Community Living

COMMUNITY LIVING

The ethnic indigenous tribes in Davao were described by the Spanish priest as living in humble houses made in nipa and bamboo, wearing simple and scanty clothes. They speak different dialects and had habits and customs that different from one another.

The state of affairs of the indigenous tribe was so miserable. They had the day to day primitive and simple life. They had their food corn, rice, bananas, sweet potatoes (camote) and sugar cane.

Although soil was fertile that agricultural and forest potentials of the province of Davao is tremendous no progress had been made only a very small portion of land cultivated by the natives.

Natives conducted domestic trade across forest and mountains on foot and at times or horseback. Exposure to outside trade was very wanting. They are their not encouraged to produce beyond their needs for the trades of foreign migrants. There was less demand for locally produced agricultural products. The commercial ships which came to Davao very irregularly brought goods that consisted of iron, Chinaware, cotton cloth were consumed or absorbed by the advance and higher sector of society in Davao. Since too many natives the use of money was not known, whatever products would reach them could easily be exchanged with products that did not need or require cultivation such as beeswax and tortoise shell and few others.

The different indigenous tribe in Davao had peaceful disposition with whom trade were carried out freely they spoke different dialects and had habits and customs that different from one another. They use horses and carabaos as their work animals. Their Domestic animals were dogs, cats and cocks.

As describe by priest in their regular  report to their Superior, the Davao poblacion during the early period had no civilian medical doctors and no hospitals; there were no markets as there were no products to be sold ( market day was scheduled only during the feast day of the town’s patron saint). There were very few inhabitants and no official building except a convent with few pupils.

 Jose oyanguren was relieved of his post by the Marques de Solana. Antonio de Urbiztondo in 1850-51 and was deprived of the grant given him by the governor Claveria the predecessor of Urbiztondo the official reason given for his relief was the back ward state of the province. The financiers of the Oyanguren’s expedition who were stationed in manila complained of the slow return of their investments. In 1852 Oyanguren fought for the reconsideration of his case. He gave us reason that the vote expected to bring the commodities for the trade did not show up regularly and his plight proved futile for his opponents were rich and powerful. In 1858 oyanguren died broken hearted and penniless.

In the latter part of the regime the Spanish authorities recruited and contracted carpenters from Zamboanga to build residential and commercial houses and the like. After the contracts expired many of the carpenters did not return to Zamboanga but instead decided to settle in Davao. According to the oldtimers interviewed, the Zamboanguenos occupied the place in what is now Quirino Avenue (formerly Tomas Claudio Street). Bonifacio Street.