In the annals of Davao history, 1906 will always be remembered as a time of infamy. On June 6 that year, Lt. Edward Robert Bolton, the first American quasi-civil governor of Davao district, and his farm administrator, Benjamin Christian, were violently killed by a Tagacaolo ward in Lacaron, Malita, Davao Occidental. Angered by the twin slays, the American military launched a juez de cuchillo (manhunt) against the perpetrators.
But more than this bloody episode, there were interesting things that took place that same year. Whether encouraging or disparaging, the Seventh Annual Report of the Philippine Commission (1906, Part 2), released by the Bureau of Insular Affairs, provides fascinating details that until now have yet to find space in local publications.
For instance, by 1906, as a result of the development of hemp-growing in Davao, there existed already thirty-five (35) American plantations covering 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares) that were planted with 3.5 million abaca hills. A quarter of a century later, these sprawling farms would occupy a total of 222,296 acres (89,960 hectares) out of the 1,322,687 hectares of agricultural land accounted for in the entire province of Davao in 1931.
The fast expansion experienced by the abaca industry in terms of area cultivated resulted in the rise in the demand for seedlings which exponentially also rose in prices. Because it took a longer time to grow seedlings into harvestable plants, the preference shifted to the use of suckers, which required shorter periods to become mature.
The abaca boom also gave rise to new ideas, such as using artificial irrigation due to its likely impact “in stimulating early maturity and large yields of fine long fiber” and that by combining irrigation ditches and flume lines this will help “water the crops… and at the same time float the mature stalks to large cleaning mills, where all fiber will be graded and baled and waste saved, dried, and baled for market.”
Beyond hemp, the report also described the condition of the detention facility of the town.
“In Davao the jail is so infected with beri-beri [deficiency of vitamin B1] that prisoners are kept in time constabulary guardhouse. A period of six months, confinement in the Davao jail is equivalent to a death warrant. Every effort has been made to remove the cause of infection, but without success so far.”
That same year, a hospital was established in Davao, which was managed by the Philippine Constabulary; its coverage reached as far as Mati City. Because there was no surgeon in both areas, the responsibility of looking after the sanitary and medical treatment of patients fell on Dr. Ames. A proposal to construct a hospital building in Davao was also broached with the primary purpose of extending medical services to Americans living in the area.
Given the plans, the Commission reported that the governor made an official request to retain Dr. Ames in Davao because his “services [to] Americans and natives are valuable and appreciated. He is doing much charitable word, and it would be difficult to replace him at this time. As he is near the head of the list and will soon be eligible for promotion, it is recommended that he receive his promotion but remain where he is. He does not care for the position of district surgeon, but prefers to remain at Davao.”
In terms of law enforcement, two PC companies under Capt. Waldo B. Williams were deployed in Davao and Mati. Oddly enough, the Davao barracks, a former army headquarters, was a miserly structure constructed from wood and nipa, similar to Mati’s. Capt. Williams, as senior inspector, lived there with his wife, while the medical officer, Dr. Ames, rented a house in the company of his wife and three children. The company commander, meanwhile, resided in the hospital, an old, dilapidated government building on the verge of collapse.
The composition of the PC company was particularly interesting; it was composed of eleven (11) tribes which the American administrator pejoratively described in a racist remark as “a low order of but indifferent material for soldiers.”
Adding insult to injury, the report blatantly maligned the natives, saying: “To outward appearance they look well, but the only men in company who can be trusted with discretionary duties are those transferred from other places.”
The report, moreover, described Davao and Mati as having “fairly good harbors.” In Davao, in particular, ships dropped anchor around 400 yards from the mouth of Davao River. At Baganga, Davao Oriental, a station was maintained but Coast Guard boats, between October and May, shunned it owing to the habagat (northeast monsoon). Occasionally, a commercial vessel visited the east coast the area even if the monsoon rains were expected.
Davao, as a district, had four towns, including Davao, and was populated by fifteen (15) tribes whom the military did not consider as threats. This was the reason why there was only a small number of PC elements were assigned in isolated locations, confidently because “no combination of these tribes can be effected for the purpose of evil doing.” The only disturbance that threatened the constabulary up to that period was the killing of Bolton, which resulted in too much blood.
