Malalag, officially the Municipality of Malalag (; ), is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Davao del Sur
Davao del Sur (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos. Davao City is the largest city in terms of area an ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,158 people.
Malalag is the agricultural center of Davao del Sur, and its main products are banana, coconut and other fruits and vegetables. Other primary industries include fishing and mining.
Etymology
Malalag derives its name from the color that describes the river running within the heart of the town. The water flowing towards the bay appeared
yellowish. The natives referring to the river called it, “''malalag nga tubig''”, meaning “yellow water.” The distinct appearance of the river attracted
migrants to the place.
Some pioneers trace the town's name from a disagreement between a Spanish soldier and Datu Alag, a famous
chieftain
A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom.
Tribal societies
There is no definition for "tribe".
The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...
among the early tribes. It was said that Datu Alag made an appointment with the
Spaniard
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern Nation state, nation-state of Spain. Genetics, Genetically and Ethnolinguisti ...
and promised him to be his guide. However, Datu Alag broke his promise and not one of his followers could tell where he has gone. Sensing that he had somehow been tricked, the Spanish soldier became enraged and shouted, “''Mal Alag, Mal Alag''.” (Bad Alag!) The tribe members confounded by his words kept on repeating it. The same story was told over the generations, so that even settlers coming from
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
and
Luzon
Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
became accustomed to calling the place Malalag.
History

Malalag Bay was previously known as Casilaran Bay, The name Malalag was applied to it some time during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
after a
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
(PNP) barracks was established. The same area, now known as Crossing Baybay and adjacent to the 434th PNP Mobile Force Company barrack, was a center of commerce with Chinese traders. Also, the Malalag Wharf that is located about a kilometer away used to accommodate three to four sea vessels that loaded products for transport to Visayas.
Malalag became a municipality by virtue of Executive Order No. 596 dated May 28, 1953 issued by H.E. President
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...
. This legal document stated that Malalag shall comprise the southern and south-eastern part of
Padada
Padada, officially the Municipality of Padada (; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,878 people, making ...
and separated from its mother municipality of Padada by a straight west-to-east line passing through the Bolton Barrio Boundary Monument No. 20,
Santa Cruz Cadastre 275 Davao. Its boundary on the South was redefined under Republic Act 1008 stating among others that the boundary line between the municipalities of Padada and Malalag shall be from east to west of Balasinon River from the
Gulf of Davao to Km. 327 of the Digos-Malalag-Makar Road and a straight line along latitude 6°36' from the provinces of Davao and
Cotabato
Cotabato, formerly and still commonly referred to as North Cotabato and officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen Regions of the Philippines, regi ...
. Even upon the creation of
Sulop
Sulop, officially the Municipality of Sulop (; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,151 people.
H ...
pursuant to Executive Order 295, the Padada-Malalag boundary as defined in R.A. 1008 was reiterated. For two decades, the boundary dispute arising from the encroachment of the Municipality of Sulop into the territory of Malalag remained unsettled.
Originally, Malalag contained the
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
that is the seat of the Municipal Government, Bulacan, Bolton, Santa Maria, New Baclayon and Sulop. At present, it has fifteen (15) regular
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s: Poblacion, Baybay, Bulacan, Bolton, New Baclayon, Caputian, Bagumbayan, Ibo, Pitu, Tagansule, Kiblagon, Rizal, San Isidro, Mabini and Lapu-lapu.
The Municipality used to celebrate "Araw ng Malalag" every 2nd day of July, but by virtue of Municipal Ordinance No. 10 dated May 21, 1990, and consistent with its charter day, the celebration was transferred to May 28. On July 2, 1953, the first sets of local officials were appointed and assumed office, headed by Mayor Col. Antonio Lanzar.
Since 1954, the municipal government has been run by the following elected mayors:
*Felix M. Brandares 1954 - 1959
*Angel Y. Carr 1959 - 1967
*Judge Godofredo Cabahug 1967 - 1971
*Andres B. Montejo 1971 - 1986
*Dr. Zabino P. Zantua 1986 - 1988 (Appointed under the revolutionary government)
*Andres B. Montejo 1988 - 1998
*Givel M. Mamaril 1998–2007
*Roel O. Paras 2007 – 2016
*Peter Paul T. Valentin 2016–present
Malalag also harbors a "Lumad" tribe called "Tagakaolo". It comes from the phrase “olo sa tubig” which means inhabitants of headwater. These places have been the favored dwellings of the Kaolos.
Their traditional territories are in Davao Del Sur and the Sarangani Province. The Tagakaolo tribe originally came from the western shores of the gulf of Davao and south of Mt. Apo a long time ago.
In 1955, the
barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
s of Basiawan, Kibulan and the
sitio
A ''sitio'' ( Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own barangay if its popu ...
s of Kimatay and Kilalag were transferred from the town of
Malita, Davao del Sur, to Malalag.
Geography
Climate
Barangays
Malalag is politically subdivided into 15
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Each barangay consists of
purok
A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s while some have
sitios
A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.
* Bagumbayan
* Baybay
* Bolton
* Bulacan
* Caputian
* Ibo
* Kiblagon
* Lapu-Lapu (Lapla)
* Mabini
* New Baclayon
* Pitu
*
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
* Tagansule
* Rizal (Parame)
* San Isidro
Demographics
The municipality in 1970 had a total population of 34,764 and in the 1980 official result it had a total of 44,690. In 1983, upon the court decision for case 1212 Boundary disputes between the Provinces of
South Cotabato
South Cotabato, officially the Province of South Cotabato, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen Regions of the Philippines, region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal (also the regional cen ...
and
Davao del Sur
Davao del Sur (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos. Davao City is the largest city in terms of area an ...
, there were 6 barangays in the Municipality of Malalag transferred to
Malungon, South Cotabato. Consequently, there was a sudden decreased in population during the 1990 census. The population gradually increased from 27,709 in 1990 to 35,241 in 2007.
Population and number of households by barangay
As of the 2007 census, the municipality had a total registered population of 35,241 with a total of 7,477 corresponding households. Out of the 15
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s comprising Malalag, Barangay Poblacion has the largest population in the entire municipality (population 6,105) and the highest number of households (1,240 households), followed by the barangays of Bulacan (population 4,277), Baybay (population 3,619) and New Baclayon (population 3,483). Other barangays are moderately populated. Three barangays were identified as
urban with a total population of 11,939: Poblacion, Baybay and Bagumbayan. The
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
areas at present have a total population of 23,302 with 11 component rural barangays. The barangay of Bulacan is the largest among the rural barangays with a total population of 4,277 followed by Mabini and New Baclayon.
Economy
Agriculture: Among agricultural crops, coconut leads in production followed by banana and sugarcane. Other major crops are corn and vegetables. The municipality also produces high value fruits like mango. Cattle leads in livestock production.
Fisheries: The long coastline of Malalag which forms part of Davao Gulf provides a rich fishing grounds.
Forestry: Tropical evergreen and other timber cover the vast timberland and forest area. Rattan, bamboo and other vines are also in abundance.
Mining: Deposits of copper and or limestone were also traced but still have to be tapped for commercial and industrial uses. The Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) has picked Davao del Sur to host the supporting infrastructure for the $5.9-billion Tampakan copper-gold project and identified Malalag as the preferred site for the PPFP (Port, Power Station and Filter Plant Project) development.
Malalag Wharf
The Malalag Wharf is along the south-west coastline of Malalag Bay, about south of
Digos
Digos, officially the City of Digos (; ), is a component city and capital of the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 188,376 people.
The city lies on the western shores of Davao Gul ...
and approximately south of
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
. It is more than long and wide. Port facilities include:
* 50m
wharf
A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
* One
berth, 30m x 15m
* Controlling depth of 9m - 12m below
MLLW
* Fendering system is of clustered timber files distributed equally alongside the wharf
* Tanks and pipelines for shipment of
molasses
Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...
Malalag Arrastre Porters and Stevedoring Multi-Purpose Coop (MAPOSTMUCO) are the cargo handling operators of general cargoes such as molasses, sugar, steel products, vehicle and heavy equipment.
Approach for Malalag Wharf is through the Malalag Bay. Ships can anchor at a depth of 21 fathoms free of hazardous underwater obstructions/currents and is notably sheltered from direct exposure to the open sea. Vessels entering the Malalag Port navigate through the south-west route of the Malalag Bay which is a tributary of the larger
Davao Gulf
Davao Gulf is a gulf situated in the southeastern portion of Mindanao in the Philippines. It has an area of or about 520,000 hectares. Davao Gulf cuts into the island of Mindanao from the Philippine Sea. It is surrounded by all five provinces ...
waters.
References
External links
Malalag Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index*
Philippine Standard Geographic CodeNational Statistical Coordination Board: Data on MalalagPhilippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Davao del Sur
Political divisions established by Philippine executive order