Project Title & Location
SITE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS for the GOVERNMENT CENTER and CAPITOL SITE
Mankilan, Tagum, Davao

Client
Provincial Government of Davao

Project Completion
1977

Associated Firms
None

Services Provided
- Conceptual Framework

Tagum, the capital of Davao is the commercial and service center of the province. At the time the capitol site was planned, the city's density was 335 persons per square kilometer. The main economic activity was agriculture, mainly rice, corn, banana, coconut and abaca. The same conditions prevail, except the place is more urbanized, the population has increased and agricultural activities have technologically progressed.

The old name of Tagum is Mgugpo. It was a vast wilderness inhabited by Mansakas and Mandayas. The municipality of Tagum was created under Executive Order 452 of 23 June 1941, out of an old district of Davao City. Until the middle of the 1970's urban activities were concentrated in the poblacion.

By the late 1970's most government offices were clamoring to be located in more permanent sites. This made government decide to designate 20 hectares at Mankilan for the capitol site of the province. The move was seen as a means to facilitate transactions with government agencies in as much as the offices were contiguous. Circumferential roads were introduced to avoid too many road crossings in the capitol site.

The location of the site was strongly influenced by the availability of the land, the nature of the institutional functions and the type of clientele to be served by the agencies. Adjacent to the government center and capitol were sited areas for the sports complex as well as a convention and cultural center for the province. The growth of Tagum emanating from the poblacion fulfills the vision of the City's founder Sulpicio Quirante.