DISCLAIMER: We looked for different people involved in different endeavors, and soon realized there are too many and writing them all down will take a whole issue if not a whole book. So we just picked 21, to mark our 21 years.
Here are the 21:
1. Decades-long Mayor, now President Rodrigo Duterte – The first Mindanaoan President, Duterte brings hope to the fulfillment in the land of promises. Known for his foul-mouthed, sincere and tough character, the President connects to the most of Filipinos, especially the masses.
After his stint as a city fiscal, he was elected mayor and focused on the marginalized and peace and order which made Davao as one of the safest city in the world. In his effort to combat crimes, he initiated the country’s first 911 emergency response service in 1997.
Now, as President of the country, Duterte wage a war against illegal drugs, corruption, and crimes.
2. Incumbent Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio – being the first woman mayor and the youngest to have been elected to the position in the political history of Davao City, Sara, also known as “Inday” by many has contributed a lot in the city during her mayoral stint (2010-2013 and present).
It was during her watch when the LGBT and senior citizen parties were initiated, the Lamdag Parada, a streetlights parade, and “Inday para Baranggay”, a convoy of government services that are brought to the barangays.
3. Mayor Elias B. Lopez – a pride of Bagobo tribe known for his legacy of institutionalizing the Datu Bago Awards, an annual tradition of the city in giving due recognition to outstanding Dabawenyos. He was also responsible for unifying the different tribes (indigenous people or the Lumads) and giving them due importance by creating the festival of festivals, the “Kadayawan” (the precursor of “Apo Duwaling”), showcasing the rich and colourful culture of the various tribes of Davao.
4. Dr. Perfecto A. Alibin – the former President of the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) whose contribution to the field of education has placed Davao City in the map of the academic world. He has raised the standard of education of Usep, and for that he has received various awards here and abroad.
5. Rev. Fr. William Jospeh Malley S.J. – he founded the Ignatius Institute of Religious Education Foundation (IIREF) in Davao City in 1992. Through the institute’s scholarship program, Fr. Malley had contributed to the education and value formation of countless marginalized youths from various communities in Davao City.
Majority of his humanitarian missions were focused on those incarcerated in the Davao Penal Farm and in the Correctional Institute for Women has earned for him a recognition from the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC).
With this, Fr. Malley was awarded with the “Gawad Paglilingkod” on October 26, 2014 due to his contribution to peace and development in the grassroots communities of Davao City.
6. Teody Boylie Roxas Perez, Ph.D – a Dabawenyo who has brought pride in the city for having been a recipient of many top awards for painting both in the local and international scene. Perez also holds the distinction of being the sole foreigner to receive the Excellent Award in the 36th West Japan Art Competition in 2003. His art works was already featured in various international publications.
7. Ustadz Mahmod Mala Adilao - He has continuously propagated a culture of peace in Mindanao as Regional Chairman of the Ulama league of the Philippines and has been working actively for several years with Msgr. Fernando R. Capalla, as a member of the City Chaplaincy Service and Consultant of the Archdiocesan Center for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Dialogue. He is also closely with the Philippine Interfaith Network for Children and the Visayan Foundation, Inc. in effective coordination and networking against trafficking.
8. Atty. Jesus V. Ayala – The prime industrialist who had the vision for regional development and not just Davao City development. The inspiration behind the JVA Group of Companies such that the companies thrive on long after he passed away, JVA as he is known has devoted his life to helping the city and the region find its niche and grow from the chaos of the 1980s. He was the wind beneath the wings of Mayor now President Duterte.
9. Gilbert C. Go - He has contributed to the growth and development of Davao City not only through the employment of a well-paid, satisfied workforce in his companies with no labor problems and the hefty taxes paid by these companies, community projects specially in the field of education.
He helped to turn out a pro-active and productive future citizenry for Davao City by being involved in constructing elementary and high school buildings (no less than 20) in depressed areas of the city – R. Castillo, Agdao, Lizada, Toril, and Tugbok.
He gave scholarships to deserving poor students to give them a better life. All these accomplishments were done without fanfare, true to his values of humility and service. He has also brought honor to Davao City by being appointed Honorary Consul of Czechoslovakia.
10. Dr. Rizalina M. Pangan – Feeling the need that Davao must have a museum that is the “repository of the soul of the people.” Her leadership in the Davao Museum Foundation, Inc. (DMF) has insured the Davao Ethnological and Historical Museum’s survival and growth.
Her active involvement in the sustained effort in the community service project in Isla Verde that started as a child development program had evolved into a comprehensive development program strengthening the family unit as the basis for community development.
11. Archbishop Fernando Capalla - a respected religious leader who is known for promoting inter-religious dialogue, ecumenism and the Mindanao peace process. He is the founder and co-convenor of the Bishop-Ulama Conference. He was the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) from 2003-2005.
12. Antonio Arellano - is a lawyer and the incumbent Regional State Prosecutor. He is recognized for his role in the advancement of human rights, particularly during the dark days of the Marcos regime. He also became a staunch advocate of justice and freedom and also known for his integrity, legal competence and skills in management, organization, and institution building.
13. Carmelina V. Francia - known for her involvement in the cooperative movement in Davao City. Her efforts have helped put Davao in the global map of leading cooperatives.
Her primary advocacy for women empowerment is evident in her involvement in Compassion International, an organization under the Foursquare Gospel Church which provides skills training to women and their children. She donated a 7,000-square meter property for a retirement home in Tugbok, Davao City.
14. Mario L. Lim - a respected dance choreographer, actor, singer/composer, facilitator and stage performer. He has created a diverse array of cultural dances, songs, and musical pieces.
A well-travelled artist, he is well-known for promoting Mindanao culture and the arts through his craft. He is also actively teaching a newer generation of Mindanao artists to use the art of empowering oneself through physical, mental and spiritual aspect of human development.
15. Rogelio Lizada - a posthumous awardee, was a successful businessman who established a long chain of food services along with his wife Charito as his lifetime business partner.
Among these food establishments are Peter Pan, Harana, Bistro Rosario which are familiar to every Dabawenyo’s palate. He is also active in other socio-civic involvements.
His greatest legacy to Davao’s history is his book "San-awun sa Dabaw" (Once Upon A Time In Davao), a book which documents the contribution of Davao’s pioneering families to the city’s growth and development.
16. Guillermo Torres Jr. - is a distinguished educator, media practitioner, banker and philanthropist. He is the president and chairman of the Board of the University of Mindanao (UM). He was also responsible for the development of UM Broadcasting Network (UMBN) and the daily local newspaper Mindanao Times.
17. Rey Mudjahid Ponce Millan (Kublai Millan) – a renowned and prolific artist from Davao City well known for his giant sculptures here such as his durian sculpture outside the city's airport, eagle sculptures in Rizal Park and Bagobo children in People's Park.
Aside from being a sculptor he is also an art photographer, painter, digital artist and performance artist. He believes that art can be a path to peace within Mindanao.
18. Joji Ilagan Bian – a business, education, hospitality, and tourism leader Joji Ilagan Bian is the founding president of the Philippine Call Center & Outsourcing Alliance, International Culinary & Hospitality Entrepreneurship CEO, and chair of the Joji Ilagan Career Foundation, Inc.
She's also the former chair of the Mindanao Business Council and two-time president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industries Inc. She was appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the 52-man Constitutional Commission to review and recommend changes in the 1987 Constitution
19. Vicente T. Lao – the present chair of the Mindanao Business Council, he was the owner of the only Pekin duck producer in the country, Maharlika Agro-Marine Ventures Corp. Maharlika will position Mindanao produce to higher heights once more after it managed to secure a Halal accreditation from the Dubai Ministry of Environment Water last December 2015.
20. Maan Chua – a Dabawenya musician whose songs are dedicated to Mindanao. She is now known today for her compositions that blend ethnic and modern styles. She composed “Palaro ng Pagkakaisa,” the official theme song of the Palarong Pambansa 2015. Her piece “T’nalak” won her the top spot in Tunog Mindanw 2013 while her “Itadyak” which she considers her defining work as Mindanao artist.
Recently, the music video made by Aninag Productions, a Davao-based group which features her song “Sayaw” won third in the recent City Government video competition.
21. Luisito "Luis" Pineda – raised in Davao City, he is now the 15th president and country general manager of IBM Philippines. He initiated the world's first wireless banking solution, utilizing Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) at Svenska Handelsbanken, created offshore delivery centers in Belarus, Jordan, China, India, Latvia, and Russia, and started the first Software Group Technical Support Center in the Philippines.