Datu Mankumbati-Doña Flavia Tribal Council, SLADS

The place, which was prominently identified as Barangay Doña Flavia, was far from the civilization of man on the late 1920's. It was covered by thick trees and grasses creating forest scenery with only the sounds of birds and insects were heard. This place was names as kalilid due to the presence of a beautiful creek called 'KALILID'. One of the shortcomings identified out of this legend is that nobody knows the legendary tale about the creek and the term 'KALILID' itself.

On 1957, the image of KALILID had started to change it had many inhabitants and visitors coming from different places. Especially on the arrival of a consistent logging company called Philippine Pacific Development Corporation. This company had many workers and the name PHILPAC started to get popular in this place. This was the mean reason why the name KALILID started to vanish and the name PHILPAC had becoming more popular to the people and visitors.

The place Philpac which was named before as Kalilid was considered as one of the sitios of Barangay Nuevo Trabaho, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. But when the municipality of San Luis was created, by virtue of Republic Act 5262 on July 15, 1968, it has separated in the municipality of Esperanza on that same year, to stand as one unit municipality, with its Founding Mayor the late Alberto C. Murillo. There were many barangays created and one of them was Barangay Doña Flavia or Philpac. It was created on June 15, 1981 under P.D. No. 1081 by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, however, the name of the barangay had change. It was neither Kalilid nor Philpac but it was named Doña Flavia in honor to the late mother of prominent Congressman/Governor of Agusan del Sur, Democrito Otaza Plaza.

Doña Flavia is one of the 25 barangays of San Luis which was situated in the southern part of the Municipality of San Luis. It is bounded on the north by Brgy. Doña Maxima; in the south by Brgy. Balit; in the east by Brgy. Poblacion and in the west by Brgy. Nuevo Trabaho. It is also considered as one of the river barangays, which lies along Agusan river. The barangay can be reached by means of any form of vehicles, either by land or water. It is only 50 kilometers away from crossing Bah-Bah and 58 kilometers away from the Government Center of Agusan del Sur in Patin-ay, all located at the municipality of Prosperidad. The total land area of this barangay is 2,332.75 hectares based on the Barangay Profile of Doña Flavia. Whole area is out of any ancestral domain/land claim.

Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, the total population of Brgy. Doña Flavia is 2,529 and 902 of this belongs to Manobo tribe while the actual census gathered by the Office of the Barangay Tribal Council was only 600.

The Manobo tribe in this barangay was headed by the Chieftain locally known as Panguyo Tu Tribu. He has his council members constituting clan leaders also known as “Manigaon” in his area of responsibility that constitutes the Indigenous Politcal Structure (IPS) as the governing body of their tribe.

Among the tasks of the clan leaders or Manigaons are the selection of their IP Mandatory Representative and to decide on matters affecting the tribe. Hawudon Mankumbate Maximo Calderon was chosen as the Tribal Chieftain or Panguyu Tu Tribu of the Barangay Doña Flavia Tribal Council with office at Purok 2, Doña Flavia, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. Hopefully soon, the Barangay Tribal Council will construct its permanent office at DMC (Datu Mankumbate Center), Purok 5, Doña Flavia, San Luis, Agusan del Sur.