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Kadayawan: Davao's Thanksgiving
The Freeman
|August 13, 2025
Davao City was not always called by its current name.
In 1848, its founder, Don José Cruz María Oyanguren Ybarzábal --more known as Don Jose Oyanguren-- named it Nueva Vergara in honor of his hometown, Villa de Bergara in the province of Guipuzcoa, Spain. That same year marked the earliest recorded life events in the new settlement. The first baptism in the parish books was of Maria Guillerma, born on September 25, 1848, and baptized on October 1. She was the daughter of Tomas Ajos and Maria Tomasa. The first recorded marriage took place on November 19, 1848, uniting Placido Tomas, originally from Batac, Ilocos Norte, and Cristina Alejandra, originally from Caraga. The earliest recorded burial was on August 20, 1848, for Antonia dela Cruz, a six-month-old child. Since burials in Spanish-period Philippines usually took place within a day of death, it can be inferred that she passed away on August 19. The record described her as the daughter of infieles --meaning her parents had not yet been baptized.
This story is from the August 13, 2025 edition of The Freeman.
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