For months we tried decoding the origin of the Maco placename, including its possible etymological provenance. Historical sleuths generally link the word to the Boholano ‘mako,’ meaning ‘big.’ As an adjective, the word needs to be used as an attribute in modifying or describing another object such as ‘big shark’ or anything that is large but not necessarily immensely great.
As a stand-alone word, Maco did not surface in records until after the war. Given the paucity of evidence, earlier we came out with a hypothesis that the placename could have been borrowed from the shortfin maku shark that is known to live in seaward temperate and tropical seas.
The deduction surfaced after evaluating that Hijo, also the name given to an area in Tagum City, originally referred to a river with a similar appellation. Early accounts say Hijo was phonemically spoken as ‘iho,’ a common term for shark. Incredulously, maku and iho have the same meaning. Even if both words have a singular connotation, they are not adjectives but nouns.
Geographically, Hijo River starts on the northeast part of the gulf of Davao, meanders towards Apokon, and converges in Mawab with the source of Agusan River. This 64-km waterway covers five towns, namely Maco, Mabini, Pantukan, Mawab and Nabunturan.
Migration from the Visayas to northeast Davao, the home of the Mansaka tribe, likely started in the last part of US occupation before the Commonwealth. Looking for greener pastures, some of the migrants were from Bohol who settled at the mouth of and along the Hijo River, close to Masara where gold exploration was already picking up.
This mining development later inspired the setting up of a forestry outpost in the Masara gold-mine area to regulate the cutting of trees for use in tunnels. By 1935, a scaling station under the control of Tagum was opened and was called Maco Hijo.
The station was part of Forest District No. XIII under Anacleto A. Hernandez, a ranger acting officer in charge; he was assisted by Nicolas N. Catiil, a forest guard. Later, Antonio P. Estaniel joined in 1938 as a temporary ranger, and in 1939 by Moises Dabalos as a forest guard. When Masara became a separate area of Maco Hijo, it was called Maco while its mother inherited Hijo.
(A similar example is the municipality of Boston, Davao Oriental, which was first known as Dacung Banua, or ‘big area’ before its creation. Another illustration is Maluku Besar, which means ‘Great Moluccas’ in reference to Mindanao’s old appellation.)
Maco was first used in a postwar document in House Bill No. 1828 filed by Davao Rep. Ismael L. Veloso. The measure was adopted by President Diosdado Macapagal in Exec. Order 128, issued on October 29, 1964, and titled ‘Creating the Municipality of Maco in the Province of Davao.’
In part, decree states that the new ‘municipality to be known as Maco [is] to consist of the barrios and sitios of Maco, Bukana, Lupon, Hijo, San Juan, Langgam, San Roque, Anisingan, Mapaang, Manipongol, Binuangan, Patari, Ulogan, Tugunan, Magaarad, Lumatab, Concepcion, Dao, Maduaw, Panangan, Panibasan, Lower Tagaawa, Upper Tagaawa, Masara-Sawmill, Limbo, Kalabkan, New Leyte, Dumlan, Libaylibay, Siranganan, Alibungog, Lumbo, Taira, Anagasi, Anibongan, Lapu-Lapu, Tiglawig, Pangi, Pandiupon, Rabaywa, Laniti, Anislag, Balatinao, Baayon, Simura, Sarog, Kantunga, Birigian, Burog, Kaburakanan, Macupa, Pangian, Kantaraud, Kawayan, Pangpang, Basag, Kambakuro, Kapakyasan, Tigpan, Tibulan, Marabiga, Kamansi, Kuyapi, Lahog, and Makutpu of the municipality of Mabini’ with Maco as seat of government.
Also included in the Order is the town’s borders and the conditions for its creation, namely: (i) the appointment and qualification of town officials; (ii) the certification of financial capability; and (iii) the capacity of the mother town (Mabini) to meet its statutory and contractual duties.
