Davao Oriental | |
|---|---|
      (from top: left to right)Pujada Bay in Mati,Mount Hamiguitan,Aliwagwag Falls in Cateel,Dahican Beach,Subangan Museum in Mati andProvincial Capitol Building in Mati. | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Etymology:Davao Oriental (i.e., "Eastern Davao") | |
| Nickname: | |
| Anthem: Banwa na Madayaw | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
| Coordinates:7°10′N126°20′E / 7.17°N 126.33°E /7.17; 126.33 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Davao Region |
| Founded | May 8, 1967 |
| Capital and largest city | Mati |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Nelson L. Dayanghirang (Nacionalista) |
| • Vice Governor | Glenda Rabat-Gayta (Nacionalista) |
| • Legislature | Davao Oriental Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,679.64 km2 (2,192.92 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 14th out of 81 |
| Highest elevation (Mount Kampalili) | 2,320 m (7,610 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[4] | |
• Total | 590,042 |
| • Rank | 54th out of 81 |
| • Density | 103.887/km2 (269.067/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 70th out of 81 |
| Demonym | Oriental Dabawenyo |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 1 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 183 |
| • Districts | Legislative districts of Davao Oriental |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)87 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-DAO |
| Spoken languages | |
| Income classification | 1st class |
| Website | www |
Davao Oriental (Cebuano:Sidlakang Dabaw;Filipino:Silangang Davao), officially theProvince of Davao Oriental (Cebuano:Lalawigan sa Sidlakang Dabaw, Lalawigan sa Davao Oriental;Filipino:Lalawigan ng Silangang Davao, Lalawigan ng Davao Oriental), is aprovince in thePhilippines located in theDavao Region inMindanao. Its capital is the city ofMati which is the most populous, and it borders the province ofDavao de Oro to the west, andAgusan del Sur andSurigao del Sur to the north. The province is the traditional homeland of the Mandaya andKalagan/Kaagan.
Davao Oriental is the easternmost province in the country with Pusan Point in the municipality ofCaraga as the easternmost location. ThePhilippine Sea, part of thePacific Ocean, faces Davao Oriental to the east. Part of the province lies on an unnamed peninsula that enclosesDavao Gulf to the west.
The province is the top producer ofcoconut andcopra in the country, earning the province the titleCoconut Capital of the Philippines.[1][2] It is also home toMount Hamiguitan Wildlife Sanctuary, aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
The name of the province was derived from the word, Dabaw, of which the center was west of the province.
The present territory of Davao Oriental was covered by the historical region of Caraga, which was partly under theSultanate of Maguindanao.
The Spaniards established a permanent settlement in the region in 1591, and in 1844, the area was ceded by the Sultanate to Spain. An expedition was sent by the colonial government in Manila in 1847 to control the region, led by the SpaniardJose Oyanguren, who settled in thetown of Davao and organized the surrounding areas into the province ofNueva Guipozcoa in 1849. The province existed until 1858, when the politico-militarycommandancias of Davao and Bislig were created in its place. Bislig was incorporated into the District of Davao two years later.[5]
In 1903, the colonial American government created theMoro Province comprising several districts, one of which was Davao. The Moro province was converted in 1914 into theDepartment of Mindanao and Sulu, and its component districts were made into independent provinces.[5]
In 1942, the territory of what is now Davao Oriental wasoccupied by theJapanese Imperial forces.[further explanation needed]
In 1945, theBattle of Davao began with the combined forces of the British, Australian, Dutch and the Filipino troops of the 6th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 104th, 106th, 107th and 110th Infantry Division of thePhilippine Commonwealth Army and 10th Infantry Regiment of thePhilippine Constabulary being supported by Davaoeño guerrilla fighter units in attacking Japanese Imperial forces during theliberation in Eastern Davao or Eastern Davao Campaign until the end of theSecond World War.[further explanation needed]
On May 8, 1967, throughRepublic Act No. 4867, theprovince of Davao was divided into three independent provinces, one of which was Davao Oriental.[6][5] Former presidentFerdinand Marcos appointed Paciano Bangoy as governor and Leopoldo Lopez as vice governor on June 2.[7]
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The capital town ofMati became a component city by virtue ofRepublic Act No. 9408 which sought to convert the municipality into a city. The law was ratified on June 16, 2007. However, the cityhood status was lost twice in the years 2008 and 2010 after theLCP questioned the validity of the cityhood law. The cityhood status was reaffirmed after thecourt finalized its ruling on February 15, 2011 which declared the cityhood law constitutional.
Davao Oriental covers a total area of 5,679.64 square kilometres (2,192.92 sq mi)[8] occupying the eastern tip of theDavao Region inMindanao. The province is bordered byDavao de Oro to the west,Agusan del Sur andSurigao del Sur to the north,Davao Gulf to the southwest, and thePhilippine Sea to the east and southeast.
TheEastern Pacific Cordillera mountain range encompasses the province. To the east of the range lie narrow strips of coastal areas, which feature several inlets and bays.[9][10] The province enclosesDavao Gulf to the southwest.
Davao Oriental has a pronounced rainy season and a short dry season, with maximum rainfall occurring from November to January especially at coastal areas.[5]
| Climate data for Davao Oriental | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.8 (89.2) | 32.3 (90.1) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.7 (89.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.7 (76.5) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.3 (75.8) |
| Average rainy days | 15 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 167 |
| Source:Storm247[11] | |||||||||||||
Davao Oriental comprises 10municipalities and 1city, all organized into2 legislative districts. There are 183barangays in the province.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 25,971 | — |
| 1918 | 38,315 | +2.63% |
| 1939 | 60,744 | +2.22% |
| 1948 | 68,365 | +1.32% |
| 1960 | 132,593 | +5.67% |
| 1970 | 247,995 | +6.45% |
| 1975 | 299,426 | +3.85% |
| 1980 | 339,931 | +2.57% |
| 1990 | 394,697 | +1.51% |
| 1995 | 413,472 | +0.87% |
| 2000 | 446,191 | +1.65% |
| 2007 | 486,104 | +1.19% |
| 2010 | 517,618 | +2.31% |
| 2015 | 558,958 | +1.47% |
| 2020 | 576,343 | +0.65% |
| 2024 | 590,042 | +0.57% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][13] | ||
The population of Davao Oriental in the 2020 census was 576,343 people,[4] with a density of 100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 260 inhabitants per square mile.
The province is mostly inhabited byCebuanos, who settled the province in the early 20th century from Visayas. Other ethnic groups includeBicolanos,Hiligaynons,Ilocanos,Tagalogs andWarays, as well as the indigenousMandayas,Mansakas,Manobos and theKalagan, who are all natives in Davao Oriental.[5]
While the native languages spoken in the province areKalagan,Mandaya, andDavaoeño.Cebuano is the dominant first language.Chavacano is spoken by a minority, whileTagalog andEnglish are widely used in business, education, and government.Bikol Central is also spoken in parts of Mati.
Even some of the natives adhere toChristian faith (mostly Catholics), they are syncretic[clarification needed] in some of their beliefs. Muslim Kagans traditionally inhabited the plains and coastal areas of the Municipalities of Banaybanay, Lupon, San Isidro, Governor Generoso, Mati and Tarragona.
Davao Oriental is the top coconut andcopra (dried coconut meat) producer in the Philippines.[1] It also is a major producer ofabacá, and exports crude oil and copra pellets.[2]
On March 20, 2018, Davao Oriental signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pionaire Finance Limited, a Hong Kong-based foreign firm for a $27-billion industrial park.[22][23][24][25]
Being the number one coconut producer in the country, the province of Davao Oriental, the local government unit of Mati and the Mindanao Business Council has taken the initiative in addressing the today's plight of the coconut industry, initiate moves to save the industry, and help the coconut farmers so they can hold on, continue to cultivate their land, and bring back the glory of the product that has given both comfort and challenge to the economic lives of the people of the province.
As the "coconut capital" of the Philippines, Davao Oriental produces one billion nuts annually covering a total crop area of 154,000 hectares. The major products exported by the province through the International Copra Exporter's Corporation are crude oil and copra pellets. Records show that export of 816,863 metric tons of crude oil and pellets from 1997 to 2001 is valued at $185.7 million. Davao Oriental is also the top producer of abaca fiber in Southern Mindanao. A total of 7,110 hectares is planted to abaca with production volume of 7,500 metric tons. The provincial government says that another 200,000 hectares is being targeted for the expansion of abaca production. Abaca plantations are located in the municipalities of Manay, Baganga, Cateel, Boston, Tarragona, Lupon, Banaybanay and in the City of Mati, the province's capital. Recently, the province started to plant banana for export particularly in the municipality of Lupon, San Isidro, Governor Generoso and Mati.
Media related toDavao Oriental at Wikimedia Commons
Geographic data related toDavao Oriental atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Davao Oriental | |
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 Province ofDavao Oriental | |
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Mati (capital and largest city) | |
| Municipalities | |
| Component cities | |
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