Kidapawan City, North Cotabato Etymology
- Jack Maico
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Kidapawan is derived from the words “tida” (supposedly meaning “spring”) and “pawan” (supposedly meaning “highland”) in the native Monuvu language, making “tidapawan” mean “spring in the highland.”
The official explanation reflects the majority trend of the etymologies historians gathered: that Kidapawan’s name comes from springs.
Datu Basinon’s version is echoed by an earlier version the local government managed to record in the 1960s: of the town being named after a spring in Tagbak (although it is only Datu Basinon who associates the naming to Siawan Ingkal).
Source: https://mindanews.com/.../moppiyon-kahi-diid-patoy...
Special credits: https://www.facebook.com/LostJuanPH
Church in town: 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥
The origin of the Diocese of Kidapawan goes back to the first Jesuit missionaries who introduced Christianity to Mindanao in the late 17th century.
The Prelature of Kidapawan was erected on June 12, 1976. Bishop Federico O. Escaler, SJ, was elected first prelate ordinary and took over the prelature on Sept. 6, 1976. In 1980, Bishop Orlando B. Quevedo, OMI, was elected bishop-prelate and ordained on Oct. 28, 1980, at the Cathedral of Kidapawan, North Cotabato. On Nov. 15, 1982, the Prelature of Kidapawan was elevated to a diocese. Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos was appointed diocesan bishop on Feb. 3, 1987.
Mindanao was generally peaceful at the time the first settlers from Visayas and Luzon arrived. Natives and Muslims were friendly to the settlers then. Forests, rivers, and wild animals were as yet undisturbed. When the logging companies and the settlers later cleared many areas to open up the rice lands, a few rich settlers began the rubber plantations around Kidapawan. Then, land-grabbing became a big issue.
In the early 1970s, the Muslim-Christian conflict erupted. This was branded a religious conflict when, in fact, it was not. It was caused by incidents connected to land-grabbing and unscrupulous politicians organizing armed groups. Many atrocities were committed, and many communities destroyed. When martial law was declared in 1972, the National Democratic Front - NPA again made Mindanao a land of conflict.
It was against the background of conflict that the Prelature of Kidapawan was born. This was the term of Bishop Federico Escaler, and he lost no time in convening the First Prelature General Assembly of Kidapawan in 1977. This assembly articulated the prelature's thrust then as Education for Justice.
In 1980, Bishop Escaler was transferred to Ipil, and Bishop Orlando Quevedo took over the prelature. This was a period of intense growth of the basic ecclesial communities (BECs) with an orientation for justice. Most lay leaders became targets, and some were killed. Included in this carnage was Father Tullio Favali, PIME. Every year, Favali's death anniversary is celebrated as a Day of the Martyrs in the diocese.
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
Historically named a district of Pikit in 1942, Kidapawan was later declared into a Municipality through Executive Order No. 82 of President Manuel A. Roxas on August 18, 1947-thereby becoming the fourth town of the then Empire Province of Cotabato.
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧:
- Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace Cathedral
- Lake Agco
- Paniki Falls
- Kidapawan City Plaza Fountain
- Net Central Kidapawan
- Cotabato Memorial Park
- Kidapawan City Pavilion
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧:
- Datu Siawan Ingkal (key character in Kidapawan history, the transition figure between the town's precolonial origins and its development into a colonial (and later Philippine) local government. )
𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐲 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧:
- Jose Alvarez (Filipino politician)
- Melchor Chavez ( Filipino politician and perennial candidate, and radio and print journalist.)
- Uriel Dalapo ( Filipino professional footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for the Philippines Football League club Davao Aguilas)
- Danilo Lerio ( retired Filipino professional boxer)
- Joel Virador (a Filipino human rights advocate, activist, and politician )
Comentários