation of secessionist movements. An economic crisis in late 1969 led to social unrest, and violent crackdowns on protests led to the radicalization of many students throughout the country. With no way to express their grievances about government abuses after the declaration of Martial law in 1972, many of them joined
9231-513: The Judicial and Bar Council . Attempts to change the government to a federal , unicameral , or parliamentary government have been made since the Ramos administration . Philippine politics tends to be dominated by well-known families , such as political dynasties or celebrities , and party switching is widely practiced. Corruption is significant , attributed by some historians to
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#17327722983749412-482: The Moro Gulf and in 1990 on Luzon . The Philippines has 23 active volcanoes ; of them, Mayon , Taal , Canlaon , and Bulusan have the largest number of recorded eruptions. The country has valuable mineral deposits as a result of its complex geologic structure and high level of seismic activity. It is thought to have the world's second-largest gold deposits (after South Africa), large copper deposits, and
9593-726: The New People's Army (NPA), bringing the Communist rebellion in the Philippines to Davao and the rest of Mindanao for the first time. The movement would continue to grow over the next decade, but was continuing to struggle by the early 1980s, convincing prominent party thinker and idealogue Edgar Jopson to be based there, until he was killed after a raid in Skyline Subdivision in September 1982. The years immediately after Jopson's death saw an unmanageable increase in
9774-482: The New People's Army . In 2015, a clash which took place in Mamasapano, Maguindanao killed 44 members of the Philippine National Police - Special Action Force , resulting in efforts to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law reaching an impasse. Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte of PDP–Laban won the 2016 presidential election by a landslide, garnering 39.01% or 16,601,997 of the total votes, becoming
9955-528: The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines in its case against China's claims in the South China Sea. On August 1, 2016, the Duterte administration launched a 24-hour complaint office accessible to the public through a nationwide hotline, 8888, and change the nationwide emergency telephone number from 117 to 911 . By October 2016, one hundred days after Duterte took office,
10136-451: The Philippine–American War . The war resulted in the deaths of 250,000 to 1 million civilians, primarily due to famine and disease. Many Filipinos were transported by the Americans to concentration camps , where thousands died. After the fall of the First Philippine Republic in 1902, an American civilian government was established with the Philippine Organic Act . American forces continued to secure and extend their control of
10317-533: The Presidential Security Group across the Pasig River from Malacañan Palace . Aquino is the first president to make Bahay Pangarap his official residence. Aquino refused to live in Malacañan Palace , the official residence of the President of the Philippines , or in Arlegui Mansion, the residence of former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos , stating that the two residences are too big, and also stated that his small family residence at Times Street in Quezon City would be impractical, since it would be
10498-432: The Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park , Manila on June 30, 2010. The oath of office was administered by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Conchita Carpio-Morales , who officially accepted Aquino's request to swear him into office, reminiscent of the decision of his mother, who in 1986, was sworn into the presidency by Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee . Aquino refused to allow Chief Justice of
10679-420: The Republic of the Philippines , is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia . In the western Pacific Ocean , it consists of 7,641 islands , with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon , Visayas , and Mindanao . The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to
10860-415: The South China Sea to the Celebes Sea , the Philippines is bordered by the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Sulu Sea to the southwest. The country's 11 largest islands are Luzon , Mindanao , Samar , Negros , Palawan , Panay , Mindoro , Leyte , Cebu , Bohol and Masbate , about 95 percent of its total land area. The Philippines' coastline measures 36,289 kilometers (22,549 mi),
11041-421: The Taft Commission ; the 1934 Tydings–McDuffie Act granted a ten-year transition to independence through the creation of the Commonwealth of the Philippines the following year, with Manuel Quezon president and Sergio Osmeña vice president. Quezon's priorities were defence, social justice, inequality, economic diversification, and national character. Filipino (a standardized variety of Tagalog) became
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#173277229837411222-423: The Tejeros Convention , at which Bonifacio lost his position and Emilio Aguinaldo was elected the new leader of the revolution. The 1897 Pact of Biak-na-Bato resulted in the Hong Kong Junta government in exile. The Spanish–American War began the following year, and reached the Philippines; Aguinaldo returned, resumed the revolution, and declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. In December 1898,
11403-459: The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991. After introducing a constitution that limited presidents to a single term, Aquino did not stand for re-election. Aquino was succeeded by Fidel V. Ramos . During this period the country's economic performance remained modest, with a 3.6% percent GDP growth rate. Political stability and economic improvements, such as the peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996, were overshadowed by
11584-444: The 'restrictive' economic provisions of the constitution that are considered as impediments to the entry of more foreign investments in the Philippines. However, Estrada was not successful in amending the constitution. On March 21, 2000, President Estrada declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the worsening secessionist movement in Mindanao. The government later captured 46 MILF camps including
11765-409: The 1990s, the Philippines began to seek economic liberalization and free trade to help spur foreign direct investment . It is a member of the World Trade Organization and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation . The Philippines entered into the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement in 2010 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement (FTA) in 2023. Through ASEAN,
11946-468: The 20th century. It left 700 dead and 200,000 homeless, and cooled global weather by 1.5 °C (34.7 °F). On September 16, 1991, despite lobbying by President Aquino, the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty that would have allowed a 10-year extension of the U.S. military bases in the country. The United States turned over Clark Air Base in Pampanga to the government in November, and Subic Bay Naval Base in Zambales in December 1992, ending almost
12127-668: The 24-year-old struggle. However an MNLF splinter group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under Salamat Hashim continued the armed Muslim struggle for an Islamic state. The 1998 elections were won by former movie actor and Vice President Joseph Ejercito Estrada (PMP-LAMMP) with overwhelming mass support, with close to 11 million votes. The other ten candidates included his closest rival and administration candidate, House Speaker Jose De Venecia (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP) with 4.4 million votes, Senator Raul Roco (Aksyon Demokratiko), former Cebu governor Emilio Osmeña (PROMDI) and Manila mayor Alfredo Lim (LP). Estrada assumed office amid
12308-427: The Communist Party and created the National Unification Commission (NUC), chaired by lawyer Manuel C. Herrera , to lay the groundwork for talks with communist insurgents, Muslim separatists, and military rebels. In June 1994, Ramos signed into law a general conditional amnesty covering all rebel groups, and Philippine military and police personnel accused of crimes committed while fighting the insurgents. In October 1995,
12489-469: The Communist Party's ranks, however. The 1983 Philippine economic nosedive and the Assassination of Ninoy Aquino a few months later saw the New People's Army grow to seven fronts (Battalion sized units), which coincided with a decision to experiment with strategies like urban insurrectionism. Severe violence began with assassinations of corrupt officials and policemen, but Mid-1984 and August 1985 saw 16 journalists killed where only six had been killed in
12670-409: The Interior and Local Government . Aquino also announced the formation of a truth commission that will investigate various issues including corruption allegations against outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo . Aquino named former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. to head the truth commission . The inauguration of President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay was held at
12851-430: The MILF's headquarters: Camp Abubakar. In October 2000, Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson , a close friend of Estrada, accused the President of receiving collections from jueteng , an illegal numbers game. On November 13, 2000, the House of Representatives impeached Estrada on grounds of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the constitution. His impeachment trial in
13032-558: The Mandayas of Samal Island. Intent on taking the settlement for Spain, he and his men accordingly assaulted it, but the Bagobo natives fiercely resisted the attacks, which resulted in his Samal Mandaya allies to desert. Thus, a three-month long inconclusive battle for the possession of the settlement ensued which was only decided when an infantry company which sailed its way by warships from Zamboanga came in as reinforcements, thus ensuring
13213-695: The May 2004 presidential election, citing a need to heal divisiveness, she reversed herself in October 2003 and decided to run. She was re-elected and sworn in for her own six-year term as president on June 30, 2004. In 2005, a tape of a wiretapped conversation surfaced bearing the voice of Arroyo apparently asking an election official if her margin of victory can be maintained. The tape sparked protests calling for Arroyo's resignation. Arroyo admitted to inappropriately speaking to an election official, but denied allegations of fraud and refused to step down. Attempts to impeach
13394-538: The Muslim minority in the Philippines; concerns have been raised about domestic abuse and war affecting the approximately 2.5 million overseas Filipino workers in the region. The Philippines has claims in the Spratly Islands which overlap with claims by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The largest of its controlled islands is Thitu Island , which contains the Philippines' smallest town . The 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff , after China seized
13575-456: The NPA depended heavily on local citizens for supplies, increasing the incidences of abusive behavior, and reducing support for their cause. In 1984, rightwing vigilantes with the support of Philippine Constabulary Davao City Metropolitan Command commander Lt. Colonel Franco Calida, formed the armed group "Alsa Masa" (People's Rise) to counter them. Their presence, coinciding infighting within
13756-562: The NPA triggered by a hunt for deep penetration agents, was perceived as reducing NPA presence in Davao, but at the cost of the Alsa Masa itself committing human rights violations. Most Davao residents remained staunchly against violence from either extreme. Early examples had included the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Davao Antonio L. Mabutas , who was among the first religious leaders to peacefully speak out against
13937-669: The Philippine Autonomy Act and the Jones Law . The official title "Republic of the Philippines" was included in the 1935 constitution as the name of the future independent state, and in all succeeding constitutional revisions. There is evidence of early hominins living in what is now the Philippines as early as 709,000 years ago. A small number of bones from Callao Cave potentially represent an otherwise unknown species, Homo luzonensis , who lived 50,000 to 67,000 years ago. The oldest modern human remains on
14118-643: The Philippines proclaimed Aquino as the President-elect of the Philippines , following the 2010 election with 15,208,678 votes, while Jejomar Binay , the former mayor of Makati , was proclaimed as the Vice President-elect of the Philippines with 14,645,574 votes, defeating runner-up for the vice presidency Mar Roxas, the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party for vice president. The presidential transition began when Aquino won
14299-729: The Philippines (AFP) consist of three branches: the Philippine Air Force , the Philippine Army , and the Philippine Navy . Civilian security is handled by the Philippine National Police under the Department of the Interior and Local Government . The AFP had a total manpower of around 280,000 as of 2022 , of which 130,000 were active military personnel, 100,000 were reserves, and 50,000 were paramilitaries . In 2023, US$ 477 million (1.4 percent of GDP)
14480-790: The Philippines as soldiers and colonists. Spanish Manila became the capital of the Captaincy General of the Philippines and the Spanish East Indies in 1571, Spanish territories in Asia and the Pacific. The Spanish invaded local states using the principle of divide and conquer , bringing most of what is the present-day Philippines under one unified administration. Disparate barangays were deliberately consolidated into towns , where Catholic missionaries could more easily convert their inhabitants to Christianity , which
14661-601: The Philippines becoming ruled by the Crown of Castile, as part of the Spanish Empire , for more than 300 years. Catholic Christianity became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade . Hispanic immigrants from Latin America and Iberia would also selectively colonize. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, and became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War . Spain ceded
14842-564: The Philippines during the 14th century, via the Indianized Hindu Majapahit Empire . By the 15th century, Islam was established in the Sulu Archipelago and spread from there. Polities founded in the Philippines between the 10th and 16th centuries include Maynila , Tondo , Namayan , Pangasinan , Cebu , Butuan , Maguindanao , Lanao , Sulu , and Ma-i . The early polities typically had
15023-581: The Philippines had 7,000,000 hectares (27,000 sq mi) of forest cover in 2023. Logging had been systemized during the American colonial period and deforestation continued after independence, accelerating during the Marcos presidency due to unregulated logging concessions. Forest cover declined from 70 percent of the Philippines' total land area in 1900 to about 18.3 percent in 1999. Rehabilitation efforts have had marginal success. The Philippines
15204-429: The Philippines has signed FTAs with China , India , Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The country has bilateral FTAs with Japan , South Korea, and four European states : Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Philippines has a long relationship with the United States , involving economics, security , and interpersonal relations. The Philippines' location serves an important role in
15385-517: The Philippines is the early-10th-century AD Laguna Copperplate Inscription , which was written in Old Malay using the early Kawi script with a number of technical Sanskrit words and Old Javanese or Old Tagalog honorifics . By the 14th century, several large coastal settlements emerged as trading centers and became the focus of societal changes . Some polities had exchanges with other states throughout Asia. Trade with China began during
15566-679: The Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, and Laos. On November 8, 2016, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled in favor of the burial of the late president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani , the country's official cemetery for heroes, provoking protests from various groups. Philippines in ASEAN (dark grey) – [ Legend ] Pinoy ( colloquial neutral ) Pinay ( colloquial feminine ) The Philippines , officially
15747-585: The Philippines, to find ways and means of expanding the revenues in running the colonies, primarily in terms of tribute extracted from the natives. It meant that for the first time, the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines was compelled to embark on a full-scale conquest of Mindanao in the hopes of increasing its coffers. Davao Gulf seemed to be a tempting target among Spanish military circles based in Manila for its thriving maritime trade taking place there. Their initial forays began with their incursion on
15928-537: The Philippines. Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896, for rebellion, and his death radicalized many who had been loyal to Spain. Attempts at reform met with resistance; Andrés Bonifacio founded the Katipunan secret society, which sought independence from Spain through armed revolt, in 1892. The Katipunan Cry of Pugad Lawin began the Philippine Revolution in 1896. Internal disputes led to
16109-658: The Senate began on December 7, but broke down on January 17, 2001, after 11 senators allied with Estrada successfully blocked the opening of confidential bank records that would have been used by the prosecution to incriminate the President. In response, millions of people massed up at the EDSA Shrine, where in 1986 the People Power Revolution had ousted Marcos , demanding Estrada's immediate resignation in what became known as " EDSA II ". Estrada's cabinet resigned en masse and
16290-535: The Spanish authorities finally left the town, two Davaoeño locals by the names of Pedro Layog and Jose M. Lerma represented the town and the region at the Malolos Congress of 1898, therefore indicating Davao as a part of the nascent First Philippine Republic . The period of Filipino revolutionary control of Davao did not last long, however, as the Americans landed at the town later the same year. There
16471-648: The Spanish colonial period's padrino system . The Roman Catholic church exerts considerable but waning influence in political affairs, although a constitutional provision for the separation of Church and State exists. A founding and active member of the United Nations, the Philippines has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council . The country participates in peacekeeping missions, particularly in East Timor . The Philippines
16652-620: The Spanish secured the consent from the Sultan of Maguindanao who finally disowned the Moros of Davao Gulf by using the incident as pretext for justification to conquer the area. Thus, the official Spanish colonization of Davao Gulf finally began in earnest in April 1848 when an expedition of 70 men and women led by José Cruz de Oyanguren of Vergara , Spain, landed on the estuary of the Davao River
16833-647: The Spanish to refer to islands in the region before Spanish rule was established. During the Philippine Revolution , the Malolos Congress proclaimed it the República Filipina (the Philippine Republic ). American colonial authorities referred to the country as the Philippine Islands (a translation of the Spanish name). The United States began changing its nomenclature from "the Philippine Islands" to "the Philippines" in
17014-484: The Sulu Archipelago and Maguindanao , but their presence has been reduced. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military wing, the New People's Army (NPA), have been waging guerrilla warfare against the government since the 1970s and have engaged in ambushes, bombings, and assassinations of government officials and security forces; although shrinking militarily and politically after
17195-651: The Supreme Court of the Philippines Renato Corona to swear him into office, due to Aquino's opposition to the appointment of Corona by outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Aquino was congratulated by the President Barack Obama of the United States, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and the government of Australia. In 2013, the government announced it was drawing up a new framework for potential peace talks with
17376-446: The Supreme Court twice upheld Arroyo's legitimacy. After Estrada was arrested on plunder charges in April 2001, thousands of his supporters staged an " EDSA III " to demand his reinstatement through rallies, but by the early morning of May 1, the protesters marched to Malacañang Palace and attempted to storm the premises. The attempt failed when authorities arrived to quell the uprising outside Malacañang's gates. Arroyo's accession to power
17557-581: The United States' island chain strategy in the West Pacific; a Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries was signed in 1951, and was supplemented with the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement and the 2016 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement . The country supported American policies during the Cold War and participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 2003, the Philippines was designated
17738-521: The aggressive stance preferred by the Philippine Constabulary and instead focused on outreach and community engagement - visiting schools and communities, and assuring the public that any Marine would be disciplined for any abuses committed. Ordinary citizens began to have more of a voice for change after the economic crisis of 1983, the assassination of Ninoy Aquino , and the murder of prominent Davao City journalist Alex Orcullo at
17919-446: The archipelago as well, which would also gradually settle in and intermix over the centuries. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan , a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Castile , marked the beginning of Spanish colonization . In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Castile . Spanish colonization via New Spain , beginning in 1565, led to
18100-553: The capital city of Manila , is connected to Laguna de Bay (the country's largest lake ) by the Pasig River . On the western fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire , the Philippines has frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The region is seismically active, and has been constructed by plates converging towards each other from multiple directions. About five earthquakes are recorded daily, although most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquakes were in 1976 in
18281-504: The city are also from Luzon where Tagalog is mainstream, and the modern Filipino mass media is also mostly in Filipino ( Tagalog ) and Filipino class is also taught in schools in Davao, while Cebuano is spoken in other everyday settings, making Tagalog a secondary casual lingua franca . The majority of Davao City's inhabitants are Roman Catholic Christians , forming 77% of the population. The next largest religious affiliation
18462-449: The city in small numbers. Cebuano is the most widely spoken language in the city and its satellite cities and towns, while Filipino ( Tagalog ) comes close as second most spoken casual language. English is the formal medium of instruction in schools and is widely understood by residents, who often use it in varying professional fields. Aside from the aforementioned languages, Chavacano Davaoeño and Hiligaynon are also spoken by
18643-650: The city of Davao, the Island Garden City of Samal and the municipality of Talaingod in Davao del Norte province ; under its jurisdiction are the three suffragan dioceses of Digos , Tagum and Mati (the capital cities of the three Davao provinces). Archbishop Romulo Valles of the Archdiocese of Davao, appointed on February 11, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI , took office on May 22, 2012, at San Pedro Cathedral. Saint Peter , locally known as San Pedro ,
18824-422: The city plaza. In 1543, Spanish explorers led by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos sailing around Mindanao deliberately avoided the area around Davao Gulf , then called Gulf of Tagloc, due to the danger posed by fleets of Moro warships operating in the area while surveying the southeastern coast of Mindanao for possible colonization, and as a result the Davao Gulf area remained virtually untouched by European explorers for
19005-402: The city proper, is a dormant volcano . As of the 2020 census, the city has a total population of 1,776,949 people. Metro Davao , with the city as its center, had about 2.77 million inhabitants in 2015, making it the third-most-populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and the most-populous city in Mindanao. In the 1995 census, the city's population reached 1,006,840 inhabitants, becoming
19186-505: The city, such as copra and other varieties of banana, became available for export. Some Japanese locals—80% percent of the city's population prior to the war's end—assimilated with the Filipino population, while others were expelled from the country by the Filipino locals, due to recent enmity. Davao was peaceful and increasingly progressive in the postwar period, including the 1950s and the mid-1960s. Ethnic tensions were minimal, and there
19367-595: The city. The Obos, who inhabit the hinterlands of the region, called the river Davah (with a gentle vowel ending, although later pronunciation is with a hard v or b ); the Clatta (or Giangan/Diangan) called it Dawaw , and the Tagabawas called it Dabo . To the Obos, davah also means "a place beyond the high grounds" (alluding to settlements at the mouth of the river surrounded by high, rolling hills). The area of what
19548-523: The colonial government. The province of Nueva Guipuzcoa was dissolved on July 30, 1860, as it became the Politico-Military Commandery of Davao. By the clamor of its natives, a petition was given to the Spanish government to rename Nueva Vergara into Davao, the latter being the name used by the natives since its founding. It was eventually accepted in 1867, and Nueva Vergara was given its present name Davao. The Spanish control of
19729-750: The community. Population density is thought to have been low during the 14th to 16th centuries due to the frequency of typhoons and the Philippines' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire . Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521, claimed the islands for Spain, and was killed by Lapulapu 's men in the Battle of Mactan . Unification and colonization by the Crown of Castile began when Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from New Spain ( Spanish : Nueva España ) in 1565. Many Filipinos were brought to New Spain as slaves and forced crew. Whereas many Latin Americans were brought to
19910-462: The country (3,500 of which are endemic), Philippine rain forests have an array of flora: about 3,500 species of trees, 8,000 flowering plant species, 1,100 ferns , and 998 orchid species have been identified. The Philippines has 167 terrestrial mammals (102 endemic species), 235 reptiles (160 endemic species), 99 amphibians (74 endemic species), 686 birds (224 endemic species), and over 20,000 insect species. As an important part of
20091-471: The country. Former Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte won the 2016 presidential election , becoming the first president from Mindanao . On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines in its case against China's claims in the South China Sea. After winning the Presidency, Duterte launched an intensified anti-drug campaign and took steps to deal with to fulfill
20272-411: The country. Japan is the biggest bilateral contributor of official development assistance to the Philippines; although some tension exists because of World War II , much animosity has faded. Historical and cultural ties continue to affect relations with Spain . Relations with Middle Eastern countries are shaped by the high number of Filipinos working in those countries, and by issues related to
20453-465: The death toll for the Philippine Drug War passed 3,000 people. As of February 2019, the death toll for the Philippine Drug War is 5,176. In middle of October to November 2016, President Duterte announced numerous times his shift to ties with China and Russia. The president also blasted the United States and Barack Obama , as well as the United Nations and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , numerous times in various live interviews and speeches while in
20634-414: The decade between 1975 and 1984. Agdao, the poor Barangay from which of the NPA got much of its support, began to be known as "Nicaragdao." Foreign press began labelling Davao the Philippines' "Murder Capital" and "Killing Fields," while the NPA's experiments with urban insurrectionism led all of Mindanao to be labeled "the laboratory of the revolution." In order to keep its large number of cadres supplied,
20815-490: The east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. It is the world's twelfth-most-populous country , with diverse ethnicities and cultures . Manila is the country's capital , and its most populated city
20996-506: The economy contracted by 7.3 percent annually in 1984 and 1985. On August 21, 1983, opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. (Marcos's chief rival) was assassinated on the tarmac at Manila International Airport . Marcos called a snap presidential election in 1986 which proclaimed him the winner, but the results were widely regarded as fraudulent. The resulting protests led to the People Power Revolution , which forced Marcos and his allies to flee to Hawaii . Aquino's widow, Corazon ,
21177-515: The efforts to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law into law in an impasse. Tensions regarding territorial disputes in eastern Sabah and the South China Sea escalated. In 2013, two more years were added to the country's ten-year schooling system for primary and secondary education. In 2014 the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement , was signed, paving the way for the return of United States Armed Forces bases into
21358-639: The enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law; an intensified crackdown on crime and communist insurgencies; and an anti-drug campaign that reduced drug proliferation but that has also led to extrajudicial killings . In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Philippines, necessitating nationwide lockdowns that caused a brief but severe economic recession . Under a promise of continuing Duterte's policies, Marcos's son, Bongbong Marcos , ran with Duterte's daughter, Sara , and won
21539-513: The entire Davao Gulf area. Having consolidated his position, he founded the fortress of Pinagurasan in what is now the site of Bangkerohan Public Market in 1830 which served as his capital. From being a fortification and base of operations from which Datu Bago could gather and rally his forces, the settlement of Pinagurasan eventually grew into a small city extending from present-day Generoso Bridge in Bangkerohan to Quezon Boulevard more than
21720-476: The first Mindanaoan to become president. On the other hand, Camarines Sur 3rd District representative Leni Robredo won with the second-narrowest margin in history, against Senator Bongbong Marcos . On May 30, the Congress had proclaimed Rodrigo Duterte, despite his absence, as president-elect and Leni Robredo as vice president-elect. The presidential transition of Rodrigo Duterte began when Duterte won
21901-558: The first city in the Philippines outside Metro Manila and the fourth nationwide to exceed one million inhabitants. The city's population increase during the 20th century was due to massive immigration waves coming from other parts of the nation and the trend continues to this day. Residents of Davao City and the whole corresponding Davao Region are colloquially known as Davaoeños . Nearly all local Davaoeños, mostly descended from migrant settlers from Visayas in recent centuries and decades, are Visayans (the majority are Cebuanos , with
22082-421: The government signed an agreement bringing the military insurgency to an end. A standoff with China occurred in 1995, when the Chinese military built structures on Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands claimed by the Philippines as Kalayaan Islands . Ramos was heavily criticized for his liberal economic policies, such as passing an oil-deregulation law, thus inflating prices of gasoline products. Ramos
22263-405: The harbor, and from December 20 they landed forces and began an occupation of the city which lasted until 1945. Davao was among the earliest to be occupied by Japanese forces, and the city was immediately fortified as a bastion of Japanese defense. Under the brutal Japanese regime, girls, teenagers, and young adults were kidnapped by Japanese soldiers and were forced into becoming sex slaves under
22444-633: The heavily Marcos -ingrained bureaucracy— abolishing the Batasang Pambansa and relieving all public officials. The Aquino administration likewise appointed a constitutional commission that submitted a new permanent constitution that was ratified and enacted in February 1987. The constitution crippled presidential power to declare martial law, proposed the creation of autonomous regions in the Cordilleras and Muslim Mindanao , and restored
22625-574: The higher authorities in Manila to colonize the Davao Gulf region, which included the Bagobo settlement on the northern riverbank; in return, he asked for the position of the governor of the conquered area and the monopoly of its commerce for ten years. At this juncture, a Mandaya chieftain named Datu Daupan, who then ruled Samal Island , came to him, seeking for an alliance against Datu Bago. The two chieftains were archrivals, and Cruz de Uyanguren took advantage of it, initiating an alliance between Spain and
22806-487: The islands are from the Tabon Caves of Palawan , U/Th-dated to 47,000 ± 11–10,000 years ago. Tabon Man is presumably a Negrito , among the archipelago's earliest inhabitants descended from the first human migrations out of Africa via the coastal route along southern Asia to the now-sunken landmasses of Sundaland and Sahul . The first Austronesians reached the Philippines from Taiwan around 2200 BC, settling
22987-475: The islands of Leyte and Samar " Felipinas " after the Prince of Asturias , later Philip II of Castile . Eventually, the name " Las Islas Filipinas " would be used for the archipelago's Spanish possessions. Other names, such as " Islas del Poniente " (Western Islands), " Islas del Oriente " (Eastern Islands), Ferdinand Magellan's name, and " San Lázaro " (Islands of St. Lazarus), were used by
23168-481: The islands were ceded by Spain to the United States with Puerto Rico and Guam after the Spanish–American War. The First Philippine Republic was promulgated on January 21, 1899. Lack of recognition by the United States led to an outbreak of hostilities that, after refusal by the U.S. on-scene military commander of a cease-fire proposal and a declaration of war by the nascent Republic, escalated into
23349-582: The islands, suppressing an attempted extension of the Philippine Republic , securing the Sultanate of Sulu , establishing control of interior mountainous areas which had resisted Spanish conquest, and encouraging large-scale resettlement of Christians in once-predominantly-Muslim Mindanao. Cultural developments in the Philippines strengthened a national identity, and Tagalog began to take precedence over other local languages. Governmental functions were gradually given to Filipinos by
23530-552: The late Tang dynasty , and expanded during the Song dynasty . Throughout the second millennium AD, some polities were also part of the tributary system of China . With extensive trade and diplomacy, this brought Southern Chinese merchants and migrants from Southern Fujian , known as "Langlang" and "Sangley" in later years, who would gradually settle and intermix in the Philippines. Indian cultural traits such as linguistic terms and religious practices began to spread in
23711-410: The legitimacy of Arroyo with finality on March 2, 2001. Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (the daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal ) was sworn in as Estrada's successor on the day of his departure. Estrada and his allies later challenged the legitimacy of Arroyo's government, arguing that the transfer of power to Arroyo was unconstitutional because he did not resign from office, but
23892-627: The martyrs and heroes which fought for democracy against the authoritarian regime. This included Atty Larry Ilagan, an alumni of the Ateneo de Davao Law School who became a prominent Human Rights Lawyer with the Free Legal Assistance Group ; Economics Professor and Union Organizer Eduardo Lanzona, who was arrested in Davao Del Norte and eventually killed by Marcos' forces in 1975; Activist Maria Socorro Par who pushed for
24073-611: The military and police withdrew their support. On January 20, the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the presidency vacant and swore in Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the country's 14th President. Estrada and his family evacuated the Malacañan Palace soon after. Nevertheless, Estrada himself stood before the Supreme Court on grounds that he did not resign, but just went on an indefinite leave. The Supreme Court upheld
24254-636: The most populous city in Mindanao , in Davao Region, and outside of Metro Manila. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,776,949 people. It is the largest city in the province of Davao del Sur both in population and land area wherein it is geographically situated and grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority , but the city is governed and administered independently from it. The city
24435-606: The national language, women's suffrage was introduced , and land reform was considered. The Empire of Japan invaded the Philippines in December 1941 during World War II , and the Second Philippine Republic was established as a puppet state governed by Jose P. Laurel . Beginning in 1942, the Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by large-scale underground guerrilla activity . Atrocities and war crimes were committed during
24616-405: The new city was already mostly populated with Japanese businessmen and settlers who then became its locals. Davao was inaugurated as a charter city on October 16, 1936, by President Manuel L. Quezon ; the charter came into effect on March 1, 1937. It was one of the first two towns in Mindanao to be converted into a city, the other being Zamboanga . On December 8, 1941, Japanese planes bombed
24797-517: The next three centuries. A Maguindanaon Datu under the name Datu Bago was rewarded the territory of the surroundings of Davao Gulf by the Sultan of Maguindanao Sultanate for joining the campaign against the Spanish in the late 1700s. From his ancestral home in Maguindanao , he moved to the area in 1800 and, having convinced Bagobos and other native groups in the area to his side, conquered
24978-608: The onset of the 1997 Asian financial crisis . Ramos' successor, Joseph Estrada assumed office in June 1998 and under his presidency the economy recovered from −0.6% growth to 3.4% by 1999. The government announced a war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March 2000 and attacked various insurgent camps, including their headquarters. In the middle of ongoing conflict with the Abu Sayyaf , accusations of alleged corruption, and
25159-411: The oppressive " comfort women " system, where the victims were routinely gang-raped and killed. Korean and Taiwanese nationals were also brought by the Japanese to Davao and were forced into becoming sex slaves. The city was subjected to extensive bombing by forces led by Douglas MacArthur before American forces landed in Leyte in October 1944. The Battle of Davao towards the end of World War II
25340-506: The orchid waling-waling , also known as the "Queen of Philippine Flowers" as well as one of the country's national flowers , which are also endemic to the area. Fruits such as mangosteen (known as the "queen of fruits") and durian (known as the "king of fruits"), grow abundantly on Mount Apo. Despite Davao City's location in the Asian portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire , the city has suffered few earthquakes and most have been minor. Mount Apo , 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwest from
25521-426: The other faiths of the city are Sikhism , Hinduism , Buddhism , Judaism , animism and irreligion. The Restorationist Church Kingdom of Jesus Christ had its origins in the city. Apollo Quiboloy , who claims to be the "Appointed Son of God", is the leader of the movement. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Davao is the main metropolitan see of the Roman Catholic Church in southern Mindanao. It comprises
25702-406: The president failed later that year. Toward the end of her term, Arroyo spearheaded a controversial plan for an overhaul of the constitution to transform the present unitary and presidential republic with a bicameral legislature into a federal parliamentary government with a unicameral legislature . On June 9, 2010, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex , in Quezon City , the Congress of
25883-413: The presidential form of government and the bicameral Congress. Progress was made in revitalizing democratic institutions and respect for civil liberties, but Aquino's administration was also viewed as weak and fractious, and a return to full political stability and economic development was hampered by several attempted coups staged by disaffected members of the Philippine military. Aquino privatized many of
26064-400: The region. The colony survived on an annual subsidy from the Spanish crown averaging 250,000 pesos, usually paid as 75 tons of silver bullion from the Americas. British forces occupied Manila from 1762 to 1764 during the Seven Years' War , and Spanish rule was restored with the 1763 Treaty of Paris . The Spanish considered their war with the Muslims in Southeast Asia an extension of
26245-554: The rest being Ilonggos ( Hiligaynon speakers)) and the respective mestizos from those groups, while others of different ethnicities—especially the indigenous people, who are collectively categorized as Lumads —make up the remainder of the local population. The Davao City residents of non-Visayan ethnicity are mostly Tagalogs , Kapampangans , Ilocanos , and their respective mestizos from those groups, which are also descendants of migrant settlers from Luzon , particularly Metro Manila , Central Luzon , Calabarzon , Ilocos Region ,
26426-623: The restoration of the student council and school paper Atenews in the mid70s after they had been shut down in Martial Law, and Atenews Editor in Chief Evella Bontia; Law School alumnus Nicolas Solana Jr., and ADDU High School alumni Ricky Filio and Joel Jose. Because the local leaders of the time were closely associated with Marcos, they were removed by the 1986 revolutionary government which took power after Marcos's ouster. President Corazon Aquino then appointed Soledad Duterte's son, Rodrigo Duterte , as temporary Vice Mayor of Davao. Rodrigo Duterte later ran for Mayor of Davao City and won, taking
26607-440: The return of democracy in 1986, the CPP-NPA, through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines , continues to gather public support in urban areas by setting up communist fronts , infiltrating sectoral organizations, and rallying public discontent and increased militancy against the government. The Philippines ranked 104th out of 163 countries in the 2024 Global Peace Index . Davao City Davao City , officially
26788-400: The same month, intent on conquering Pinagurasan, the capital of Datu Bago's domain, in the hopes of permanently ending the menace posed on Spanish vessels by Moro raiders in Davao Gulf. Being the strongest chieftain in the region, Datu Bago imposed heavy tribute on the Mandaya tribes nearby, therefore also making him the most loathed chieftain in the region. Cruz de Uyanguren had orders from
26969-422: The same year the Davao Municipal Hall, now the City Hall, was constructed. Because of the rapidly increasing progress of the town, on March 16, 1936, congressman Romualdo Quimpo from Davao filed Bill 609 (passed as Commonwealth Act 51 ), creating the City of Davao from the town of Davao and the municipal district of Guianga . The bill called for the appointment of local officials by the president. By that time,
27150-400: The same year to facilitate the international export of agricultural products from Davao. Davao was incorporated as a part of Moro Province from 1903 to 1914. When the province was dissolved in 1914, it led to the establishment of Davao Province , with Davao as its provincial capital. What is now the city's Legislative Council Building served as the provincial capitol. It was built in 1926,
27331-456: The shoal from the Philippines, led to an international arbitration case which the Philippines eventually won; China rejected the result, and made the shoal a prominent symbol of the broader dispute. China has rejected new Philippine maritime laws aimed at strengthening sovereignty in the South China Sea, stating they infringe on Chinese territorial claims and vowing to defend its interests in contested areas. The volunteer Armed Forces of
27512-594: The specter of communism and began to rule by decree ; the period was characterized by political repression , censorship , and human rights violations . Monopolies controlled by Marcos's cronies were established in key industries, including logging and broadcasting; a sugar monopoly led to a famine on the island of Negros . With his wife, Imelda , Marcos was accused of corruption and embezzling billions of dollars of public funds. Marcos's heavy borrowing early in his presidency resulted in economic crashes , exacerbated by an early 1980s recession where
27693-482: The takeover of the settlement and its surroundings by the Spaniards while the defeated Bagobos fled further inland while Datu Bago and his followers fled north to Hijo where he would die two years later. After Cruz de Oyanguren defeated Bago and conquered Pinagurasan, he founded the town of Nueva Vergara , the future Davao, in the mangrove swamps of what is now Bolton Riverside on June 29, 1848, in honor of his home in Spain and became its first governor . Pinagurasan
27874-493: The term Filipino encompassing all residents of the archipelago instead of solely referring to Spaniards born in the Philippines . Revolutionary sentiment grew in 1872 after 200 locally recruited colonial troops and laborers alongside three activist Catholic priests were executed on questionable grounds . This inspired the Propaganda Movement , organized by Marcelo H. del Pilar , José Rizal , Graciano López Jaena , and Mariano Ponce , which advocated political reform in
28055-401: The territory to the United States, and Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic . The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States controlling the territory until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II . After the United States retook the Philippines from the Japanese , the Philippines became independent in 1946. The country has had
28236-402: The threat seriously for years despite his numerous victories against them until the burning of the Spanish trading vessel San Rufo , which carried a letter of friendship from Sultan Iskandar Qudaratullah Muhammad Zamal al-Azam of Maguindanao to Governor-General Claveria, and its massacre of all its crew by seaborne corsairs under orders from Datu Bago himself in 1846. Incensed with the incident,
28417-654: The top city office from 1988 to 1998, from 2001 to 2010, and yet again from 2013 to 2016, after which he became President of the Philippines . Davao City is approximately 946 kilometres (588 mi) southeast of Manila over land, and 971 kilometres (524 nmi) by sea. The city is located in southeastern Mindanao, on the northwestern shore of Davao Gulf , opposite Samal Island . Mount Apo and Mount Talomo can be seen from here. Davao City politically subdivided into 182 barangays . Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios . Davao City's land, totaling about 2,443.61 square kilometres (943.48 sq mi),
28598-409: The town was unstable at best, as its Lumad and Moro natives routinely resisted the attempts of the Spanish authorities to forcibly resettle them and convert them into Christianity. Despite all these, such were all done with the goal of making the governance of the area easier, dividing the Christians—both settlers and native converts—and the Muslim Moros into several religion-based communities within
28779-413: The town. As the Philippine Revolution , having been fought for two years, neared its end in 1898, the expected departure of the Spanish authorities in Davao became apparent, although they took no part in the war at all, owing to the lack of revolutionary figures in the area save for a negligible pro-Filipino separatist rebel movement in the town of Santa Cruz in the south. When the war finally ended, as
28960-446: The transition team. The transition team was created "to ensure peaceful, orderly and [efficient] transition on the 30th of June". On June 9, 2010, the transition team started informal meetings with the Aquino transition team. On June 16, 2010, Aquino organized his transition team in a letter to outgoing Presidential Management Staff Secretary Elena Bautista-Horn. Aquino appointed the members of his transition team; defeated runner-up for
29141-422: The utilities the government owned, such as water and electricity. This practice was viewed by many as Aquino catering to oligarchic as well U.S. interests, losing the government's power of regulation. Economic growth was additionally hampered by a series of natural disasters. In June 1991, Mount Pinatubo in Central Luzon erupted , after being dormant for 600 years. It was the second largest volcanic eruption of
29322-400: The vast lands of Davao and turning them into huge coconut and banana plantations. In just a short period, Davao changed from a small and sparsely-inhabited town into a bustling economic center serving the Davao Gulf region, heavily populated alongside natives by tens of thousands of settlers and economic migrants from Luzon , Visayas and Japan. The Port of Davao was established and opened
29503-404: The vice presidency Mar Roxas , incoming Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. , former Secretary of Education Florencio Abad , former Secretary of Finance Cesar Purisima , and Julia Abad, daughter of Florencio Abad and Aquino's chief of staff. The presidential residence of Aquino is the Bahay Pangarap (English: House of Dreams), located inside of Malacañang Park, at the headquarters of
29684-416: The village of Sigaboy in 1842, from which the local Spanish officials who recently landed there immediately demanded heavy tribute on the natives who then asked for Datu Bago's help in expelling the Spaniards, which he responded swiftly by sending a combined naval and land force in the area to defeat and drive out the Spanish force there. The Spanish, seeing Datu Bago as a mere pirate and brigand, didn't take
29865-420: The war, including the Bataan Death March and the Manila massacre . The Philippine resistance and Allied troops defeated the Japanese in 1944 and 1945. Over one million Filipinos were estimated to have died by the end of the war. On October 11, 1945, the Philippines became a founding member of the United Nations . On July 4, 1946, during the presidency of Manuel Roxas , the country's independence
30046-561: The warmest is May. Temperatures at sea level across the Philippines tend to be in the same range, regardless of latitude; average annual temperature is around 26.6 °C (79.9 °F) but is 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) in Baguio , 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) above sea level. The country's average humidity is 82 percent. Annual rainfall is as high as 5,000 millimeters (200 in) on the mountainous east coast, but less than 1,000 millimeters (39 in) in some sheltered valleys. The Philippine Area of Responsibility has 19 typhoons in
30227-401: The world's fifth-longest , and the country's exclusive economic zone covers 2,263,816 km (874,064 sq mi). Its highest mountain is Mount Apo on Mindanao, with an altitude of 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level. The Philippines' longest river is the Cagayan River in northern Luzon, which flows for about 520 kilometers (320 mi). Manila Bay , on which is
30408-466: The world's largest deposits of palladium . Other minerals include chromium , nickel , molybdenum , platinum , and zinc . However, poor management and law enforcement, opposition from indigenous communities, and past environmental damage have left these resources largely untapped. The Philippines is a megadiverse country , with some of the world's highest rates of discovery and endemism (67 percent). With an estimated 13,500 plant species in
30589-413: Was also criticized for alleged corruption in his handling of the Philippine Centennial Exposition and the PEA-AMARI land deal, in which Ramos allegedly received kickbacks amounting to millions of pesos. A peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under Nur Misuari, a major Muslim separatist group fighting for an independent Bangsamoro homeland in Mindanao , was signed in 1996, ending
30770-420: Was appointed as chairman of HUDCC. On June 24, 2010, Br. Armin Luistro FSC , president of De La Salle University , accepted the post of Secretary of Education after meeting with the school's stakeholders. On June 27, 2010, Aquino reappointed incumbent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto Romulo . On June 29, 2010, Aquino officially named the members of his Cabinet, with Aquino himself as Secretary of
30951-451: Was essentially no presence of secessionists groups in Mindanao. In 1967, the Province of Davao was divided into three provinces: Davao del Norte , Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur . The city of Davao became part of Davao del Sur; no longer the provincial capital, it became a commercial center of southern Mindanao. This period also saw the first ever election of an indigenous person to the office of Mayor of Davao City, when Elias Lopez,
31132-408: Was further legitimated by the mid-term congressional and local elections held in May 2001, when her coalition won an overwhelming victory. Arroyo's initial term in office was marked by fractious coalition politics as well as a military mutiny in Manila in July 2003 that led her to declare a month-long nationwide state of rebellion. Although she had declared in December 2002 that she would not contest
31313-613: Was initially Syncretist . Christianization by the Spanish friars occurred mostly across the settled lowlands over the course of time. From 1565 to 1821, the Philippines was governed as a territory of the Mexico City -based Viceroyalty of New Spain; it was then administered from Madrid after the Mexican War of Independence . Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade by Manila galleons built in Bicol and Cavite . During its rule, Spain nearly bankrupted its treasury quelling indigenous revolts and defending against external military attacks, including Moro piracy ,
31494-421: Was installed as president and a new constitution was promulgated. The return of democracy and government reforms which began in 1986 were hampered by national debt , government corruption, and coup attempts . A communist insurgency and military conflict with Moro separatists persisted; the administration also faced a series of disasters, including the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991. Aquino
31675-474: Was marked by economic growth, but was tainted by corruption and political scandals, including electoral fraud allegations during the 2004 presidential election . Economic growth continued during Benigno Aquino III 's administration, which advocated good governance and transparency. Aquino III signed a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) resulting in the Bangsamoro Organic Law establishing an autonomous Bangsamoro region, but
31856-421: Was no record of locals offering any sort of resistance to the Americans. As the Americans began their administration of the town in 1900, economic opportunities quickly arose as huge swathes of its areas, mainly lush forests and fertile grasslands, were declared open for agricultural investment. As a result, foreign businessmen, especially Japanese entrepreneurs, started settling the region, staking their claims on
32037-412: Was one of the longest and bloodiest battles during the Philippine Liberation, and brought tremendous destruction to the city, setting back the economic and physical strides made before the Japanese occupation. Davao regained its status as the agricultural and economic hub of Mindanao after the war ended in 1945. Wood products such as plywood and timber, and more agricultural products being produced within
32218-552: Was recognized by the United States with the Treaty of Manila . Efforts at post-war reconstruction and ending the Hukbalahap Rebellion succeeded during Ramon Magsaysay 's presidency, but sporadic communist insurgency continued to flare up long afterward. Under Magsaysay's successor, Carlos P. Garcia , the government initiated a Filipino First policy which promoted Filipino-owned businesses. Succeeding Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal moved Independence Day from July 4 to June 12—the date of Emilio Aguinaldo's declaration— and pursued
32399-423: Was spent on the Philippine military. Most of the country's defense spending is on the Philippine Army, which leads operations against internal threats such as communist and Muslim separatist insurgencies; its preoccupation with internal security contributed to the decline of Philippine naval capability which began during the 1970s. A military modernization program began in 1995 and expanded in 2012 to build
32580-482: Was succeeded by Fidel V. Ramos , who liberalized the national economy with privatization and deregulation . Ramos's economic gains were overshadowed by the onset of the 1997 Asian financial crisis . His successor, Joseph Estrada , prioritized public housing but faced corruption allegations which led to his overthrow by the 2001 EDSA Revolution and the succession of Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on January 20, 2001. Arroyo's nine-year administration
32761-428: Was then incorporated into the new town. Almost two years later on February 29, 1850, the province of Nueva Guipúzcoa was established via a royal decree, with the newly founded town as the capital, once again to honor his homeland in Spain. When he was the governor of the province, however, his plans of fostering a positive economic sway on the region backfired, which resulted in his eventual replacement under orders of
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