Davao del Norte Province

Also known as: Lalawigan ng Davao del Norte

By , Founder & CEO, Zentarai Labs · Updated October 3, 2026

Davao del Norte is a province in Region XI (Davao Region), Mindanao. Population 1.14M (PSA 2024 census), 3 cities + 8 municipalities, 223 barangays total, land area 3,422.61 km². Provincial capital: Tagum City.

Population (2024 PSA)1,143,931
Land area3,422.61 km²
Cities + Municipalities3 + 8
Total barangays223
Income class1st

Quick answers about Davao del Norte

What region is Davao del Norte in?

Davao del Norte is a province in Region XI (Davao Region). Its capital is Tagum City.

What is the latest population of Davao del Norte?

Davao del Norte had 1,143,931 residents in the 2024 census (PSA 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN 2024), reference date July 1, 2024). That is the most recent official count. There is no 2026 census result, so any 2026 population figure is an estimate.

What is the land area of Davao del Norte?

Davao del Norte covers 3,422.61 km², per the PSA Philippine Statistical Yearbook figure used on this page.

How many cities and municipalities does Davao del Norte have?

Davao del Norte has 3 component cities and 8 municipalities (11 LGUs under the province), per PSA's Philippine Standard Geographic Code (2Q 2026), and 223 barangays.

What are the cities and municipalities of Davao del Norte?

Davao del Norte's 3 component cities are Island Garden City of Samal, Panabo City and Tagum City. Its 8 municipalities are Asuncion, Braulio E. Dujali, Carmen, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, Santo Tomas and Talaingod.

Provincial planning context

According to PSA census data and DEPDev (formerly NEDA) regional development reports, Davao del Norte's land-use planning is dominated by one industry: Cavendish banana export agriculture. Tagum, Panabo, Carmen, and the Kapalong-Talaingod corridor host some of the country's largest contiguous banana plantations, so almost every CLUP update in the province has to weigh agricultural-land conversion pressure against expansion.

Key industries: Banana export agriculture (Cavendish), Cacao and coconut, Aquaculture and fisheries, Tourism (Island Garden City of Samal), Ports and logistics (Davao Gulf)

That pressure comes from two directions: Davao City's urban growth pushing north into Panabo and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS), and IGACOS's own tourism-driven land conversion on Samal Island, where resort development competes directly with the agricultural and fishing land use the island depends on. Because Davao City is an independent highly urbanized city bordering the province — not part of it, and not counted in its population — Davao del Norte's own PDPFP has to plan its urban-fringe growth corridor without any formal planning authority over the city actually driving that growth.

Key industries: Banana export agriculture (Cavendish), Cacao and coconut, Aquaculture and fisheries, Tourism (Island Garden City of Samal), Ports and logistics (Davao Gulf)

CLUP & SGLG status

CLUP compliance (RA 7160 / DHSUD): Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP) coordinates CLUP submissions across Davao del Norte's 3 component cities (Tagum, Panabo, IGACOS) and 8 municipalities under RA 7160 (Secs. 20 & 468) and EO 72 (s. 1993), with DHSUD (RA 11201) as national review authority. Note: neighboring Davao City is an independent highly urbanized city outside the province's CLUP authority entirely, despite bordering it directly.
SGLG (for provinces), RA 11292: The Provincial Government of Davao del Norte won the Seal of Good Local Governance (RA 11292) for two consecutive cycles: CY2022, awarded at a December 15, 2022 ceremony with a ₱9.5M SGLG incentive fund — per DILG Region XI's own release, which names "Davao Province of Davao del Norte" directly — and CY2023, reported as the only province in Davao Region to win that year (Sun.Star Davao, PIA). Check DILG Region XI for the current cycle's confirmed results.

More on the regulatory framework: CLUP explainer · RA 7160 explainer · SGLG explainer · full glossary. Working a CLUP review cycle? Run the CLUP readiness self-check or see CLUP compliance monitoring.

How Nova Gov fits Davao del Norte

Davao del Norte is a strong Nova Gov fit because its central planning conflict -- banana-export agricultural land under conversion pressure from Davao City's growth and IGACOS tourism -- plays out differently across its 3 cities and 8 municipalities, but has to reconcile into one PDPFP. A live dashboard that tracks agricultural-zone conversion requests against the province's growth-corridor plan is exactly the cross-LGU coordination layer a static plan document can't maintain on its own.

Map Davao del Norte's agri-conversion pressure with our planners

Davao del Norte's PDPFP has to hold the line between export-banana agriculture and two different growth fronts -- Davao City's expansion and Samal Island tourism. Book a working consultation and we'll talk through how a pilot could handle that against your CLUP before you commit to anything.

Schedule a Davao del Norte PDPFP consultation →

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