“Every generation is duty-bound to protect, promote and be proud of its rich cultural and historical heritage,” Councilor Pilar Braga said in a privilege speech during the council session on June 16.
How else can we instill in the next generation the pride of place when they cannot appreciate the diversity and richness of the city’s history? Braga, who spent a number of years as an educator, said the city should be able to “inculcate among the young, the city’s history and this should start in the classroom.” It is through the study of history that the younger generation can “appreciate the sacrifices and struggles of our early leaders, who because of their indomitable spirit and determination earned Davao a rightful place in the sun.”
The inclusion of the history of Davao in the school curriculum will lead to our “understanding of the city’s diverse cultures, beliefs, values and unique way of life, which despite cultural differences and the changing times and shifting fortunes of the ages, though threatened by modernity.”
The city is populated by indigenous peoples, Muslims and migrant settlers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, indigenous peoples and Muslims. Its multi-diversity has made it a rich and vibrant city and, endowed with nature’s bounty, it has become an economic hub of the island.
The history of Davao City is a story that has to be told to schoolchildren for them to know where we come from and to understand the spirit of resiliency and perseverance of the Dabawenyos.
