Malita
Municipality
Municipality of Malita
Hilltop view of Malita
Hilltop view of Malita
Flag of Malita
Flag
Official seal of Malita
Seal
Nicknames: 
  • Jewel of the South
  • Whaleshark Capital of Mindanao
Motto: 
Angat Malita!
Map of Davao Occidental with Malita highlighted
Map of Davao Occidental with Malita highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Malita is located in Philippines
Malita
Malita
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 6°24′39″N 125°36′52″E / 6.41083°N 125.61444°E / 6.41083; 125.61444
CountryPhilippines
RegionDavao Region
ProvinceDavao Occidental
District Lone district
FoundedNovember 17, 1937
Barangays30 (see Barangays)
Government
 [1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorBradly L. Bautista
 • Vice MayorEstefanie B. Dumama
 • RepresentativeLorna Bautista-Bandigan
 • Municipal Council
Members
 • Electorate69,059 voters (2022)
Area
[2]
 • Total883.37 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]
 • Total118,197
 • Density130/km2 (350/sq mi)
 • Households
29,489
Economy
 • Income class1st municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
35.82
% (2018)[4]
 • Revenue₱ 579.1 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 1,463 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 496.5 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 721.1 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityDavao del Sur Electric Cooperative (DASURECO)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
8012
PSGC
118603000
IDD : area code +63 (0)82
Native languagesDavawenyo
Cebuano
Kalagan
Tagalog
Websitewww.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.[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 also celebrated annually on November 17.

Etymology

According to folk etymology, the name "Malita" is derived from the Spanish word "maleta" which means suitcase. It is said that purportedly Don Mariano Peralta, a retired veteran of the Spanish–American War who ventured to the place, decided to live on the vast, fertile plain across the river. One day while bodily fording the deep and swift river with his suitcase and other belongings in hand, the force of the current overwhelmed his perilous balance and got swept by the water consequently losing his grip on the suitcase. His frantic shouts of "maleta, maleta" attracted the attention of the bathing natives who after realizing the situation promptly responded and retrieved the vanishing to settle as Malita. How it came to its present spelling and usage maybe attributed to the natives’ prevalent use of suitcase. Hardly forgetting the shouts of Peralta, the natives later thought the word referred to the land he intended long 'e' sound for the vowels 'i' and 'e'.

History

Malita is the oldest community in the province. Malita's existence dates back scores of years before its formal creation as municipality on November 17, 1936. 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 issued by President Manuel L. Quezon officially created Malita into a municipality. 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 long before it became a municipality. 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. This increased its population until it later became the most populous municipality in the province.

Cityhood

In the 19th Congress of the Philippines, house bills were filed by various representatives which seeks Malita including other capital towns of provinces with no current component cities, independent component cities or highly urbanized cities to automatically convert into cities.[5][6][7]

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[8]

Barangays

Quezon Street

Malita is subdivided into 30 barangays:[9] 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
YearPop.±% 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[10][11][12][13]

Economy

Poverty Incidence of Malita
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15]
[16][17][18][19][20]

The municipality is the main economic center of Davao Occidental province. Agriculture and fishery is the main industry of the municipality. Being far from other major urban centers in its vicinity like Davao City, Digos, and General Santos, and although only a town, Malita also serves as the major urban center of the province. However, as economic activity in the town continues its rapid growth, Malita will soon become the province's first component city for years to come.

Government

Municipal Hall of Malita

Municipal officials (2013-2016):

  • Congressman: Franklin Bautista (2nd District of Davao del Sur)
  • Mayor: Benjamin Bautista, Jr.
  • Vice Mayor: Bradly Bautista
  • Councilors:
    • Estefanie T. Bautista
    • Zaldy S. Lataban
    • Marianela C. Malinao
    • Ali G. Colina, Jr.
    • Artemio J. Peralta
    • Paulito M. Montero
    • Jimmy L. Danwata
    • Raymund G. Danwata

Education

Tertiary

Secondary

  • B'laan National High School
  • Benjamin V. Bautista Sr. Special 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. 1 2 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 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  5. ↑ Yap, Eric (June 30, 2022). "AN ACT AUTOMATICALLY CONVERTING THE CAPITAL TOWN OF PROVINCES WITH NO COMPONENT CITIES, INDEPENDENT COMPONENT CITIES OR HIGHLY URBANIZED CITIES WITHIN ITS TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, INTO A COMPONENT CITY" (PDF). House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Palma, Wilter (August 9, 2022). "AN ACT AUTOMATICALLY CONVERTING THE CAPITAL TOWN OF PROVINCES WITH NO COMPONENT CITIES, INDEPENDENT COMPONENT CITIES, OR HIGHLY URBANIZED CITIES WITHIN ITS TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, INTO A COMPONENT CITY" (PDF). House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ Daza, Paul (August 11, 2022). "AN ACT CONVERING INTO COMPONENT CITIES THE CAPITAL TOWNS OF PROVINCES WITHOUT A CITY, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 450 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7610, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9009, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" (PDF). House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Malita: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  9. ↑ "Municipality/City: Malita" Archived 2013-10-30 at the Wayback Machine. Philippine Standard Geographic Code Interactive. Retrieved on 2013-11-03.
  10. ↑ Census of Population (2015). "Region XI (Davao Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ 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.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Province of Davao del Sur". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  16. ↑ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  17. ↑ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  18. ↑ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
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