Reconstruction of a Town's History

Abstract

Local history is essential to complete the story of a province, a region or a nation (Mojares 1989). Padada is one of the municipalities of the province of Davao del Sur. It remains relatively unknown to the rest of the archipelago. The study aimed to know the original inhabitants, migrant settlers, and the socio-economic condition of the place before the creation of the municipality. The historical-descriptive research method was used in the study. Documentary research was done through municipal and library records and these were supplemented by oral history through testimonies and interviews with the townspeople and pioneers who came to the place sometime in 1940’s. The result of the study revealed that prior to the outbreak of World War II there were only two municipalities in Davao del Sur province - the municipalities of Sta. Cruz and Malita in which Padada sitio was formerly part of it. The tribes Tagacaulos, Bilaans, and Calagans inhabited Padada. The early pioneers into the Digos-Padada Valley came in 1908 and the great exodus was about 1918dominated by Cebuanos. It was also one of the areas where intrepid Americans invested their money and was formerly part of the vast Japanese plantations.This pioneering study can be used as a take-off point for further research.