Monkayo, Compostela Valley
| Monkayo | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
| Nickname(s): "Gold Ore Capital of Compostela Valley" |
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 Map of Philippines with Compostela highlighted |
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 Monkayo
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| Coordinates: 7°49′N 126°03′E / 7.82°N 126.05°ECoordinates: 7°49′N 126°03′E / 7.82°N 126.05°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Davao (Region XI) |
| Province | Compostela Valley |
| District | 1st district of Compostela Valley |
| Founded | September 14, 1954 |
| Barangays | 21 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ramil L Gentugaya (Liberal) |
| • Vice Mayor | Janet Brillantes-Diel (Aksyon Demokratiko) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 609.61 km2 (235.37 sq mi) |
| Population (2015 census) | |
| • Total | 94,908 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 8805 |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)87 |
| Income class | 1st municipal income class |
| 118207000 | |
| Electorate | 50,278 voters as of 2016 |
Monkayo is a 1st class municipality in the province of Compostela Valley, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 94,908 people.
Monkayo is an agricultural town, with vast tracts of land planted to rice and banana. The municipality is also host to the gold-rich barangay of Mt. Diwata, popularly known as "Diwalwal" (which in the local dialect means one's tongue is hanging out due to exhaustion), a 1,000-meter high range known for its rich gold ore deposit. Monkayo's seat of government is located in Barangay Poblacion, a highly developed rural town center, and is 120 kilometres (75 mi) away from Mindanao's regional center of Davao City, and some 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Nabunturan, the provincial center.
The Municipality of Monkayo is a political unit with a land area that was once and for a long period of time a wilderness in the Northern hinterlands of Compostela Valley. The name “Monkayo” is derived from a gigantic tree towering on top Tandawan mountains and its northern tip in between and immediately adjacent to the Agusan River. The tree is called “Mondabon Kayo” (Mondabon Tree). It was however shortened by the first settlers of the area as “Monkayo”.
In the other related version, it is believed that a certain Fr. Ladour, the first missionary priest assigned in the area, gave the place the name of Moncayo, a snow-topped mountain dividing the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, in Spain, probably as an analogy to the high mountains in the area that reminded him of his own place of birth.
Monkayo belonged to the northern hinterland of what is now called Compostela Valley. It was occupied by Mandaya, Manobo, Mansaka, Manguangan and Dibabawon people who dwelt on primitive life and lived by hunting, fishing and crude method of farming (Kaingin) long before the Spanish conquistadors penetrated deep in Mindanao in the middle part of the 18th century. These different tribes or groups, each had a bagani as head or chief. They wore clothing and armed with bladed weapons and bows and arrows, they sang hymns called Tudom and long narrative songs called Owaging they danced and held rituals, feasted and chewed beetle nuts. Nevertheless, when Spanish missionaries came, these natives changed their lives and attitudes and eventually receptive to Christian teachings and ultimately embraced Christianity. Today, this municipality still has Mandaya, Dibabawon, Manguangan and Manobo, other tribes have transferred to other places.
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Wikipedia