Malita

Not to be confused with Melita or Malta.

Malita
Municipality
Municipality of Malita
Hilltop view of Malita
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Jewel of the South Whaleshark Capital of Mindanao
Motto:  Angat Malita!
Map of Davao Occidental with Malita highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Malita Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 6°24′39″N125°36′52″E / 6.41083°N 125.61444°E / 6.41083; 125.61444
Country	Philippines
Region	Davao Region
Province	Davao Occidental
District	Lone district
Founded	November 17, 1936
Barangays	30 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Bradly L. Bautista
•  Vice Mayor	Estefanie B. Dumama
•  Representative	Lorna Bautista-Bandigan
•  Municipal Council	Members Benjamin T. Bautista III Carlo Chino G. Baliota Elvira L. Gabaldon Girly D. Licuan Allan G. Colina Isabelo M. Masiwel Tomas D. Alcordo Jr. Josie James D. Rillo
•  Electorate	69,059 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	883.37 km2 (341.07 sq mi)
Elevation	197 m (646 ft)
Highest elevation	1,786 m (5,860 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	118,197
• Density	130/km2 (350/sq mi)
•  Households	29,489
Economy
•  Income class	1st municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	35.66 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 579.1 million (2020)
•  Assets	₱ 1,463 million (2020)
•  Expenditure	₱ 496.5 million (2020)
•  Liabilities	₱ 721.1 million (2020)
Service provider
•  Electricity	Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative (DASURECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	8012
PSGC	118603000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)82
Native languages	Davawenyo Cebuano Kalagan Tagalog
Website	www.malita.gov.ph

Malita, officially the Municipality of Malita (Cebuano : Lungsod sa Malita; Filipino : Bayan ng Malita), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Davao Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 118,197 people making it the most populous town in the province. ^[3]

Malita is known for various cultural arts and heritage of its people and tribes. Gaginaway Festival is celebrated annually every full moon on the month of November and Araw ng Malita is celebrated annually on November 17, the day of its establishment's enactment in 1936.

Etymology

According to a legend, the name of Malita was derived from the Spanish word maleta, meaning suitcase. Don Mariano Peralta, a retired Spanish–American War veteran, lost his suitcase while crossing a river. His shouts of "Maleta, Maleta" caught the attention of the locals, who retrieved it and later named the area Malita. Its spelling may be associated with the local pronunciation, wherein the ‘e’ sound is commonly used for the vowels ‘i’ and ‘e’. ^[5]

History

Malita is the first municipality established in what is now Davao Occidental. However, its existence dates back scores of years before its formal creation as a municipality of the undivided province of Davao. The Tagakaulo, Blaan and Manobo communities have been living in the area before the arrival of the Spaniards. In 1887, Pablo Pastells, a Jesuit missionary, mentioned Malita, along with Malalag and Lais, as areas where a total of almost 7,000 Tagakaulo residents. ^[6]

Records show that Malita must have existed long before the passage of the Philippine Commission Act, the Laws of the Moro Province that mentioned Malita in Section 1 of Act No. 164 dated December 10, 1904. Through the said Act it is presumed that it existed as a barrio of Santa Cruz long before the coming of the Americans to Davao. Executive Order No. 64, s. 1936, issued by President Manuel L. Quezon, officially created Malita into a municipality. The change legally took effect on January 1, 1937. It originally consisted of nine barrios: Malita (the municipal seat), Basiauan, Kalian, Lacaron, Lais, Lawa, Lawayon, Talaguton, and Tubalon. ^[7] Marcelino Maruya, from whom the town of Don Marcelino was named after, was the first appointed municipal mayor.

Waves of migrants from the Visayan islands, most of whom hail from Cebu, came on what is now Malita during the American colonial period. They were later followed by immigrants from Luzon. Even after the destruction brought by World War II by the belligerents, there are still waves of migrants towards Malita and other parts of then-Davao province.

Barrios Batulaki and Caburan seceded from Malita to form the separate town of Trinidad (now Jose Abad Santos) on August 1, 1948. ^[8] On May 8, 1967, Malita became part of Davao del Sur, when Davao was divided under Republic Act No. 4867. ^[9] On December 19, 1979, barangays Calian, Kiobog, Lamidan, Lawa, Nueva Villa, and Talagutong were separated from Malita to form the new municipality of Don Marcelino. ^[10]

On October 28, 2013, Malita was ceded to Davao Occidental and designated as its provincial capital as a result of a plebiscite, in which the majority of voters approved the creation of the new province. ^[11]

Geography

Climate

Climate data for Malita, Davao Occidental
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (88)	32 (90)	31 (88)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (74)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	38 (1.5)	29 (1.1)	37 (1.5)	45 (1.8)	102 (4.0)	166 (6.5)	179 (7.0)	176 (6.9)	157 (6.2)	133 (5.2)	86 (3.4)	46 (1.8)	1,194 (46.9)
Average rainy days	8.1	7.0	8.9	11.1	22.1	26.1	26.7	26.5	25.6	25.5	19.5	11.7	218.8
Source: Meteoblue [12]

Barangays

Quezon Street

Malita is subdivided into 30 barangays: ^[13] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Bito
• Bolila
• Buhangin
• Culaman
• Datu Danwata
• Demoloc
• Felis
• Fishing Village
• Kibalatong
• Kidalapong
• Kilalag
• Kinangan
• Lacaron
• Lagumit
• Lais
• Little Baguio
• Macol
• Mana
• Manuel Peralta
• New Argao
• Pangian
• Pinalpalan
• Poblacion
• Sangay
• Talogoy
• Tical
• Ticulon
• Tingolo
• Tubalan
• Pangaleon

Demographics

Population census of Malita

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1918	17,050	—
1939	30,775	+2.85%
1948	27,744	−1.15%
1960	28,228	+0.14%
1970	46,060	+5.01%
1975	64,898	+7.12%
1980	60,638	−1.35%
1990	82,786	+3.16%
1995	83,457	+0.15%
2000	100,000	+3.95%
2007	106,135	+0.82%
2010	109,568	+1.17%
2015	117,746	+1.38%
2020	118,197	+0.08%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [14] [15] [16] [17]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Malita

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2006 53.00 2009 63.82 2012 60.77 2015 57.26 2018 35.82 2021 35.66 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

Malita is the main economic center of Davao Occidental. Agriculture and fishery are primary economic drivers of the municipality. ^[6] There is also a fledgling tourism industry, focused on snorkeling and water activities. ^[26] The energy sector also contributes to the municipality's economy. The Malita Power Plant, opened in 2018, is a 300-megawatt coal-fired thermal power plant developed by San Miguel Global Power. ^[27]

As the town is quite far from other urban centers such as Digos, Davao City and General Santos, Malita is now developing as an urban center of its own, evident in its population, the biggest amongst the municipalities of Davao Occidental. It is now home to hospitals, colleges, banks and shopping centers. As economic activity in the town continues its rapid growth, Malita will soon become the province's first component city in a few years.

Government

Malita Municipal Hall

Municipal officials (2022-2025):

• Mayor: Bradly Bautista
• Vice Mayor: Estefanie Bautista-Dumama
• Councilors:
  • Benjamin Bautista III
  • Carlo Chino Baliota
  • Romeo T. Lopez
  • Girly Licuan
  • Allan Colina
  • Isabelo Masiwel
  • Tomas Alcordo Jr.
  • Josie James Rillo

Education

Tertiary

• Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology - Poblacion, Malita (Main Campus) and Buhangin, Malita (Buhangin Campus)
• Adventure College of Malita, Inc.
• Seng Pek Chuan Academy, Inc.
• Don Juan Technical Academy of Davao, Inc. (Malita Branch)

Secondary

• B'laan National High School
• Benjamin V. Bautista Sr. Special High School
• Ernesto Lopez National High School
• Demoloc Valley National High School
• Fishing Village Comprehensive National High School
• Holy Cross of Malita, Inc.
• Mariano Peralta National High School (Campuses in barangays: Poblacion, Sangay, Manuel Peralta, Datu Danwata, Talogoy, Pangian, and New Argao)
• Ticulon National High School
• Tubalan Comprehensive National High School

References

1.   Municipality of Malita | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. Census of Population (2020). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. "Community and People". The Local Government Unit of Malita – Municipality of Malita. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
6. Evangelista, Joey Ganio MJ (7 July 2022). "Malita: Chismis and History". Mindanews. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
7. Executive Order No. 64, s. 1936 (1936-11-13), "Organizing the Municipal Districts of Malita and Pantukan, Province of Davao, Into Independent Municipalities Under the Names of Malita and Pantukan, With the Seats of Government in the Barrios of Malita and Pantukan", gov.ph, retrieved 5 May 2024
8. https://archive.org/download/PhilippinesCensusofPopulationLGUs19032007/Region%2011%20Davao%20Region%20Philippines%20Census%20of%20Population%201903%20-%202007.xlsx 2011 Census] archive.org
9. Republic Act No. 4867 (May 8, 1967), An Act Creating the Provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental, The Lawphil Project, retrieved July 26, 2024
10. Batas Pambansa Blg. 47 (December 19, 1979), An Act Creating the Municipality of Don Marcelino, Province of Davao Del Sur, Supreme Court E-Library, retrieved July 27, 2024
11. Republic Act No. 10360 (January 14, 2013), An Act Creating the Province of Davao Occidental, The Lawphil Project, retrieved July 26, 2024
12. "Malita: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
13. "Municipality/City: Malita" Archived 2013-10-30 at the Wayback Machine . Philippine Standard Geographic Code Interactive. Retrieved on 2013-11-03.
14. Census of Population (2015). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
15. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region XI (Davao Region)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
16. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
17. "Province of Davao del Sur". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
18. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
19. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
20. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
21. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
22. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
23. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
24. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
25. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
26. "Visit of the Indonesian Consul General in Davao City to Davao Occidental Province". Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia - Davao City, The Republic of the Philippines. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
27. "Malita Power Plant". San Miguel Global Power. Retrieved 5 May 2024.

External links

• Malita Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System