Compostela, Compostela Valley

Compostela is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Compostela Valley, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 61,667 people in 12,151 households.

Compostela is one of the municipalities that comprise the vast plains of Compostela Valley. Its development started before World War II when the area was still a forest and the only inhabitants were the native Mandayas who chose to settle along the river banks of the compassionate Agusan River. There are no written records as to how Compostela got its name but respectable residents believed that it was a temporary Spanish settlements, a “Kampo de Kastila” of Spanish that came from the Eastern Coast of Davao Oriental. Another version is that a Spanish friar from the East Coast came to the place bringing with him a statue of Senior Santiago de Apostol, patron saint of his birth place Compostela, Spain and thus named the place Compostela.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Compostela Valley was one of the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes for Mindanao. Its office was based at Dansalan, Lanao under the directorship of Teofisto Guingona, Sr. who was then exercising government control over provinces and municipal districts of Mindanao. However, the bureau was abolished right after the war. The valley was then formed into Compostela-Monkayo Districts and subdivided into three small districts: Monkayo, Compostela and Camansa. Compostela was governed by Mr. Bonifacio Garcia as the District Mayor...
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