Mawab

Mawab, officially the Municipality of Mawab, is a local government unit in Davao de Oro province, in the Davao Region of the Philippines. It is a predominantly rural municipality whose administrative center is Barangay Poblacion. The name is associated with the older term “Ma-awag,” described as referring to a wide valley by early Indigenous inhabitants. Mawab’s landscape is shaped by forested areas, agricultural land, and the Hijo, Mawab, Galinan, and Gumawan river systems. The municipality was formally organized on August 14, 1959, when President Carlos P. Garcia issued Executive Order No. 351. Its territory was assembled from three barrios formerly associated with Nabunturan and three barrios associated with Tagum, including Mawab, which became the seat of local government. At the time, these areas belonged to the old province of Davao. Subsequent provincial reorganization altered Mawab’s administrative setting. After the division of Davao in 1967, the area became part of Davao del Norte. In 1998, following the creation of Compostela Valley through a plebiscite under Republic Act No. 8470, Mawab became part of that new province. Compostela Valley was later renamed Davao de Oro. Mawab is politically divided into 11 barangays: Andili, Bawani, Concepcion, Malinawon, Nueva Visayas, Nuevo Iloco, Poblacion, Salvacion, Saosao, Sawangan, and Tuboran. The municipality is bordered by Nabunturan, Montevista, New Bataan, Maragusan, Maco, Mabini, and Pantukan. Its terrain is generally characterized by substantial tree cover and dense forest. The river tributaries support seasonal farming and agro-industrial activity, while privately operated freshwater fishponds provide an additional livelihood and small-business opportunity. The area is not generally associated with regular flooding during the rainy season, although landslides can occur in vulnerable locations. Mawab’s population is culturally and ethnically diverse. Indigenous communities mentioned in reference material include Mansakas, Mandayas, and Dibabawons. Migration from Luzon, the Visayas, and other parts of Mindanao has also shaped the municipality’s population. Cebuano is an important regional language, while Filipino and English operate in national and educational contexts. Indigenous and migrant communities may also use Mansaka, Mandaya, Maranao, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Waray-Waray, Surigaonon, and Davawenyo varieties. Religious affiliation is predominantly Roman Catholic and Protestant, with Muslim residents also present. The municipality’s economy is linked to agriculture, forest and river environments, agro-industrial activity, and freshwater aquaculture. As a local government unit, Mawab’s public role includes barangay administration, local infrastructure, public services, education coordination, environmental management, and support for local economic activity. Public education is delivered within the Philippine national system under the Department of Education, with Mawab schools administered within Region XI, the Davao Region. According to the cited 2024 census material, Mawab had 41,050 residents and was the least populous municipality in Davao de Oro.

Mawab’s history is rooted in the settlement and movement of Indigenous peoples in the interior of what is now Davao de Oro. The name is linked in local historical accounts to “Ma-awag,” a description of a broad or wide valley used by early tribal inhabitants. The locality developed around a landscape crossed by the Hijo, Mawab, Galinan, and Gumawan rivers, with forest resources and cultivable land influencing settlement and livelihoods. Before it became an independent municipality, the area was distributed among administrative units associated with Nabunturan and Tagum in the old province of Davao. Its formal municipal creation came through Executive Order No. 351, signed by President Carlos P. Garcia on August 14, 1959. The new municipality brought together three barrios from Nabunturan and three from Tagum. Barrio Mawab was selected as the municipal seat, establishing the administrative foundation for the present local government. Philippine provincial reorganization subsequently changed Mawab’s jurisdictional context. On May 8, 1967, the division of Davao created new provincial arrangements, placing the municipality within Davao del Norte. A further change followed in 1998. Republic Act No. 8470 created Compostela Valley, and the change was ratified through a plebiscite on March 7, 1998. Mawab then became part of the new province. Compostela Valley was later renamed Davao de Oro, the province in which Mawab remains located. Modern Mawab consists of 11 barangays and functions as a rural local government unit in the Davao Region. Its boundaries connect it with several municipalities of Davao de Oro, including Nabunturan, Montevista, New Bataan, Maragusan, Maco, Mabini, and Pantukan. The municipality is known for extensive tree cover and forested terrain. Its river network supports seasonal agricultural and agro-industrial activities, while freshwater fishponds operated by private owners contribute to local enterprise. Although the locality generally avoids widespread rainy-season flooding, landslides remain a hazard in some areas. The population reflects both longstanding Indigenous communities and migration from other Philippine islands and provinces. Mansakas, Mandayas, and Dibabawons are among the Indigenous groups associated with the municipality. Cebuano is a major regional language, alongside Filipino and English; other Indigenous and migrant languages are also used. Public schools operate within the national Philippine education system and fall under the Department of Education’s Davao Region administration. Local government, barangay institutions, agriculture, environmental resources, and community services continue to define Mawab’s civic and economic identity.

• 2024

  Population recorded at 41,050

  [1]Mawaben.wikipedia.org

  The cited 2024 census reference recorded Mawab’s population at 41,050, making it the least populated municipality in Davao de Oro.

• 1998

  Transferred to Compostela Valley

  [1]Mawaben.wikipedia.org

  A plebiscite ratified the creation of Compostela Valley under Republic Act No. 8470, making Mawab part of the new province, later renamed Davao de Oro.

• 1967

  Placed within Davao del Norte

  [1]Mawaben.wikipedia.org

  Following the division of Davao province, Mawab became part of the newly organized province of Davao del Norte.

• 1959

  Mawab established as a municipality

  [1]Mawaben.wikipedia.org

  Executive Order No. 351 formally organized Mawab as a municipality from territories associated with Nabunturan and Tagum in the old province of Davao.

A rural Davao de Oro municipality combining Indigenous and migrant communities with forest, river, agricultural, and freshwater-aquaculture resources.

• Local economy

  Agricultural and agro-industrial production

  Mawab’s river valleys, rural land, and seasonal water availability support farming and related agro-industrial activities. The available reference material does not identify specific dominant crops or named commercial product brands, so this entry describes the sector at a general municipal level.

• Local economy

  Freshwater aquaculture

  Privately owned man-made fishponds provide opportunities for freshwater fish production and local entrepreneurship. The reference material does not specify species, production volumes, or named operators.

1. 1Mawaben.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Municipality of Mawab websitelgumawab.gov.ph