The history of Davao can be traced to as far as the 50 years of Spanish rule in the country.
“While Spanish sovereignty had been established along the northeastern coasts of Mindanao down to Bislig as early as 1620, it was not until the conquest of Davao Gulf area in 1848 that Spanish sway in these parts became de facto, and Davao’s history began to be recorded,” wrote journalist and historian Ernesto Corcino in his manuscript Davao: An Introduction to its History.
