President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared July 11, as a special non-working holiday in Valenzuela City.

The President, in signing Proclamation No. 209 last June 19, said the day will commemorate the 133^rd birth anniversary of the city’s most illustrious son, the late Dr. Pio Valenzuela.

The city was named after Valenzuela in 1963.

She said the holiday would give the people the chance to "celebrate the event with appropriate ceremonies."

Dr. Valenzuela was born in Polo, Bulacan on July 11, 1869. He died on April 6. 1956.

A major figure during the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonizers, Valenzuela secretly established Katipunan branches in many areas in Morong and Bulacan.

He was chosen to see Jose Rizal in Dapitan to convince the latter to support the revolution. To fool authorities, he was accompanied by a blind man who pretended to be a patient of Dr. Rizal

The doctor exhibited the values of dedication, patriotism and unity.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to celebrate with the people of Davao del Norte their 35th foundation anniversary on July 1.

It was on July 1, 1967 that the then province of Davao was subdivided into three independent provinces: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental.

Similar foundation day celebrations will be held in Digos City, Davao del Sur and in Mati City, Davao Oriental.

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, also president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, confirmed the President’s arrival.

President Macapagal-Arroyo will deliver an anniversary message in a program at the RDR-BSP Training Center, Mankilam, Tagum City. She will later have lunch with local officials and heads of national agencies at the Tahanan ng Punong Lalawigan.

She is also expected to lead officials in inaugurating and blessing the new building of the Davao Regional Hospital.

Before the President’s arrival, a cultural and multi-sectoral parade along the streets in Tagum City, the provincial capital, will be conducted as early as 5:30 a.m.

The President's visit will highlight the culmination of the week-long celebration -- which bears the theme, "Dabaonon: Panaghiusa, Pakigdait ug Kalambuan Ipadayon!" -- of the province.

On the night of July 1, a neo-ethnic musical fashion show will be held at the Tagum Cultural Trade Pavilion. The show will feature the rich cultural heritage of the province through music and art in fashion and a video presentation on the different tourist spots in the province.

Historians claimed that Davao probably derived its name from the ancient Bagobo word "daba-daba" or fire that the people used for rituals. The Tagabaua tribe called the river bisecting the region "Daba" and the Guiangan tribe, "Davoh".

The Davao region was already an ethnic melting pot way before the Spaniards arrived. Its eastern shores were occupied by the members of the Manobo, Tagacaolo, Guiangan, Bilaan and Aeta tribes. The western part was inhabited by the Bagobo and Mandaya tribes. Samal and Talicud Islands belonged to the Samal tribe.

Davao was first visited by the Spaniards, led by Alvaro de Saavedra, in 1528. Lopez Villalobos explored Manay, Baganga and Sarangani Island later in 1543. The first Spanish settlement was established in 1591 in Caraga (Davao Oriental).

However, the entire region remained under the Sultanate of Maguindanao. It was only in 1844 that the ruling Sultan ceded Davao to Spain.

The Muslim inhabitants refused to be ruled by Spaniards. So Spanish forces, led by Don Uyanguren, quelled the revolt and killed Muslim leader Datu Bago in 1847. Uyanguren became the first governor of Guipozcoa (an area that now comprising Davao City and environs).

In 1900, the Japanese established extensive plantations of abaca around the Davao Gulf and engaged in fishing, logging and trading. The number of Japanese steadily increased such that the area was called Japan kuo (little Japan). It had its own Japanese embassy, school, Shinto shrine, Buddhist temple and newspaper.

The Moro province was organized in 1903 with Davao as its district. In 1914, the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was created and Davao was one of its provinces.