Mawab

Mawab, officially the Municipality of Mawab (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Mawab; Tagalog: Bayan ng Mawab), is a municipality in the province of Davao de Oro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,631 people, making it the least populated municipality in the province.^[5]

Mawab
Municipality
Municipality of Mawab
Flag
Nickname:  Bibingka Capital of Davao Region
Map of Davao de Oro with Mawab highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Mawab Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 7°30′31″N 125°55′14″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Davao Region
Province	Davao de Oro
District	2nd district
Founded	August 14, 1959
Barangays	11 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Ruperto S. Gonzaga III
• Vice Mayor	Ruprio "Binggot" S. Gonzaga
• Representative	Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga
• Electorate	29,077 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	136.10 km2 (52.55 sq mi)
Elevation	126 m (413 ft)
Highest elevation	425 m (1,394 ft)
Lowest elevation	46 m (151 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	41,050
• Density	301.6/km2 (781.2/sq mi)
• Households	9,546
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	15.89 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 253.9 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 455.4 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 231.1 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 194.7 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	8802
PSGC	1108206000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)87
Native languages	Davawenyo Cebuano Kalagan Mansaka Tagalog Ata Manobo
Website	www.lgumawab.gov.ph

History

Mawab was originally called by the early tribal group as 'Ma-awag' (wide valley). There are four rivers traversing Mawab, namely: Hijo, Mawab, Galinan, and Gumawan. There are several tribal groups in Mawab: Mansakas, Mandayas, and Dibabawons.

Mawab was organized into a municipality through Executive Order No. 351, issued by President Carlos P. Garcia on August 14, 1959. It consists of three barrios of Nabunturan, and three of Tagum, including Barrio Mawab which was designated as the seat of government, all then part of the old Davao province.^[6]

Geography

Mawab is bounded by the municipalities of Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, in the north-west; Montevista, Davao de Oro, and New Bataan, Davao de Oro, in the north-east; Maragusan, Davao de Oro (San Mariano) in the southeast; Municipalities of Maco, Davao de Oro, municipality of Mabini, Davao de Oro, and municipality of Pantukan, Davao de Oro in the south-west.

Municipality of Mawab due to its abundance and richness of trees, and rainforest does not normally experience floody climate during rainy season. However landslides occur in some areas. The river tributaries offer seasonal planting for agro-industrial businesses. Man-made fish ponds for fresh water fishes, that are privately owned are various opportunities for business entrepreneurs.

Barangays

Mawab is politically subdivided into 11 barangays. ^[7] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Andili
• Bawani
• Concepcion
• Malinawon
• Nueva Visayas
• Nuevo Iloco
• Poblacion
• Salvacion
• Saosao
• Sawangan
• Tuboran

Climate

Climate data for Mawab
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	26 (79)	27 (81)	27 (81)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	27 (81)	28 (83)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (74)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	160 (6.3)	127 (5.0)	96 (3.8)	62 (2.4)	141 (5.6)	197 (7.8)	185 (7.3)	186 (7.3)	183 (7.2)	181 (7.1)	128 (5.0)	111 (4.4)	1,757 (69.2)
Average rainy days	20.0	17.2	15.9	13.9	23.8	27.2	28.1	28.2	27.0	27.0	21.3	18.7	268.3
Source: Meteoblue[8]

The prevailing climatic conditions in the municipality is categorized into two (2) types:

• Wet season (Rainy Season or Monsoon Season)
• Dry Season (Summer Season)

Demographics

Population census of Mawab

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1960	7,818	—
1970	13,537	+5.64%
1975	17,085	+4.78%
1980	20,960	+4.17%
1990	28,072	+2.97%
1995	29,878	+1.18%
2000	32,003	+1.48%
2007	34,656	+1.10%
2010	35,698	+1.08%
2015	37,065	+0.72%
2020	39,631	+1.42%
2024	41,050	+0.85%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[9][10][11][12][13]

In the 2020 census, the population of Mawab was 39,631 people,^[14] with a density of 290 inhabitants per square kilometre or 750 inhabitants per square mile.

Ethnicity is varied and of mixed origin due to migration from different Major Islands: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao.

Others are the 'Trival Group', 'Native Filipino' and some are of 'Chinese Ancestry': China. Those who immigrated from Mindanao Island, more specially from Zamboanga has 'Spanish Ancestry': Spain.

Majority of the populace are from two major islands of Visayas and Mindanao.

Languages and dialects

Languages spoken are products of migration of natives from different provinces of Visayas island, Mindanao island and some few in Luzon island.

• National Language - Tagalog (Vernacular language of the country).
• Regional Language - Cebuano (Visayas Island language).
• Tribal Languages - Mansaka: Mansakan language. Mandaya (Mandayan Language): Lumad people. Maranao.
• Provincial Languages - Hiligaynon (Ilongo), Ilokano language (Ilocano). Waray-Waray (Waray). Surigaonon language (Surigaynon) as well as Davawenyo language (Davao Region).

Religion

Religion in Mawab is predominantly Roman Catholic, Protestant, and some Muslims.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Mawab

10 20 30 40 50 2000 41.56 2003 30.48 2006 34.70 2009 32.65 2012 32.16 2015 24.92 2018 18.05 2021 15.89 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Government

Elected officials 2019–Present:

• Mayor: Ruperto Gonzaga III
• Vice Mayor: Binggot Gonzaga

Education

Education in the Philippines is patterned from both of educational systems of Spain and the United States of America. However, after the liberation of the Philippines in 1946, Filipinos then had moved in various directions of its own. Elementary and high school education is compulsory, and is administered nationally by the Department of Education (Philippines), along with the assurance of funding for school services and equipment, recruitment of teachers for all public schools, and the supervising and organization of the education curricula. Based on the current education system of the Philippines, students should enter elementary schools at the age of 6 or 7, and for a duration of six years. Then, at the age of 12 or 13, students then enter high schools for a duration four years, with a total of ten years of compulsory 'Public Education'. All public and private elementary schools, high schools and colleges and universities in the Philippines start classes from early June to mid June and end from mid March to early April.

There are 'Summer Classes' in between (months of April to May) for college programs which is optional for students to take.

In elementary and secondary education, universities and colleges the vernacular language of the country, Filipino is part of educational curriculum. Spanish (Espanol) as well is part of the educational curriculum in universities as a compulsory subject (twenty one credits) to graduate and finish an educational degree or Bachelor of Science. The medium of instruction in the classrooms is in English, Filipino (Tagalog), and whatever regional dialect they have.

List of public and private schools

List of various public schools are all enlisted under Bureau of Secondary Education - Department of Education (DEP) Republic of the Philippines. For Mawab, Davao de Oro it is under Davao Region or Region 11 (Region 11): Department of Education (Philippines).