Historically, the earliest agricultural school project introduced in the Davao region under U.S. occupation was organized in Lais, Malita, Davao Occidental. Its purpose was to address the shortage of elementary skills in blacksmith, woodwork, and associated trades that were in short supply in the province. The institute did not last long; for some reason, it was discontinued.
To replenish the skills deficiency, the equipment and organization of the school were brought to the town of Davao where it was reestablished in August 1914 as the Davao Industrial School, along with the defunct institute’s teachers and thirty boys.
To house the new undertaking, the provincial secretary-treasurer used the old scout quarters to house a dormitory, shop, and classroom. Aside that the structure needing repairs, the restoration was made to fit the school’s demands. A garden was cultivated and planted with camote (sweet potato), cowpeas, mongo beans, and beans. Afternoons were used for academic classes while the mornings were for repairs and gardening.
To complete the targeted fifty pupils, recruits were brought in from various parts of the province. Due to a lack of room and equipment, the school administration was compelled to turn away some of the applicants. Expert carpenters and cabinet makers were also hired to manage the shop, each with two to five boys as apprentices. In no time, the shop produced large office desks, 20-foot dories, and kitchen cabinets.
The Philippine Craftsman, in its September 1916 edition, described the operations in detail:
“Blacksmithing and repairs to machinery are done under the immediate supervision of the principal of the school. Ten boys have been running out [of] a large number of bolos, rubber-tapping knives, and hemp-stripping pumps. These boys help the principal repair motors, dynamos, and pumps. One very difficult piece of work was accomplished, the straightening of the twisted crankshaft in the constabulary launch.
“From twelve to fifteen boys were assigned to gardening. Their vegetables were the wonder of the town, and the average cost per boy for food and clothing has been materially reduced.
“Two boys were apprenticed to the tailor who makes the clothing for the school and they will be able to do all of the school’s tailoring.
“An expert rattan furniture maker was employed and all boys not in shopwork devote a part of each day to making furniture for the dormitory. It is hoped that within a short time the school will be in a position to accept orders for chairs, for which there is a great demand in the province.”
Comprising the enrollees were boys representing the five tribes in Davao who were required to stay in the dormitory, with the school subsidizing their food and clothing. Vacation time was irregular. It was the discretion of the principal to allow the students to visit their parents. Observably, all the students promptly returned to school after their leaves.
To ensure the health of the boys, regular hospital visits were done, and treatments were made for those in need. Among those who were seriously infected with diseases such as elephantiasis, enlarged spleen, and malaria were boys belonging to the tribes. A physician was regularly assigned to handle the treatments of illnesses, many of them skin diseases.
The Davao Industrial School, the equivalent of today’s technical-vocational academy, is a historical reminder that then and now, blue-collar jobs and labor-intensive skills still define a progressive civilization. The only difference today is that manual labor, a fast-losing facet of a massively industrialized world, has yielded to the advances of technology and science.
Still, handcrafted articles, given their exquisite features, uniqueness, and finesse, command better prices in the global marketplace.
