Now Mindanao’s “boom town,” Davao City traces its growth to the pioneering individuals and families whose contributions to socio-economic affluence have resulted in its material prosperity. These providers earned their fortune from agriculture, technology, and agrarian capital.
Success earned from professional practice, small-scale initiatives, and non-traditional business ventures also added to the city’s wealth. But there are those enterprising trendsetters who, by their unique take at opportunities, have left indelible marks.
In the past 100 years (1917-2017), some names deserve a space in our historical countdown. Some of these luminaries and institutions figured dominantly in changing the city’s geo-economic landscape, while others gave rise to fortunes built through pioneering investments. To underscore their contributions, we have chosen five foreigners, five local icons, and five institutions in the rise of Davao City as a multi-billion investment haven.
- The Foreigners
Juan Awad, pioneer
Known as the first to open an abaca plantation, this Syrian-Lebanese businessman was the owner of Davao’s first skyscraper, a six-story structure built in 1917 but was destroyed during World War II. He was one of the early entrepreneurs to own a diesel engine, which was used to energize. His iconic structure revolutionized the concept of vertical engineering and introduced multi-story architectural design in the city.
Kyozaburo and Furukawa, planters
Two Japanese plantation owners are indispensable in the city’s hemp history. Ohta Kyozaburo, also known as K.S. Ohta, was the first to introduce full-scale Japanese migrant labor to work in Davao’s abaca farms. His strategy was later adopted by Yoshizo Furukawa, who also earned success as plantation owner and is known as the ‘father of Ecuadorean abaca industry’. Their achievements and contributions helped fuel the rise of new settlements.
Patrick Henry, innovator
It was retired US serviceman Patrick Henry who introduced in Davao the diesel-powered hemp-stripping machine, which was contested in the Supreme Court. But his chief contribution was in the founding in 1929 of Davao Light & Power Company, which became the engine of growth for the city. When Don Ramon Aboitiz took over the firm in 1946, its role in the rehabilitation and the rise of industries in the city was a highlight.
Borgaily and Sasin, cinema pioneers
Among Filipino entrepreneurs, the Carriedos were the first to open a movie house in Davao City. But it was Lebanese immigrants and cousins Borgaily and Sasin who brought to the city state-of-the-art facilities in film-showing. Despite the twin fires that hit their establishments in the sixties, the duo persevered and became the local movie industry’s undisputed rulers. The rise of cinemas made the city an important “rest and recreation” hub. The cousin’s Lyric Theater exhibited the epic “Ten Commandments” for more than one month, a record never broken hereabouts.
Gutierrez brothers, ranchers
Originally from Santander, Spain, brothers Restituto, Mariano, and Domingo Gutierrez introduced the first cattle ranch in Darong, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur. The rancho had close to a thousand heads of oxen and was a major source of beef in the region. With good fortune, they expanded their real estate possessions after the war, buying the land that stretches from Matina Crossing up to the coastal areas of Aplaya, including the site where the GSIS Village stands.
2.The local luminaries
Ramon Aboitiz Sr., the visionary
Despite the option not to continue with the deal to buy the DLPC from its original owners, Ramon Aboitiz Sr. still sealed the deal in 1946. The agreement was done without any machinery to speak of but only the prestige and goodwill of the power firm’s name. By investing money in new equipment, he energized the city that was under rehabilitation from the ruins of the World War II. His vision to make DLPC an engine of growth was realized by making his company the largest supplier of power in the region.
Abellera and Torres, school founders
The learning institutes they founded may not be the oldest, but lawyers Guillermo E. Torres and Leopoldo M. Abellera surely had the vision of opening the first post-war schools catering to tertiary education. Mindanao Colleges (now UM) was founded by Torres in 1946 and two years later the Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC) of Abellera was inaugurated. Both institutions became the most important centers of knowledge, producing luminaries that would become social figures in the region.
Antonio O. Floirendo Sr., banana king
Already known as the man who put Mindanao on wheels and the undisputed abaca planter, Antonio O. Floirendo cemented his name as the “father of the banana industry” in the Philippines. His plantation was, at one time, the world’s largest contiguous plantation. As of 2017, his company was employing thousands of personnel, employees, and ancillary laborers, and supporting scholars, cooperatives, inmate programs, livelihoods, and auxiliary manpower.
Veloso, Almendras and Sarmiento, iconic politicos
Davao’s socio-economic boom became more explosive with the division of Davao into three provinces. Rep. Ismael C. Veloso made the first serious effort to divide Davao into two provinces. He later filed a bill dividing Davao into three provinces, which the House passed but did not get Senate approval. In 1965, Rep. Lorenzo S. Sarmiento re-filed the bill which was enacted into law as Republic Act 4867. The law would hasten development in the entire region. The bill was supported by Alejandro D. Almendras, the first senator produced by Davao.
Rodrigo R. Duterte, unorthodox mayor
Brandishing his own unorthodox plans, Rodrigo R. Duterte, now Philippine President, defied traditional political structures by employing an iron-fist policy that was popular among grassroots. By chasing criminals, hunting down kidnappers, and protecting the interests of businessmen, he improved the city’s peace and order drastically and made it attractive to investors. His rule ensured a steady growth despite criticisms of human rights abuses.
3.The institutions
Japanese consulate
The opening of the Japanese consular office in Davao in 1920 exposed the city to foreign affairs. The agency did not only deal with migrant Japanese labor, it also served as trade and investment office. In later years, its role expanded as a military observation post and intelligence network. It was through this office that manpower contracts for Okinawan workers in Davao hemp plantations were processed. Other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia later opened their owned consulates.
Davao Chamber of Commerce
Prior to the opening of Davao as a port of entry, Santa Ana pier, in the 1920s, was only a secondary wharf. All steamers headed for Mindanao had to make their first stop in Zamboanga before going to Davao. The clout of the Davao Chamber of Commerce, comprised mainly of American expats with interests in plantations, compelled the colonial admin to declare the port an entry point, and with it the surge of foreign vessels loading hemp for the global market.
Marco Polo Davao, Apo View and Waterfront Hotels
For decades, the idea of accommodation in relation to tourism and business was at best archaic. The demand for billeting was served only by low-end hotels and cheap lodgings, which did not attract high-profile visitors. With the opening of the Apo View Hotel, then the Waterfront Insular Hotel and finally Marco Polo Davao, national and international conferences started to find space in convention schedules, and tourism, by extension, started to cater to discerning guests. As an offshoot, the city’s hotel industry was developed. SMX Convention Center of SM Lanang Premier is the best that ever happened to Davao as a confirmed MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions or Events) destination.
Davao Investment and Promotion Office
Investment concerns and issues of the city were chiefly in the hands of the city’s business bureau, and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI). The creation of the Davao Investment and Promotion Office (DIPC) in 1995 would alter the way the city and the private sector view investments. Under a well-organized management, the unit would play a big role in selling Davao City to the world and in promoting the potentials it possesses.
Public utilities
Davao’s preparedness to go big-time was more pronounced in the way it addressed vital issues affecting public utilities. To address the phone system backlog, the city invested in Davao City Telephone System (DCTS) and launched Davao City Waterworks District (DCWD). Later, the city made a name for its sophisticated and highly-organized Central 911 emergency assistance. The role to energize the city belongs to Davao Light and Power Company.
Of course, development is associated with investment, migration, infrastructure, and bureaucratic efficiency. Davao’s rise as Mindanao’s leading growth center is actually a confluence of factors, both small and big.
Like jigsaw pieces in a puzzle, Davao’s rise as the South’s socio-economic epicentre has been the result of decades of tolerance to challenges that come with amelioration. Even under extreme conditions, such as the threat of insurgency and criminality, progress is inevitable if the institutions that protect investments can only correctly perform their functions.
