Udenna Corporation operates as a holding company . The Company distributes and retails petroleum products and lubricants, engages in shipping and logistics services, operates in property development, education, food, gaming, tourism, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors in Philippines. and become the top business leaders in Davao City.
125-548: The Udenna Corporation was incorporated on March 19, 2002. It was founded by Davao City businessman Dennis Uy who decided to establish the company after quitting his family businesses in Mindanao . "Udenna" was derived from Uy's full name, Uy Dennis Ang. Phoenix Petroleum was organized as the first unit of Udenna. It was first involved in managing oil terminals as the Davao Oil Terminal and Services Corporation in
250-573: 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
375-515: A city charter, and through this charter, Congress confers on a city certain powers that regular municipalities or even other cities may not have. Despite differences in the powers accorded to each city, all cities, regardless of status, are given a larger share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) compared to regular municipalities, and are generally more autonomous than regular municipalities. A city's local government
500-446: A city, especially if the population has greatly increased and local economy has become more robust. On the other hand, due to the higher property taxes that would be imposed after cityhood, many citizens have become wary of their town's conversion into a city, even if the municipality had already achieved a high degree of urbanization and has an annual income that already exceeds that of many existing lower-income cities. This has been among
625-582: A city. Despite the passage of RA 9009, 16 municipalities not meeting the required locally generated income were converted into cities in 2007 by seeking exemption from the income requirement. This led to vocal opposition from the League of Cities of the Philippines against the cityhood of these municipalities, with the League arguing that by letting these municipalities become cities, Congress will set "a dangerous precedent" that would not prevent others from seeking
750-552: A city. Prior to 1979, all cities were just considered chartered cities, without any official category differentiating them aside from income levels. Though chartered cities were considered autonomous from the provinces from which they were created, the eligibility of their residents to vote for provincial officials was determined by their respective charters. Regarding participation in provincial affairs, there were three types of city charters: The 1951 Supreme Court decision on Teves, et al. v. Commission on Elections finally resolved
875-624: A close friend of Dennis Uy, lift the moratorium on oil exploration. Udenna Corporation also manages the Clark Global City through its subsidiary. The acquiring of the Malampaya stake to Udenna has been under scrutiny by some senators and concerned citizens. Davao City Davao City , officially the City of Davao ( Cebuano : Dakbayan sa Dabaw ; Hiligaynon : Dakbanwa sang Davao ; Tagalog : Lungsod ng Dabaw ),
1000-404: A component city's charter, prohibiting city residents to vote for provincial officials. In the last quarter of 2021, Samar 1st district congressman Edgar Mary Sarmiento proposed to convert the city of Calbayog from being a component city into an independent component city through the virtue of House Bill No. 10483. Since 1992, once a city reaches a population of 200,000 persons as certified by
1125-423: A consortium by Udenna and China Telecom , won the government-sanctioned bidding that would allow the consortium to become the third primary telecommunications provider in the Philippines challenging the duopoly of PLDT and Globe Telecom . Also, in late 2018, Udenna Corporation began acquiring Philippine Stock Exchange -listed ISM Communications Corporation with the intention of backdoor listing Udenna on
1250-499: A day after it lapsed into law without the signature of the president, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11683, which amended Section 450 of the Local Government Code, making the conversion of municipalities into cities easier. The amendments state that if a municipality generates at least ₱400 million for two consecutive years, it will be exempt from the land and population requirements. The League
1375-465: A deal, Dito CME will hold a 100% stake in Udenna's subsidiary, Udenna CME Holdings Corporation, which co-owns one of Dito's parent companies, Dito Holdings Corporation (along with Chelsea Logistics). The deal made Udenna Corporation become as a parent company of Dito CME. Dennis Uy's Udenna Corporation bought 100 million common shares of Atok-Big Wedge Co. Inc. at the negotiated price of P2.00 per share or
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#17327832624091500-657: A form of localized civil government to an area that is primarily urban, which, due to its compact nature and different demography and local economy, cannot be necessarily handled more efficiently by more rural-oriented provincial and municipal governments. However, not all cities are purely areas of dense urban settlement. To date there are still cities with huge expanses of rural or wilderness areas and considerable non-urban populations, such as Calbayog , Davao , Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga as they were deliberately incorporated with increased future resource needs and urban expansion, as well as strategic considerations, in mind. With
1625-466: 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
1750-581: 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 is now Davao City was once a lush forest inhabited by Lumadic peoples such as
1875-545: 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
2000-485: A province. However, there are several sources of confusion: Congress is the lone legislative entity that can incorporate cities. Provincial and municipal councils can pass resolutions indicating a desire to have a certain area (usually an already-existing municipality or a cluster of barangays) declared a city after the requirements for becoming a city are met. As per Republic Act No. 9009, these requirements include: Republic Act No. 11683 further amended Section 450 of
2125-413: A regular component city. The Supreme Court on September 16, 1999, however ruled in favor of the city's mayor who contended that such a change in the status of the city required a plebiscite just like any other merger, division, abolition or alteration in boundaries of any political unit. And due to the lack of a plebiscite to affirm such a change, RA 8528 was therefore unconstitutional. On April 11, 2022,
2250-444: A status despite their small population and locally generated income, which do not meet current standards. The relatively low income standard between 1992 and 2001 (which was ₱ 20 million) also allowed several municipalities, such as Sipalay and Muñoz , to become cities despite not being able to meet the current ₱ 100 million local income standard. Before 1987, many cities were created without any plebiscites conducted for
2375-447: 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 is home to Mount Apo , the highest mountain in the Philippines, which is highly visible in most parts of Davao City. The city
2500-593: A total of P200,000,000. Dennis Uy is also a director and vice chairman of Atok-Big Wedge. He has an existing 1,000 direct shares in the company. Atok-Big Wedge Co, Inc. a listed corporation in PSE, has 20% ownership of United Kingdom-based Forum Energy Ltd. which has the right of oil exploration in SC72 in the South China Sea . Forum Energy Ltd. has ongoing talks with China for joint oil exploration after President Duterte,
2625-526: A total of six cities: Batas Pambansa Bilang 51 , approved on December 22, 1979, introduced two legal categories of cities: highly urbanized cities (HUCs) and component cities . COMELEC Resolution No. 1421, which was issued to implement the provisions of BP 51 prior to the January 30, 1980, local elections , stated that a total of 20 cities were not allowed to participate in the election of provincial officials: seven of these were "highly urbanized", while
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#17327832624092750-701: 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
2875-479: 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 the most populous city in Mindanao , in Davao Region, and outside of Metro Manila. According to
3000-475: Is a non-profit organization and is not a government agency and was founded in 1988. As of July 8, 2023, the league has a membership of 149 cities. The organization was formed to help coordinate efforts to improve governance and local autonomy and to tackle issues such as preserving the environment and improving public works. As of July 8, 2023 , there are 149 cities in the Philippines . Carmona in Cavite
3125-459: 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 the city. The Obos, who inhabit the hinterlands of the region, called the river Davah (with
3250-495: 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
3375-567: Is entitled to at least one representative in the House of Representatives if its population reaches 250,000. Cities are allowed to use a common seal. As corporate entities, cities have the power to take, purchase, receive, hold, lease, convey, and dispose of real and personal property for their general interests; condemn private property for public use ( eminent domain ); contract and be contracted with; sue; and exercise all powers conferred on them by Congress. Only an act of Congress can create or amend
3500-473: Is headed by a mayor elected by popular vote. The vice mayor serves as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council), which serves as the city's legislative body. Upon receiving their charters, cities also receive a full complement of executive departments to better serve their constituents. Some departments are established on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of
3625-537: 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
3750-524: Is no different from the enactment of a law, i.e., the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivision from the criteria earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting law/s, effectively decreased the already codified indicators." As such, the cityhood status of the said 16 LGUs was effectively restored. On August 24, 2010, in a 16-page resolution, the Supreme Court reinstated its November 18, 2008, decision striking down
3875-491: 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 a kilometer down south, as Maguindanaons and Bagobos alike among other nearby tribes in
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4000-407: 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
4125-420: 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
4250-458: Is the newest city, after the plebiscite held resulted in approval of ratification on July 8, 2023. The Supreme Court of the Philippines , by a highly divided vote of 6–5, on November 18, 2008, subsequently upheld with finality on May 6, 2009, declared unconstitutional cityhood laws converting 16 municipalities into cities. The 24-page judgment of Justice Antonio T. Carpio, adjudged that the following cityhood laws violate secs. 6 and 10, Article X of
4375-536: 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
4500-670: 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 the city plaza. In 1543, Spanish explorers led by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos sailing around Mindanao deliberately avoided
4625-864: 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
4750-519: 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
4875-489: 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
5000-531: 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
5125-726: 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
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5250-639: The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to develop a casino resort near Mactan–Cebu International Airport . It also entered the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry and acquired Enderun Colleges . In November 2017, Udenna took over the development of the former Global Gateway Logistics City at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, later relaunched as Clark Global City . Mislatel (now known as Dito Telecommunity ),
5375-605: The Philippine Statistics Authority and an income of ₱ 50 million (based on 1991 constant prices) as certified by the city treasurer, the city government can submit a request to the President to have their city declared as highly urbanized within 30 days. Upon the President's declaration, a plebiscite will be held within a specific timeframe to ratify this conversion. There are no limits as to
5500-512: 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 the Philippines, to find ways and means of expanding
5625-400: The 16 towns into cities met all legal requirements. In March 2011, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), while challenging a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the cityhood conversion of 16 municipalities, has expressed support for the cityhood bids of 21 towns that have fulfilled the requirements outlined in the Local Government Code. These towns have demonstrated their compliance with
5750-442: 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 is divided into three congressional districts, which are subdivided into 11 administrative districts with
5875-655: 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
6000-635: The Constitution of the Philippines: However, more than a year later, on December 22, 2009, acting on the appeal of the so-called League of 16 Cities (an informal group consisting of the sixteen local government units whose cityhood status had been reversed), the Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled that "at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory law (regarding the criteria for cityhood as set by Congress)
6125-407: The Local Government Code in 2022, exempting a municipality qualified for cityhood from the land or population threshold if the municipality has a locally generated average annual income of 400 million pesos for the previous 2 years according to 2012 constant prices, though this amount "shall be increased by five percent" for every three years after the law's effectivity. Members of Congress (usually
6250-558: 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
6375-854: 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 is now Davao City, for the Spanish Crown. This came after
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#17327832624096500-456: 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
6625-562: 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
6750-646: The Philippines#Legal classification A city ( Filipino : lungsod or siyudad ) is one of the units of local government in the Philippines . All Philippine cities are chartered cities (Filipino: nakakartang lungsod ), whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific municipal charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies their administrative structure and powers. As of July 8, 2023, there are 149 cities. A city
6875-500: The Philippines, all of which are classified as either "Highly urbanized" or "Independent component" cities. A city classified as such: Currently, there are only four independent cities in two classes that can still participate in the election of provincial officials (governor, vice governor, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan members): Registered voters of the cities of Cotabato , Ormoc , Santiago , as well as all other highly urbanized cities, including those to be converted or created in
7000-590: 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
7125-620: 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
7250-521: 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
7375-413: The ambiguity surrounding the third category of cities, by confirming that the residents of cities with such charters (such as Dumaguete and Davao City ) are ineligible to participate in provincial elections. Altering the right of city residents to participate in provincial elections was a power solely determined by the national legislature. Before 1979, this power was exercised in seven cases, affecting
7500-407: 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 the next three centuries. A Maguindanaon Datu under the name Datu Bago was rewarded the territory of
7625-463: 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 a Sultanate with sovereignty over Davao Gulf in equal standing with
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#17327832624097750-457: The cases made against the cityhood bids of many high-income and populous municipalities surrounding Metro Manila, most notably Bacoor and Dasmariñas (which finally became cities in June 2012 and November 2009 respectively), which for many years have been more qualified to become cities than others. In response to the rapid increase in the number of municipalities being converted into cities since
7875-536: The cities of Bais and Canlaon ( Negros Oriental ), and Ozamiz ( Misamis Occidental ). Despite the charter of the city of Cotabato being silent on the matter of electing provincial officials, the city was not legislated to be part of any of the successor provinces of the old undivided Cotabato province. Voters of the city therefore were still not eligible to vote in the provincial elections of either Maguindanao or North Cotabato and therefore remained independent from any province. The period between ratification of
8000-504: 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
8125-464: The city having met the requirement. The cities of Angeles (October 13, 1986), Bacolod (September 27, 1984), Butuan (February 7, 1985), Cagayan de Oro, Iligan (both November 22, 1983), Olongapo (December 7, 1983), and Zamboanga (November 22, 1983) became HUCs in this manner. The residents in most of these cities lost their right to participate in provincial elections for the first time. The two exceptions are: Iloilo City , which had already been deprived of
8250-449: 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
8375-650: 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 ,
8500-458: 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
8625-495: The city under the province's control, to bring in more votes against the Sugbuak , the proposed partition of Cebu Province. A congressional amendment to the city charter enabling city residents to vote for provincial officials is required, followed by a plebiscite. Santiago 's status as an independent component city was briefly in question after the enactment of Republic Act No. 8528 on February 14, 1998, which sought to make it
8750-505: 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
8875-758: The city. Source: Local Government Code of 1991. Cities, like municipalities , are composed of barangays , which can range from urban neighborhoods (such as Barangay 9, Santa Angela in Laoag ), to rural communities (such as Barangay Iwahig in Puerto Princesa ). Barangays are sometimes grouped into officially defined administrative (geographical) districts. Examples of such are the cities of Manila ( 16 districts ), Davao ( 11 districts ), Iloilo ( seven districts ), and Samal (three districts: Babak, Kaputian and Peñaplata). Some cities such as Caloocan , Manila, and Pasay even have an intermediate level between
9000-458: The cityhood laws, reducing once more the sixteen LGUs to the status of regular municipalities. The most recent development in the legal battles surrounding the League of 16 came on February 15, 2011. Voting 7–6, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that 16 towns that became cities in 2007 can stay as cities. This was the fourth time the SC has ruled on the case, and the third reversal. It said the conversion of
9125-523: 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
9250-414: 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,
9375-517: The district and barangay levels, called a zone. However, geographic districts and zones are not political units; there are no elected city government officials in these city-specific administrative levels. Rather, they only serve to make city planning, statistics-gathering, and other administrative tasks easier and more convenient. Republic Act No. 11964, or the Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units Act,
9500-486: The early 2000s but was later renamed Phoenix Petroleum in 2005 and went on retailing petroleum products. Phoenix Petroleum went public in 2007. To supplement Udenna's petroleum business, Chelsea Shipping Corporation was established in 2006, marking the corporation's entry into the shipping and logistics industry. Within the first year of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016–2017, Udenna Corporation had various acquisitions. Udenna secured permission from
9625-472: The electorate of component cities shall be entitled to vote in the election for provincial officials of the province of which it is a part." This provision therefore overrides the 1951 Supreme Court decision on Teves, et al. v. Commission on Elections by providing voters in component cities whose charters are silent on the matter of electing provincial officials the right to again participate in provincial elections. BP 881 therefore again enfranchised voters in
9750-449: The eligibility criteria required for cityhood were endorsed by the LCP for cityhood conversion: Note: This section only lists attempts that reached the stage where a Republic Act was enacted for the purpose of achieving cityhood. Note: This section only lists name changes made upon or since cityhood. The following municipalities with pending bills for conversion into cities as filed in
9875-413: The enactment of the 1991 Local Government Code, municipalities and cities have both become more empowered to deal with local issues. Regular municipalities now share many of the same powers and responsibilities as chartered cities, but its citizens and/or leaders may feel that it might be to their best interest to get a larger share of internal revenue allotment (IRA) and acquire additional powers by becoming
10000-541: The enactment of the Local Government Code in 1991, Senator Aquilino Pimentel authored what became Republic Act No. 9009 in June 2001 which sought to establish a more appropriate benchmark by which municipalities that wished to become cities were to be measured. The income requirement was increased sharply from ₱ 20 million to ₱ 100 million in a bid to curb the spate of conversions into cities of municipalities that were perceived to have not become urbanized or economically developed enough to be able to properly function as
10125-558: 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
10250-402: The future, cannot participate in provincial elections. In addition to the eligibility of some independent cities to vote in provincial elections, a few other situations become sources of confusion regarding the complete autonomy of independent cities from provinces: A component city, while enjoying relative autonomy on some matters compared to a regular municipality, is still considered part of
10375-405: 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
10500-574: 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
10625-612: The involving representative of the congressional district to which the proposed city belongs) then draft the legislation that will convert or create the city. After the bill passes through both the House of Representatives and the Senate and becomes an Act of Congress, the President signs the Act into law. If the Act goes unsigned after 30 days it still becomes law despite the absence of the President's signature. The creation of cities before 1983
10750-797: The legal status of any local government unit requires the ratification by the residents that would be affected by such changes. Therefore, all cities created after 1987 – after meeting the requirements for cityhood as laid out in the Local Government Code of 1991 and Republic Act No. 9009 of 2001 – only acquired their corporate status after the majority of their voting residents approved their respective charters. Although some early cities were given charters because of their advantageous ( Baguio , Tagaytay ) or strategic ( Angeles City and Olongapo , Cotabato , Zamboanga ) locations or to especially establish new government centers in otherwise sparsely populated areas ( Palayan , Trece Martires , Quezon City ), most Philippine cities were originally incorporated to provide
10875-627: 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
11000-413: The new Constitution (February 1987) and the effectivity of the Local Government Code of 1991 (January 1992) was one of transition. During this time, BP 51 , BP 337 and BP 881 were still in force: the only legal classes of cities during this period were still "highly urbanized" and "component" cities. Altering the right of city residents to participate in provincial elections was once again exercised by
11125-405: 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
11250-442: The newly restored Congress in this period. A total of three cities were affected: Republic Acts Nos. 6641 (in 1987), 6726 (in 1989) and 6843 (in 1990), once again allowed the residents of Mandaue , Oroquieta and San Carlos to vote for provincial officials of Cebu , Misamis Occidental and Pangasinan respectively. Since BP 51 —which only considered cities as being either "highly urbanized" or "component"—was still in force at
11375-495: The number of times a component city can attempt to become a highly urbanized city, should previous tries be unsuccessful. Reclassifying an HUC as a component city likely involves not only amending the concerned city's charter, but also the Local Government Code, as currently there is no provision in the LGC that allows this, nor are there any precedents. Some Cebu City politicians have previously indicated that they wish to bring back
11500-573: 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
11625-619: 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
11750-498: 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
11875-472: The provinces of Bulacan and Rizal and made independent units in 1975, were converted to highly urbanized cities, beginning in 1994 with Mandaluyong . The most recent, Navotas , became an HUC in 2007. Only Pateros , which does not currently meet the population requirement of 200,000 inhabitants, remains the only independent municipality in Metro Manila. All that is needed is a congressional amendment to
12000-911: The ratification of the Constitution (February 11, 1987) but before the effectivity of the Local Government Code of 1991 (January 1, 1992), their residents were allowed to continue to participate in the election of provincial officials as per their respective charters (as amended), by virtue of Section 452-c of the LGC. Residents of General Santos were already excluded from voting for provincial officials of South Cotabato since achieving cityhood in 1968; they were therefore unaffected by this exemption. The Local Government Code of 1991 came into effect on January 1, 1992, and has remained in force ever since, though some amendments have been made. New requirements for creating cities, and upgrading cities to highly urbanized status, were instituted under this Act. The LGC of 1991
12125-482: The remaining 13 were "component" cities. Batas Pambansa Bilang 337 (Local Government Code of 1983), approved on February 10, 1983, further refined the criteria by which cities can be classified as highly urbanized cities. Under BP 337 a city that had at least 150,000 inhabitants and an income of at least ₱ 30 million was to be declared highly urbanized by the Minister of Local Government within thirty days of
12250-466: The residents to ratify the city charter, most notable of which were cities that were incorporated during the early American colonial period ( Manila and Baguio ), and during the Commonwealth Era (1935–1946) such as Cavite City , Dansalan (now Marawi ), Iloilo City , Bacolod , San Pablo and Zamboanga City . Only since 1987 has it been mandated under the Constitution that any change to
12375-554: 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 ,
12500-754: 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
12625-566: The revenues collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue . The resulting legal battles resulted in the nullification of the city charters of the 16 municipalities by the Supreme Court in August 2010. ( See #"League of 16" and legal battles ) Throughout the years there have been instances of changes to the city's status with regard to eligibility for provincial elections, as a result of the passage of laws, both of general effectivity and specific to
12750-530: 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
12875-439: The right to vote for provincial officials in 1959 by virtue of Section 2 of RA 2259, and Zamboanga City , which had been autonomously governed since its creation by virtue of Section 47 of its city charter ( Commonwealth Act No. 39 ). By virtue of Section 30 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 ( Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines ), approved on December 3, 1985, provided that: "unless their respective charters provide otherwise,
13000-461: The same "special treatment". More importantly, the LCP argued that with the recent surge in the conversion of towns that did not meet the requirements set by RA 9009 for becoming cities, the allocation received by existing cities would only drastically decrease because more cities will have to share the amount allotted by the national government, which is equal to 23% of the IRA, which in turn is 40% of all
13125-454: 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
13250-602: 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,
13375-400: 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,
13500-643: The stock exchange. Upon the completion of the process, Udenna Corporation will become a wholly owned subsidiary of ISM, but Dennis Uy and his wife will effectively own ISM's shares and ISM will be renamed Udenna Holdings Corporation. However, the planned backdoor listing was aborted and in March 2020, ISM changed its corporate name to Dito CME Holdings Corporation. In November 2020, Dito CME Holdings Corporation announced its share swap deal with Udenna to indirectly own its stake in Dito Telecommunity. As part of
13625-522: 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 the entire Davao Gulf area. Having consolidated his position, he founded the fortress of Pinagurasan in what
13750-534: 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
13875-402: 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,
14000-677: The time, the changes were not considered as switching between legal categories, but rather a simple change within the "component city" classification that did not require a plebiscite. The "independent component city" legal classification was only introduced through the Local Government Code in 1992. Under the same criteria set in BP 337 (Local Government Code of 1983), a total of three cities became highly urbanized: General Santos (September 5, 1988), Lucena (July 1, 1991) and Mandaue (February 15, 1991). Lucena and Mandaue were special cases, in that because their re-classification into HUC status took place after
14125-434: The top 100. As the largest city economy in Mindanao, Davao City also serves as the largest local economy in southern Philippines. Agriculture remains the largest economic sector comprising banana, pineapple , coffee and coconut plantations in the city. It is the island's leading exporter of fruits such as mangoes , pomeloes , bananas, coconut products, pineapples, papayas , mangosteens and cacao . City of
14250-654: 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),
14375-528: 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
14500-485: 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
14625-400: 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
14750-416: 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
14875-401: Was also the first time the independent component city (ICC) category was introduced. These cities are those non-highly urbanized cities whose charters explicitly prohibited city residents to vote in provincial elections. They were finally made completely independent of the province from fiscal, administrative and legal standpoints. The municipalities of Metro Manila , having been severed from
15000-506: 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,
15125-421: 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
15250-485: 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
15375-446: Was signed by President Bongbong Marcos on October 26, 2023. The law classifies cities into five classes according to their income ranges, based on the average annual regular income for three fiscal years preceding a general income reclassification. The classification are as follows: The Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160) classifies all cities into one of three legal categories: There are 38 independent cities in
15500-420: Was solely at the discretion of the national legislature; there were no requirements for achieving 'city' status other than an approved city charter. No income, population or land area requirements had to be met to incorporate cities before Batas Pambansa Bilang 337 (Local Government Code of 1983) became law. This is what made it possible for several current cities such as Tangub or Canlaon to be conferred such
15625-428: 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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