Malita, officially the Municipality of 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.
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.
Geography
Climate
Barangays
Malita is subdivided into 30 barangays: 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
Economy
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 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
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)