Remembering Damulog

A Post from a Damulognon who Misses Home


While I was googling around last Tuesday, I stumble upon a post on the comment section of Bobby Timonera's Pbase gallery page. It's from a person who named himself "Onyok". The piece was dated November 21, 2008 and read:

"There is this undying attachment to the place I still call home (minus our house) that keeps me looking back at Damulog. This feeling keeps me stuck as if time has paused and the endlessly cascading frames of my growing up years all majestically frozen. Wow! It seems I have not moved on really. But who else can?

I liken myself to a car. Some of my major parts/components were manufactured in Damulog. Indeed, because I spent my formative years there under my doting Lola and my loving mother, my liberal father and disciplinarian grandfather. I had my first official girlfriend while in first year high in Xavier, and the second, third, fourth, fifth, and so on. Actually, I had this childhood sweet-part-sour heart, with whom I fell in love with during senior year at Xavier. But the one who really broke my heart was this girl from Sampagar. I believe it Mr. Cupid hit me right there but then in hindsight, I thought we were not meant for each other. She is now married, so am I. I hope she is happy, because I'm trying to be.

Why am I telling all these?

Memories, memories, and more memories.

I love this place like I love my folks and my grandfolks. It has given me so much wonderful memories not only to cherish and treasure but to see me through moments of despair and discouragement. All my loved ones are buried in the fertile soil of Damulog, and that makes me want to return to you, my dear place. Not for now, not yet. Nor I promise when, because in memory I keep returning to you already.

Allow me to invite like-minded Damulognons then to partake in this feast of memories about our beloved place.

Keep on posting. Wherever you are in this small planet, care to do something small and start paying tribute to the place called Damulog. Share your thoughts, passions, dreams, and hopes, as well as despairs, failures, and successes."

Well, I could not say more but I surely feels the same way whenever I'm away from home.

Damulog Tourism & Agriculture

TOURISM

Potential tourist spots include Mt. Pigtuyuan located at barangay Sampagar where one can enjoy the scenery of South Poblacion and North Cotabato. The Minlaya Falls is near the Poblacion. It has pristine water for bathing and picnic. The DPWH Rest Area gives a scenic view of the road snaking its way in the ravine of Damulog River. At dusks, one can take pleasure in watching beautiful sunsets that are comparable to the ones seen at the Manila Bay.

The Malingling Spring is a privately owned property designed for public bath. It is intended to offer swimming pool for adults and children.

AGRICULTURE

Rice and corn are staple foods and crops. Farmers in Damulog were able to collectively produce some 2, 216.50 metric tons of rice in 2000. Cane sugar is fast rising in terms of area cultivated. Damulog also produces copra and rubber culumps.

Mango has the highest tonnage output among permanent crops. It is also here where you can find the sweetest variety in the entire Bukidnon. The genetic stock was brought from Guimaras Island. Future plan of a mango processing plant is underway which will provide economic stability in the municipality.

Among livestock, swine has the highest number with 4, 365 heads. It is followed by cattle, carabao, horse and goat. For poultry population, chicken has the highest population followed by ducks.

The town has also existing fishponds with a potential area of 45 hectares, and a beneficiary number of 32 farmers. Raised in fishponds are tilapia and hito.

WATER

There are a number of natural springs in Damulog. The town proper is served by a Level III water system and barangays have water system with communal faucets. Some households just dug in gullies for spring water.

Damulog Economy & People

HEALTH

The people of Damulog are served by eleven (11) health facilities: one (1) Rural Health Unit/ Family Planning Center located at Poblacion; two (2) Barangay health station and eight (8) self-help Barangay health centers.

EDUCATION

There are three secondary schools in the municipality which include the Old Damulog National High School and Xavier de Damulog High School. Currently, another secondary school is planned to be built in Angga-an. All Barangays have elementary schools.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Facilities include a skating rink, a tennis court, a gymnasium and an open basketball court. All barangays have basketball courts. There is also a cockpit at Poblacion, which is frequented by cockfighting aficionados.


ECONOMIC SECTOR

Commerce and trade is concentrated in the town proper. It is regarded as the central business district as this is where most business establishments are found. There are 294 business establishments in the municipality. Majority of these are retailers. The LGU operates a bus terminal, a public market, a slaughter house, a motor pool, and a water system under its economic enterprise arm.

Damulog History, Physical Features & Climate

HISTORY

The first settlers of Damulog were the Manobos. They are the indigenous people of the place. Testimonies of the old folks disclosed that the name of the place was “Ramulog”, meaning a place to take a bath. A river at the town proper is a place where the Manobos take a bath. It also became a place of gathering where the men do the fishing and nearby, their wives washed clothes and the children are either swimming or gathering shells. Overtime, “Ramulog” changed to “Damulog” due to assimilation of the Manobos and the new settlers. The river is now called Damulog River.

The opening of the Sayre Highway in 1953 opened Damulog into external trade. Manobos and Muslims from nearby Cotabato gathered abaca from the forests. The new immigrants who sell fiber to Cagayan de Oro City process these into fibers. More immigrants from the Visayas came and started to acquire farm lots. Slowly, the new settlers soon dominated trade and business.
Damulog was once a barrio of Kibawe. It was created a municipality on January 1972 pursuant to Republic Act No. 6369.

Damulog has seventeen (17) barangays, namely: Aludas, Angga-an, Kinapat, Kiraon, Kitingting, Lagandang, Macapari, Maican, Migcawayan, New Compostela, Old Damulog, Omonay, Poblacion, Pocopoco, Sampagar, San Isidro, and Tangkulan.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

Damulog is within the grid coordinates of 7 00’ 24” to 7 00’ 25” north latitude and 124 00’ and 53 to 125 00’ 00” east longitude. Going south from Cagayan de Oro City, the regional capital, Damulog is the last town of Bukidnon going to the south.

CLIMATE

Damulog belongs to the Type IV climate having a pronounced dry and wet season. Based on rainfall patterns, the dry season usually commences in November and would last until April. Wet season, on the other hand, generally occurs from May to October.