Davao City

The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and the country's largest in terms of land area. It has the third most significant metropolitan centre in the country. It is also the center of trade, commerce, and industry in Mindanao.

Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines. Davao City is also one of several cities in thePhilippines that are independent of any province. The city serves as the regional center for Davao Region (Region XI). It has a population of 1,530,365 (2011 census), making it the country's largest city outside Metro Manila and the second overall with the cities of Metro Manilacombined. In recent years, Davao City has emerged as the business, investment and tourism hub for the entire southern Philippines. The City Mayors Foundation ranks Davao City as the 87th fastest growing city in the world, and it has been listed by the FDi magazine as the 10th "Asian City of the Future".


The city has good beaches and mountain resorts, and is close to diving spots and the highest peak in the Philippines, Mount Apo. It was awarded by the Department of Tourism as the "Most Livable City" in the Philippines in 2008.

The estimated population of the city is 1,449,296 in 2010 according to 2010 NSO Census. Metro Davao, with the city as its metropolitan center, has about 2,274,913 people in 2010, making it as the third most populous metropolitan agglomeration in the Philippines and the most populous and cleanest city in Mindanao; also as of 2010, the total population of the city's local government agglomeration (including other LGUs outside Metro Davao such as Sto. Tomas andKapalong in Davao del Norte and Bansalan in Davao del Sur) is estimated at about 2,854,711. However, an estimated number of between 2-4 million people are in Davao City during the daytime for work or business activities.

Davao City is considered as Philippines' Asian City of the Future and the Crown Jewel of Mindanao since the city is the most important financial and trade center and the richest city in Mindanao in income. It is also the largest city in the BIMP-EAGA Economic Circle, a subregional economic cooperation initiative in Southeast Asia.

Like the rest of the country, Davao City operates on an economic system that is market-oriented, although pricing mechanisms remain regulated in a few sectors (particularly on basic commodities) to protect consumers. The competitiveness of the market has been enhanced through the dismantling of protection for "infant industries" and the breakdown of industries with monopolistic or cartel tendencies. As of year 2010, the city's agricultural sector accounts for roughly 48% of the city's economy, industrial sector at 16%, and commercial and service industries may account at around 35%.

Having been hailed as the Fruit Basket of the Philippines, the city is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of mangoes, pomeloes,banana, coconut products, papaya, mangosteen, and flowers ever since it became an international net exporter in 1987. The city's rich fertile volcanic soil makes it most suitable for sustained production of the freshest and tastiest tropical fruits in the country which made it the "Fruit Basket of the Philippines". Since the fruits are locally produced, the prices are comparably much cheaper than anywhere in the country. Davao also homes the hailed "King of Exotic Fruits", Durian which is famous because of its spike and offensive scent; becomes an icon of Davao City and made it the top producer of such fruit in the Philippines.