Original name: Malapatan
Geographical Location: South Cotabato, Region 11, Philippines, Asia
Geographical Coordinates: 5° 58′ 3″ North, 125° 17′ 17″ East

Malapatan Sarangani Province

 

Malapatan is strategically located between the Municipality of Alabel, the capital town of Sarangani Province, and the Municipality of Glan, considered the tourism capital of Sarangani with its famous white beautiful beaches in Barangay Gumasa. Going to Malapatan from the City of General Santos to the north, one can pass by long stretches of mangrove areas and beautiful sceneries along its coastal roads. Malapatan is one of the seven (7) Municipalities of Sarangani Province, one of the four (4) component Provinces and a Cities of Region 12, often referred to as the SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and Gen. Santos City) Region situated to the south of Sarangani Province, approximately 16 kilometers from the Provincial Capital in the capital Municipality of Alabel, and 31 kilometers from the highly urbanized City of General Santos. It is bounded to the north by the Municipality of Alabel, to the south by the Municipality of Glan, to the east by the Province of Davao Occidental, and to the west by Sarangani Bay, a protected seascape.

Municipality of Malapatan is endowed with rich Maguindanaon and Blaan culture. It hosts the School of Living Tradition for Mat Weaving in Sitio Upper Lasang, Barangay Sapu Masla, Malapatan, Sarangani Province. This flourishing community of Malapatan, considered as the last frontier of the maguindanao culture, boasts of a colorful tapestry of culture blended with vibrant sounds in a landscape of tri-people peacefully coexisting – Blaans, Maguindanaons, and the settlers.

The name Malapatan was derived from two Blaan words “malah” referring to “red hot pepper”, and “fatan” referring to a location or place. Hence, the name Malapatan means a place where there is abundant red-hot pepper. The Blaan is the indigenous people (or the native inhabitants) who have been occupying Malapatan since time immemorial. And, as a tribe or indigenous people, they represent the majority population in the Municipality up to the present times.

Malapatan was created a Municipality in 1969 under Republic Act No. 5823, “An Act Creating the Municipality of Malapatan in the Province of South Cotabato”. However, in March 1992, a new Province of Sarangani was carved out of the southern territory of South Cotabato Province along the Sarangani Bay area. And Malapatan was placed as one of the seven Municipalities within the political jurisdiction of the newly created Province. On June 21, 1969, the Congress of the Philippines enacted House Bill no. 18291, otherwise known as Republic Act No. 5823, proclaiming the charter of Malapatan and separating itself from Glan the mother municipality. Originally, upon its creation Municipality of Malapatan was composed of seven (7) barangays namely; Libi, Lun Masla, Lun Padidu, Poblacion, Sapu Masla, Sapu padidu, and Tuyan. In December 1972, Daan Suyan and Kinam were created as barangays of this municipality. In 1974, the influx of migrants from Luzon and Visayas and their encroachment of the ancestral lands of the native inhabitants triggered an armed conflict, creating armed groups such as the Ilaga and Black Shirt. This armed conflict became a major hindrance in the development of the newly created municipality. The coming of the 1980’s softened the conflict and on March 14, 1985, Patag and Upper Suyan were created as regular barangays and on August 29, 1991, barangay Kihan was created as barangay, making a total of twelve (12) barangays in the municipality of Malapatan.

Cultural festivals, Barangay anniversaries, and other festivities are being bannered and promoted by Malapatan as potential “magnets” to attract visitors and tourists to the Municipality. The biggest of these festivals is the Pakaradyan Festival, an annual festivity that is integrated into the Annual Founding Anniversary celebration of Malapatan. This is a fitting cultural festival as the Municipality is dominated by the native inhabitants, the Blaan, and the Maguindanaons.

The festival of the municipality is called Pakaradyan Festival and faith-based festivities in the barangays are well-celebrated and attended. Pakaradyan is a Maguindanoan term for celebratory feast which may come as a wedding celebration, Qadtamat (Qur’an Reading), tanda (baptismal rite), salungguni (pamanhikan), and the likes. Its equivalent to non-Maguindanaons would be any Filipino fiesta celebration, and elaborate meal attended by many guests, often held in honor of a particular occasion. Pakaradyan festival features the Maguindanao culture and tradition showcased through exhibits, products demonstration, and shows of dances and songs. The festivity was successful, having been able to generate high people participation, and attract tourists and visitors from outside Malapatan. The Pakaradyan Festival symbolizes the harmonious, peaceful co-existence of tri-people in one community of the municipality of Malapatan and is celebrated every month of June of every year, serving as the festival of all festivals in Malapatan. This endeavor is in fact part and parcel of the Municipality’s Revival and Promotion of Culture Program as a means of strengthening peace and development initiatives, not only for the municipality but for the whole of Sarangani Province as well. There are a lot of potential sites as tourist attractions in Malapatan. The common theme for these potentials is eco-cultural tourism, considering the many unique and amazing cultural and ecological endowments of the community.

The updating of Strategic Tourism Development Plan in the Municipality is in line with the Tourism Act of 2009, or Republic Act 9593, must follow the path by which its development was undertaken-one that coordinates, synchronizes and unifies efforts is vital because more than consistency in crafting and implementation, this document also provides strategic direction and guide to grow and develop tourism in the municipality of Malapatan where each sector must find its specific place and value. The participation among stakeholders is foreseen to optimize the municipality’s potentials for tourism and can contribute to the growth and development of the local economy.