Davao Occidental could be 81st Philippine province

I was reading the papers last Monday and saw that they had published Republic Act No. 10360 - An Act Creating the Province of Davao Occidental. Signed into law by President Noynoy Aquino on January 14, 2013, the creation of this new province now depends on the people of Davao del Sur. And thus, Davao Occidental could become the country's 81st province.

So I decided to visit over the weekend, going as far south as Jose Abad Santos, the southernmost municipality of Mindanao Island. And what an adventure it was! Talking to people in the south, you could sense their longing for a new province. They have been left behind by the rest of Davao del Sur because they are not allied with the current leadership of the province. Talk about vindictive and feudal!

I wish them well and hope that their aspirations for a separate province become a reality. Their future province is pristine, rugged but beautiful. I'll be writing about the trip in detail. But in the meantime, check out the @ivanhenares photos in Instagram.

Part 1 - Davao Occidental: Road adventure to Santa Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino & Jose Abad Santos
Part 2 - Davao Occidental: Adventure in Jose Abad Santos