Comvalenyos are Dabawenyos, too

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On July 1, 1967 the oldest, biggest, original Province of Davao was broken up into three provinces: the erstwhile undivided Davao del Norte, today’s Davao Oriental and today’s Davao del Sur (less Davao City which was created ahead as chartered city on March 16, 1936). The other day, these three provinces, with the smaller Davao del Norte, simultaneously celebrated their 41^st founding anniversary- to the gross exclusion of Compostela Valley.

Now just because Compostela Valley has changed its name, shaking off the word Davao, the province was grossly now excluded from the celebration. Remember that Comval is a former part of Davao del Norte territory, and therefore its territorial founding is just as the same on date. Comval was effectively carved out or separated from Davao del Norte on March 8, 1998.

What now if Comval is changed to Davao de Oro? Can the province now be enjoined to join the celebration as much it has already a word Davao in its name as it was once a part of the old Davao del Norte.

Or in another way of seeing things in history, Comval has all the rights under the sun to celebrate the 41^st founding of Davao del Norte, which was the other day, from where it came from. This if we take Davao del Norte as greater than and the origin of Comval and not the other way around- Davao del Norte from Comval as posed under the perplexing “what comes first the chicken or the egg” question. But with it, much it is still same: Davao del Norte was celebrating for being part in the creation of the original Davao, and in the same way Comval, for being part of the creation of the original Davao del Norte, is supposed to share, too, with the latter’s rejoicing the other day. A whole can never exist without its parts. Or a part sliced can never exist without the whole.

It’s the territorial logic that should be taken than the nomenclatorial demarcation. Thence, organizers of the latest 41^st founding anniversary of three Davao provinces are time and again since 1998 guilty of committing historical error for grossly excluding Comval from the celebration. When will they ever rectify? Perhaps they could only do so if Comval’s name is changed to Davao de Oro as Cong. Way Kurat has contemplated on and off in Congress. A rose is still a rose whatever its name. Comvalenyos are as much Dabawenyos in blood, history and association. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: comval, davao city, davao del sur, davao oriental, comval, davao city hall, davao del norte, davao del sur, davao oriental