Digos City

Infobox Philippine city
infoboxtitle = City of Digos


sealfile =
locatormapfile = Ph_locator_davao del sur digos.png caption = Map of Davao del Sur showing the location of Digos
region = Davao (Region XI)
province = Davao del Sur
districts = 1st District
founded = July 19,1949
cityhood = September 8,2000
barangays = 26
class = 2nd class, partially urbanized at present
website =
mayor =
coordinates =
pop2000 = 125,171
pop2007 = 138,000 more or less(unofficial)
popden2000 = 486
areakm2 = 287.1

Digos City is a 2nd class, partially urbanized component city at present in the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. It is the capital city of Davao del Sur. The city lies on the eastern shores of Davao Gulf on the island of Mindanao. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 125,171 people in 26,306 households.

Digos City is now a part of (Metropolitan Davao) Metro Davao.

In 2000, Digos was converted into a city. [ [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/factsheet/pdf01/fs1_01.asp NSCB - 2001 Factsheet - 12 New Cities Created] , July-December 2000.]

History

In the early days, Digos was a watercourse, a meeting place of inhabitants belonging to the Austronesians settled along the southern foothills of Mt. Apo. The Digos River meets the Davao Gulf and it is ideal for fishing and bathing.

During the Spanish Era, a group of natives carrying bows and arrows were approached by some Spaniards traversing the very fertile tracks of land in Davao. One Lopez Jaena Pacheco, a conquistador during the administration of Governor Claveria serving as the head of the group, inquired about the name of the place from the barefooted natives. Believing that the Spaniards were asking where they were bound to, the natives answered "Padigos", which means "to take a bathe". Since then the place was identified as Digos.

As a portion of the "food bowl" of the province of Davao del Sur, otherwise known as the Padada Valley, Digos lured many migrants, majority of whom came from the Visayas and Ilocos regions to settle permanently in the area. Before World War II, an enterprising American by the name of N.E. Crumb leased 10.24 km² and transformed the place into an Abaca Plantation. This became the hub of economic activity in the locality during those days.

Digos was occupied by the Japanese troops in 1942.

In 1945, through the brave efforts of the combined forces of the Philippine Army, the local guerilla units from the Davao peninsula, and the United States military, the Japanese soldiers were defeated.

Through the initiation of then Congressman Apolinario Cabigon, Digos, became a regular municipality in 1949 by virtue of Presidential Executive Order No. 236, dated July 19, 1949 issued by President Quirino. Its Coverage included the barrios of Tres de Mayo, Goma Bansalan, Matanao, Darapuay and the Poblacion where the seat of government was located. Before its creation into a municipality, Digos was a barrio of Sta. cruz, a town 16 kilometers away. On 19 July 1949, the town was formally inaugurated with Benito Rabor appointed as Mayor.

Digos in later years, before its conversion into a city, was regarded as the capital town of the Province of Davao del Sur, long before it gained the status of a First Class Municipality in 1993, being center for trade, commerce and education, accruing to its strategic location at the cross point of two principal thoroughfares in the south.

In July 1998, the bid to convert into a city was moved and initiated by Hon. Mayor Arsenio A. Latasa, considering its very satisfactory qualificationas required for in R.A. 7160

House Bill No. 5672 dated November 24, 1998 of Congress authored by Hon. Congressman Douglas Ra. Cagas, led to the drafting of Republic Act 8798, converting the Municipality of Digos into a component City of Davao del Sur, which was signed by President Joseph E. Estrada on July 14, 2000 and ratified by the Digoseños on September 8, 2000.

Education

There are a number of public schools present in this new born metropolis like Ramon Magsaysay Central Elementary School, Don Mariano Marcos Elementary School, and Digos Central Elementary School some of the public schools are situated in barangays and communities.

Digos City has a school named as Digos City National High School formerly, Davao del Sur National High School. As a publish high school, it has a big population of students.In this school, teachers train the students in their Special Science Curriculum (Network). Other public High School were Ruparan National High School, Kapatagan National High School,Igpit National High School and Aplaya National High School is under negotiation.

The pioneer collegiate institution in Digos City is the University of Mindanao - Digos Branch. It is one of the 10 branches of the University of Mindanao which is the biggest university in Davao City in terms of student population and facility. The University of Mindanao- Digos Branch or UMDB was established in 1949 and is one of the oldest universities in Southern Philippines.

Located in Digos City, it has contributed immensely to the rapid growth of Southern Mindanao through its successful graduates, both in private and the public sector.

The University of Mindanao has ten (10) branches spread over thirteen (13) campuses in Southern Mindanao. It has a total student population of 29,765 (SY 2007-08). It is the largest private university in Mindanao with the most number of PACUCOA accredited programs in the country today. It is a non-sectarian school offering the most number of college programs in this part of the country.(Courtesy of yonix/PCOPres.S.Y.07-08)

The primer tertiary school in Digos City which is popularly known is the POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE OF DAVAO DEL SUR (PCDS) located at MacArthur Highway, formerly located at Estrada St. The graduates from PCDS are very competent and skillfully trained well; especially nurses since PCDS is the pioneer nursing school in Digos City with a level A classification in Davao Medical Center (Located in Davao City) the school administration knows the students' needs and runs the school properly. The school offers the following courses: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, BS in Criminology, Nursing Aide, Midwifery, Hotel & Restaurant Management, Sunday High School Program, Assoc. in Radiologic Technology and Caregiver. In the Coming Years, Pcds will be offering allied medical courses such as BS PHARMACY, BS Medical technology, BS Chemistry, BS Physics and other courses like Business Administration, Infotech, Accountancty and education.

There are also private catholic sectarian schools in the city that offers religious education incorporated into its curriculum, Cor Jesu College(Formerly Holy Cross of Digos Boys Department) and HOLY CROSS ACADEMY of DIGOS (Formerly Holy Cross OF Digos for Girls)in which in the future will be name Saint Mary's College of Digos in 2009(HCAD). Cor Jesu College and Holy Cross Academy of Digos Before are just one intity with humble beginning started on 1947 under the administration of the PMI Fathers from Canada. Due to changing time, Holy Cross of Digos were defuse and separated, Holy Cross Academy of Digos was located in Gallarde Street, Digos City under the administration of the Religious of the Virgin Mary or popularly known as the RVM Sisters while Cor Jesu College was under the management of the Canadian brothers known as the brothers of the Sacred Heart. The school have 2 campuses, the main campus is located at the western area of the city at Sacred Heart Avenue and the other one is in power, tres de mayo . The school aims to fully transform a person witnessing the compassionate love of God. It offers Basic Education (Kindergarten, Grade School and High School); College with a wide variety of courses such as Education, Accountancy, Engineering, Law, Nursing, Graduate School, and Sunday College; and Vocational Technology courses such as Mechanical and Automotive Technology, Driving Lessons, and Welding. COR JESU COLLEGE is applying to be a university since it has the accreditation of level 4 status by PAASCU (Phil. Association Of Accredited Schools, Colleges and Universities). Every year, it produced hundred of globally competent graduates in different fields of human endeavor. One of its graduates is Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City.

Other schools in the city are:
*PITS
*STI
*Southern Mindanao Computer College (SMCC)
*Adventure College
*DITE
*MINTECH
*SPAMAST
*SSMTI
*CCS
*HHTI
*TDTI
*ICC

Hospitals & Clinics

*Digos Doctors Hospital
*Medical Center of Digos Cooperative
*Gonzales-Maranan Clinic and Hospital
*Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital
*Davao del Sur Medical Specialist
*Sunga Hospital Inc.
*Paulino Hospital Inc.
*Dominican Hospital Inc.
*Llanos Clinic and Hospital
*Masongsong ENT Clinic
*Villegas Maternity Center
*Digos Maternity and lying-in Clinic (Monarca)
*Bethlehem Birthing Home
*Mayor's Lying Inn - Birthing Home
*Skin and Bones Clinic
*St.Camillus Home For The Elderly

FM,AM & TV Station

*Hot FM - FM - Manila Broadcasting Company
*Charm FM - FM - Andulana Electro-Sounds Broadcasting Inc.
*Radyo Ukay -AM - Univ. of Mindanao Broadcasting Network
*Channel 11,17 - Community CH./DETALYE News, Chat TV - DCATV Broadcasting Company

Cemetery

*Digos City Public Cemetery- San Jose, Digos City
*Digos Memorial Park - Tres de Mayo, Digos City
*Digos City New Cemetery - (Proposed)
*Kapatagan Public Cemetery

Fiestas and Festivals

*Sinulog sa Digos - every January 15

*San Isidrio Labrador - every May 15

*Padigosan Festival - every July 19

*Mary Mediatrix - every August 22

*Araw ng Digos - every September 8

*October Fest in Shark Beach Resort (Dawis Beach) - every whole October

*GKK/BEC (Gagmay'ng Kristohanong Katilingban/Basic Ecclessial Community) Fiestas - Depends on the feast day of the patron saint.

Catholic Congregations, Churches, Formation Center and Monateries

*Our lady of Peace Monastary(Benedictine-Cogon)
*Apostolic Daughters of Mary Formation Center
*St. Benedict's Monastery
*Mary Mediatrix of All Grace Cathedral
*San Isidro Labrador Parish Church
*Our Lady of Mt. Apo Parish
*Camillian Sisters Formation Center
*Dominican Sisters of the Trinity House
*Society of Mary Fathers Formation Center
*Divine Mercy Shrine
*John Paul II College Seminary
*Diocesan Seminar House (Home of the Clergy)
*Brothers of the Sacred Heart
*Rligious of the Virgin Mary Sisters(RVM)
*Carmelite Missionaries(CM)
*Workers of Christ the Worker Sisters(WCW)
*Oblates of St. Benedict(OSB)
*Presentation of Mary Sisters (PM)

Other Religious Denomination

*Seventh-Day Adventist(SDA)
*Iglesia Ni Christo(INC)
*UCCP
*Jehovah Witnesses
*Bible Baptist Church
*Southern Baptist Church
*Mormons
*Methodist Church
*ISLAM (Muslim)
*Philippine Independent Church

Barangays

Digos City is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.

* Aplaya * Balabag * Binaton * Cogon * Colorado * Dawis * Dulangan * Goma * Igpit * Kapatagan * Kiagot * Lungag * Mahayahay

* Matti * Ruparan * San Agustin * San Jose * San Miguel (Odaca) * San Roque * Sinawilan * Soong * Tiguman * Tres de Mayo * Zone I * Zone II * Zone III

References

External links

* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information]
* [http://www.nscb.com.ph]
* [http://www.davaotraveler.com Davao Travel Guide]
* [http://asia.kilu.de German/Philippino Relationship website, especially for Digos City]
*Fhear Brian Redondo's Initiative