DAVAO CITY—Tagum City, the bustling city north of here, is tracing its history, gathering the 10 tribes that populate it, and recognizing the pioneering migrant families from as far as Luzon in a colloquium.
The city government invited representatives of 10 tribes of the indigenous peoples and Moro communities who were “culturally considered as the original settlers of Tagum,” the city information office said, as they met with representatives of the pioneering migrant families “from the islands of Luzon, Cebu, Bohol and Leyte who settled in Tagum between the 1920s and the 1940s.”
On March 1, the gathering started with three-time Palanca Gold Awardee and National Book Awardee Dr. Macario Tiu, who initially disclosed a quick historical event that talked of a certain Datu Lubama “who killed the Spanish Military Gov. Gen. Jose Pinzon in 1861 at Bincungan as a means of throwing out the encroaching Spanish forces.”
The City Historical, Cultural and Arts Council invited Tiu to speak in the academic discourse regarding the history of the locality.
The history council also presented in the colloquium “evidences that indicate Tagum as the original name of the locality before it was converted into a municipal district over 100 years ago, or in March 1917, by virtue of Act 2711 or the Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands.”
“It also informed the participants of the discourse of the intention to change the name of the river formed with the confluence of the Liboganon and Saug rivers at Barangay Pagsabangan back to Tagum River, especially because numerous documents point to the fact that it is the old name of the body of water known now as Tagum-Liboganon River,” the city information office said.
The academic discourse was dubbed “Kagikan Colloquium” and it was included in the set of activities in the celebrations leading to the 20th Araw ng Tagum, annually held on March 7. The tracing of the city history would be “the initial step in informing Tagumenyos of the city’s true history, including those of the people who molded the place into becoming progressive and developed,” the office said.
The colloquium was participated by the Kagan, Tausug, Maranao, Iranun, Maguindanao, Mansaka, Dibabawon, Mandaya, Kalagan, and Ata-Manobo tribes who were the original settlers of Tagum. The pioneering migrant families were likewise represented.
Meanwhile, Mayor Allan L. Rellon disclosed of the installation project of the first phase of its traffic signalization expected to be operational in three months.
The traffic-light signals would be installed in seven priority junctions: Mabini Street corner Sobrecary Street; Roxas Street corner Sobrecarey Street, Sobrecarey Street corner Pioneer Avenue; Pioneer Avenue corner Osmeña Extension-Seminary Drive; Pioneer Avenue corner Quezon Street; and Pioneer Avenue corner Rizal Street.