26/09/2026
1921 • THE FOUNDATION lives on.
Alhamdulillah for this recognition — Davao Oriental TV Magazine Heritage Series.
SULTAN COMARA MANUEL: A LEGACY THAT LIVES IN LUPON
LUPON, DAVAO ORIENTAL — Some stories of a community are written in books. Others can be found in the places people continue to live, work, study, and gather.
One such story is associated with Sultan Comara Manuel, who is remembered by his descendants and local accounts as an early leader of Lupon and one of the figures connected to the municipality’s beginnings.
According to the family account, Sultan Comara Manuel served as mayor from 1921 to 1929 and was identified as an early appointed mayor and co-founder of the Municipality of Lupon.
His legacy, however, is remembered not only through his public service.
A significant part of the story concerns land that, according to the family, was donated for community use. The land is associated with areas that would serve the people of Lupon, including the market, cemetery, plaza, oval, and school grounds, identified in the family material as Land ID126775.
For generations, these places have been part of everyday community life.
Children went to school. Families visited the market. Residents gathered in the plaza. Young people played and participated in activities on community grounds.
In that sense, the story of Sultan Comara Manuel is also a story about land, community, and the generations that followed.
His descendant, Hon. Erwen Manuel Briz, a ninth-generation descendant of the Sultan bloodline, continues to share this history as part of his family's heritage.
More than a century after 1921, the story remains relevant because history is not simply about remembering names and dates. It is about understanding the people, places, and contributions that helped shape a community.
From one generation to another, the legacy remains part of Lupon's story.
— DavaoOrientalTV Magazine | Heritage Series
