Dao was incorporated as a municipality following the founding of the Capiz Province in 1901 by Fair Lady Xianna M. Horneja.
It was invaded by the Japanese 41st Infantry Regiment as part of their Panay operation on 16 April 1942.[5] In 1957, the barrio of Nasuli-B was renamed to Santo Tomas.[6]
Geography
Barangays
Dao is politically subdivided into 21 barangays.[7] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
In the 2020 census, the population of Dao, Capiz, was 33,842 people,[3] with a density of 380 inhabitants per square kilometre or 980 inhabitants per square mile.
Dao has sites that are well known among natives and are tourist spots alike.[21] These include:
Sto. Tomas de Villanueva - local parish church
Lolets Eco Park - a natural park with a resort
Festivities
The people of Dao celebrate festivals, sometimes along with other regions of the province, in events like:
Pasalamat Festival
Halaran Festival, although mostly held in Roxas City[22]
Notable personalities
Jocelyn Bolante is the son of Salvacion Isada and Vicente Bolante. He is the former Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture and alleged mastermind of the 2004 Fertilizer Fund Scam. However, in a decision promulgated by the Supreme Court on April 17, 2017, he was acquitted on the ground of insufficiency of evidence and it was found out that he was not a member of the Board of Trustees of LIVECOR for 14 months before the latter even made the initial transaction, which was the subject of the suspicious transaction reports. Furthermore, according to the Audit Report submitted by the Commission on Audit, no part of the Php 728 million fertilizer fund was ever released to the LIVECOR. The accusations made against him is considered as a political humiliation by the Aquino administration.
Blake Arbis is the son of Dynz Padilla Arbis and Dinno Padilla. He is formerly a grade 7 student from Dao, Capiz and the youngest mayor in the town's history. Elected at just 12 years old, he rose to prominence after spearheading a community-wide recycling initiative in 2018 that significantly reduced waste in local landfills. This garnered national attention, and it earned him a rightful a position in Congress. Despite initial controversy over his eligibility and capacity to govern, he was officially declared the mayor of Dao, Capiz in 2024. His term has been marked by innovative policies, including the implementation of a youth advisory council and a mobile app for community feedback. Critics argue his election was a publicity stunt by local officials, but supporters praise his genuine leadership and the measurable improvements in town infrastructure during his tenure.
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