Matanao


Matanao, officially the Municipality of Matanao, is a municipality in the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. At the 2020 census it had a population of 60,493 people. It is situated on the island of Mindanao, the second-largest and southernmost major island in the Philippines.
Matanao is bordered in the west by the town of Columbio, in the province of Sultan Kudarat, in the north by the towns of Magsaysay and Bansalan, in the east by Hagonoy and the city of Digos, and in the south by Kiblawan and Padada.
WWW matanao.gov.ph

History

On June 17, 1957, some of the barrios of the municipality of Bansalan namely Kibao, San Vicente, Kibuaya, Managa Km. 67, Sinawilan, New Visayas, Sacub, Upper Malabang, Tibongbong, Sinaragan, Maliit Digos, Kapok, Tamlangon, Manga, Buas, New Katipunan, Da-Anama, Upper Kauswagan, Kagaulas, Kabasagan, Tuwak, Mal, Latian, Lanturi, Dongan-Pekong, La Union, Kauswagan, and Paitan were grouped and constituted into a new and independent municipality known as Matanao.
Matanao means a place or something to see or witness at a vantage point. In the earlier days, the place was known as "Matin-aw", a term used to mean clear. The name is derived from the crystal-clear brooks and rivers that abound in the area. No one could exactly tell how, when and why "Matin-aw" became Matanao.
In 1920, long before Matanao was formally created into a municipality, Buas had already existed as a barangay of Santa Cruz inhabited by tribal minorities, the Blaans with Datu Edu Gamban as their recognized leader. In 1927, migrants from the Visayas led by the late Rosendo Javelona and his family came to the place. Protestantism was spread by one Pastor Diamonon through the Javelonas. Ranchers also invaded the place and have for themselves large homesteads. Ten years later, sometime in 1937, scores of Cebuanos came. Among them were Ildefonso Chavez, Roman Albarracin and Crispin Puerto and their kins. The next batch of Cebuanos came in the 1940s including the Famor and Relatado Clan.
Countless batches of migrants from Luzon and Visayas flocked to the place and various cultural influences account for what Matanao is today. The people of the municipality is a blend of Cebuanos, Ilonggos, Bicolanos, Boholanos, Ilocanos, Zamboanguenos, Tagalogs, Blaans, Calagans and Bagobos, Babel of dialects was experienced by the people in the place, but Cebuano came out to be the dominating language upon assimilation into the majority society of Cebuano-speakers, thus, becoming the mother tongue of the municipality up to this day.

Geography

Matanao is located in the province of Davao del Sur in Region XI Davao Region on Mindanao Island. The municipality Matanao is about west-south-west of province capital City Of Digos and about south-south-east of Philippine main capital Manila.

Barangays

Matanao is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks, while some have sitios.
The poblacion forms the center of the municipality whereas the other 32 are in the outlying areas which several kilometers away from the town.
BarangaysPSG-CodeUrban/ruralPopulation
Asbang112410001rural1,082
Asinan112410002rural623
Bagumbayan112410003rural470
Bangkal112410004rural3,136
Buas112410005rural836
Buri112410006rural2,318
Camanchiles112410007rural1,218
Ceboza112410008rural618
Colonsabak112410009rural1,619
Dongan-Pekong112410010rural1,536
Kabasagan112410012rural2,034
Kapok112410013rural1,151
Kauswagan112410014rural1,474
Kibao112410015rural617
La Suerte112410016rural1,685
Langa-an112410017rural665
Lower Marber112410019rural1,309
Cabligan 112410021rural1,492
Manga112410022rural3,569
New Katipunan112410023rural1,909
New Murcia112410024rural1,321
New Visayas112410025rural2,367
Poblacion112410026urban4,969
Saboy112410027rural1,730
San Jose112410028rural1,128
San Miguel112410029rural501
San Vicente112410030rural732
Saub112410031rural467
Sinaragan112410032rural1,448
Sinawilan112410033rural4,016
Tamlangon112410034rural782
Towak112410035rural1,793
Tibongbong112410036rural767

Climate

Hot and humid most of the year. May to November is typhoon season. The mean annual temperature of the municipality is between. The annual rainfall ranges from. The coldest part of the year is usually from December to February, and the hottest months are April and May. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

Economy

Although predominantly a rice-farming municipality, Matanao is a growing area for banana cultivation, with Cavendish and Lakatan banana plantations established in barangays Manga, Dongan-Pekong and Saboy.