COTABATO Governor Emmylou "Lala" Taliño-Mendoza praised the governor and vice governor of Davao del Sur for their "commitment to public service" and thanked them for "giving up" a barangay in Tulunan, where a boundary dispute between the two provinces is ongoing.
During the culmination of Cotabato's 112th Foundation Anniversary and Kalivungan 2026, held at the Provincial Gymnasium in the Provincial Capitol Compound in Amas on September 1, 2026, Gov. Taliño-Mendoza highlighted the presence of the Davao del Sur governor.
"By the way, is Gov. Yvonne Roña Cagas around now? Gusto rin kasi niyang ma-experience ang Kalivungan. She will join us, and I'm happy for her commitment kasi may problema kami ngayon ni Roy doon sa boundary court depar namin, hindi nila naasikaso (Because she also wants to experience the Kalivungan. She will join us, and I'm happy about her commitment because Roy and I are currently having trouble with our boundary court departure over there — they failed to attend to it), and it pays to have good partners, good relationship with Marc Cagas and Yvonne," Taliño-Mendoza said.
She recalled that the barangay captain in Daig, Tulunan, among the subjects of the boundary dispute between the two provinces, requested Davao del Sur Governor Yvonne Cagas and Vice Governor Marc Cagas to retain Daig in Cotabato.
"Sabi ng kapitan ng Daig, 'Gov, pahangyua ko, ayaw lang ko kuhaa gov, Vice Gov. Marc Douglas Cagas, diri lang gyud ko sa Probinsya sa Cotabato', ang tubag ni gov ug Vice Governor Marc cagas 'Dili man tika kuhaon, diha lang ka sa Daig, Cotabato lang ka.' Mas maayo gyud nang naga-istorya, and I am happy kasi ang provincial government ng Cotabato and Davao del Sur, we are talking, and we share the same compassion and commitment to public service. So walay manga-displace sa taga-Tulunan, So pasalamatan nato si Gov. Yvonne and Marc (The barangay captain of Daig said, 'Gov, please grant me a favor; please don't take me away, Gov, Vice Gov. Marc Douglas Cagas, let me just stay here in the Province of Cotabato.' The response of the Gov and Vice Governor Marc Cagas was, 'We won't take you away; you remain there in Daig, remain in Cotabato.' It really is better when people talk, and I am happy because the provincial governments of Cotabato and Davao del Sur are in dialogue, and we share the same compassion and commitment to public service. So no residents of Tulunan will be displaced, so let us thank Gov. Yvonne and Marc)," Taliño-Mendoza said.
The boundary dispute stemmed long ago when the old province of Cotabato was partitioned into smaller provinces (Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Maguindanao) in the early 1970s. Municipal and provincial boundaries along the Mindanao mountain ranges — such as the borders between Cotabato and Davao del Sur — were often drawn based on natural landmarks or aerial coordinates rather than detailed ground surveys.
Barangay Daig sits along the mountainous border zone separating the municipality of Tulunan (Cotabato) and the adjacent municipalities of Davao del Sur, primarily Magsaysay.
Difficult terrain separates Daig from the main town center, or población, of Tulunan, Cotabato, but it is more accessible via road networks that pass through the municipality of Magsaysay in Davao del Sur. Because emergency responses, trade, daily transit, and basic commodities historically flowed more easily from the Davao del Sur side, administrative confusion developed over time regarding local jurisdiction and service delivery.
In addition, imprecise cadastral surveys and administrative delimitation resulted in overlapping or conflicting cadastral survey lines because early survey maps used vague topographies or natural landmarks (e.g., ridge lines, rivers, or trees) that local assessors interpreted differently or that shifted over time.
If the boundary dispute is not resolved, the matter should have been formally elevated to the appropriate Regional Trial Court (RTC) for adjudication. CEA
