Matalam, officially the Municipality of Matalam (Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Matalam; Cebuano: Lungsod sa Matalam; Maguindanaon: Inged nu Matalam, Jawi: ايڠد نو متالم; Tagalog: Bayan ng Matalam), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,355 people.[3]
Etymology
The municipality takes its name from a former provincial governor Datu Udtog Matalam, which in turn, the word "Matalam" means 'weaponry or arms' in Maguindanaon.
History
The municipality of Matalam before its creation into a regular municipality was just a mere sitio of Kilada called "Crossing M'lang" within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Kabacan. Because of its strategic location coupled with the desire of the people, petitioned the provincial and national government for its creation into a regular municipality. This municipality, at that time the 32rd in Cotabato, was named after the father of the Province, Governor Datu Udtog Matalam, in acknowledgement of his untiring efforts for the development and creation of the place.[5]
Matalam is one of the five daughter municipalities of Kidapawan. It was formed through Executive Order No. 461, issued by PresidentCarlos P. Garcia on December 29, 1961; with the western territory of Kidapawan being taken and merged with that from M'lang, another daughter town, and Kabacan. The creation caused splitting of the village of Patadon into two. With this creation, Kidapawan and Kabacan, neighbored since precolonial era, were cut off.[6]
The municipal council of Kidapawan, among those who opposed the partition of the mother town, called such creation a "midnight" act by President Garcia who had lost in the election, and filed a petition urging the following President, Diosdado Macapagal, to cancel the establishment of Matalam, but later failed.[6]
A portion of the municipality would separate into two President Roxas, another daughter town of Kidapawan which was partitioned in 1967; the area separated to create Antipas, through Batas Pambansa Blg. 88 of 1980.[6]
Geography
Matalam is a palm shape municipality. It is centrally located right at the heart of the province of Cotabato. It is bounded on the east by the municipality of Kidapawan; on the west by Kabacan; on the south by M’lang and on the north by the Municipalities of President Roxas and Carmen. It lies along the Cotabato-Davao National Highway occupying the large portion of the Arakan Valley.
Barangays
Matalam is politically subdivided into 34 barangays.[7] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
Matalam belongs to the 4th type of climate, which is characterized by a more or less even distribution of rainfall throughout the year. The municipality has an average rainfall of 13.63 inches (346 mm). The heaviest rainfall months of the year are May, June and July. The prevailing wind direction is from west to east. Matalam is geographically located outside typhoon belt. Normal condition temperature ranges from 28 to 38 °C (82 to 100 °F), the month of April being the hottest month, while the coldest month of the year is December.
In the 2020 census, the population of Matalam, Cotabato, was 81,355 people,[3] with a density of 170 inhabitants per square kilometre or 440 inhabitants per square mile.
A number of significant road accidents have occurred on the main highway in Matalam since 2018, which include motorcycle and other vehicular accidents.[13] In 2018, two women died in a motorcycle accident after running over the passing dump truck along the national highway.[14] Cotabato-based journalist Moh Saaduddin mourned the demise of a colleague after they were killed in a motorcycle accident that rammed a cargo truck.[15] On December 19, 2018, 16 people were injured in a Matalam road crash.[16]
Three people were killed and two other injured after Toyota Hilux pickup truck slammed a passing tricycle and a vehicle along Matalam to Kabacan highway road in January 2019.[17] On June 1, 2019, three died in a freak accident involving community FM radio Benny Queman, who was detained by police after hitting motorcycle along Matalam to M'lang highway road in the Philippines.[18] On July 13, 2019, four people died and other three were injured in highway road accident in Matalam,.[19]
Matalam's market and other commercial establishments are the hub of activity in the area. Commercial establishments in the town include the following: bakeries, gasoline dealers, copra dealers, sari-sari stores, beta houses, carenderias, hardware, grains retailers, fish dealers, and many more.
Rice, corn and copra are commodities which are very much in demand in the local trade. Due to lack of supply, rice and corn grits are sometimes brought in from the mainland. These are retailed in the market for local consumption.
Mineral resources is found on the mountainous portion with properties such as shale sandstone, conglomerate, limestone, igneous rock and other volcanic materials.
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