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]

Quick Facts Other transcription(s), • Jawi ...

Matalam
Municipality
Municipality of Matalam
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	متالم
Matalam Rotonda
Flag Seal
Map of Cotabato with Matalam highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Matalam Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 7°05′N 124°54′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Soccsksargen
Province	Cotabato
District	3rd district
Founded	December 29, 1961
Barangays	34 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Oscar M. Valdevieso
• Vice Mayor	Cheryl V. Catamco
• Representative	Jose I. Tejada
• Electorate	52,232 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	476.00 km2 (183.78 sq mi)
Elevation	42 m (138 ft)
Highest elevation	101 m (331 ft)
Lowest elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	81,355
• Density	170/km2 (440/sq mi)
• Households	20,071
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	35.90 % (2018)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 296.3 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 1,150 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 229.8 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 230.6 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Cotabato Electric Cooperative (COTELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	9406
PSGC	124708000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)64
Native languages	Hiligaynon Cebuano Maguindanao Ilianen Tagalog
Website	matalam.gov.ph

Close

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.

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 President Carlos 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]

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.

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.

Ilianen Manobo and Maguindanaon are the native inhabitants of the municipality.

Poverty Incidence of Matalam

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[20][21]
[22][23][24][25][26]}

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.