Taken with Tagum City (Part 3)

There’s a kind of rush pervading Tagum City these days. Whether you’re having a conversation with some locals in one of its malls or watching the construction of new buildings and landmarks along the highway, it’s clear that the so-called “City of Palm Trees” is emerging to be Davao Region’s next most important city.

Tagum is definitely the face of a “city on the rise” in this part of the country. Home to about 260,000 people, the provincial capital of Davao del Norte definitely knows a lot about rising and falling and rising again. From being a sleepy town several decades ago, it has risen into one of Mindanao’s most competitive, first-class cities which are driving the island into new heights of sustainable development. 

"Bangka",  Tagum's newest landmark along the national highway highlight's the city's role in advancing development in both fisheries and agriculture

Panoramic view of Tagum's Energy Park

Strategically located at the heart of the province, Tagum boasts of having two major road networks intersecting at its center–the Davao-Mati Road and the Davao-Agusan National Highway. This has definitely contributed much to the city’s accessibility and suitability as a hub for commerce and trade.

"Dahon", a monument at Tagum's E-Park (Energy Park) depicts the contributions of the Scouting Movement towards nation-building, with the three leaves representing the pillars of the Scouting Law

Relying mostly on agriculture during the early stages of its development, Tagum   evolved into a major trading center for gold following the gold rush in neighboring towns during the late 70s and early 80s. 
 

Soon, commercial and business establishments, taken with the rosy prospects that Tagum offered, sprouted in different parts of the once sleepy town. Rapid urbanization ensued and the provincial capital was later elevated to a component city in 1998.

There are a lot of reasons to fall in love with the "City of Palm Trees"

Tagum's state-of-the-art new City Hall draws visitors not just for its massive structure but also for its “green” design and technology

 Holy Rosary Garden: one of the favorite sanctuaries of the Catholic faithful

It wasn’t always a case of rising for Tagum, though; the city has had its share of falling, too. It has survived many obstacles: the decline of the local gold mining industry, the unstable peace and order situation in the hinterlands, the global slump in the demand for bananas, which happens to be one of its major products and the region’s top dollar earner, to name some. 

Newest mall in town

Today, Tagum is on the rise again. With its real property values going up, a continuing influx of retail stores and restaurants and the arrival of some of the country’s heavyweights in the corporate world, the city has become a magnet for migrants in search for a safe place where they can find gainful employment, raise their families and lead a life that’s stable and secure here in this big island that’s a melting pot of diverse cultures.

San Agustin Botanical Garden

From profitable opportunities to productive activities for locals and visitors alike, there is obviously more to love about Tagum than ever before. I bet first-timers and those who haven’t seen it in years would be smitten with the city once they get to see it these days, in the same manner that I’ve been taken with it.
 

Various local and foreign species of trees are cultivated at the 
San Agustin Botanical Garden

With Davao City now being positioned as the country’s seat of power in the south, Tagum could readily take over its role as administrative center for Davao Region. I bet more and more people will be taken with the city in the coming days, with not a few opting to stay there for good to carve out a life for themselves and their families.

 

So watch out for this “city on the rise”–things are just starting to get even better. :D