Magpet

Magpet
Municipality
Map of Cotabato with Magpet highlighted
Country	Philippines
Region	SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII)
Province	Cotabato
District	2nd District of Cotabato
Incorporated	June 22, 1963
Barangays	32
Government
• Mayor	Florentino Gonzaga
• Vice Mayor	Rogelio Marañon
Area
• Total	755.36 km2 (291.65 sq mi)
Elevation	300 m (1,000 ft)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	53,800
• Density	71/km2 (180/sq mi)
Demonym	Magpeteños
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	9404
IDD : area code	+63 (0)64
Income class	1st municipal income class
PSGC	124706000
Electorate	36,959 voters (2022)
Website	www.magpet.gov.ph

Magpet is a first class municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,800 people.

History

Magpet derived its name from the word “malotpot” which means “a place where people gather in fellowship to partake of their packed lunch wrapped in banana leaves”.

An anonymous lexicographer inadvertently shortened the word “Linoppot” to “Maupot”. Much later and further spelled into “MAGPET” by a certain forester in his survey report. Consequently, the word “Magpet” stuck not only to mean the place but also the stream of the cool, fresh and clean water. By the present connotation, Magpet means “the verdant lands of countless waters”.

The life of the early year’s settlers and inhabitants of Magpet was a tale of survival and fortitude. Their lives were always in danger. Bloodthirsty malarial mosquito’s attacked them. Grandparents often told their grandchildren the stories “about eating their meals inside the mosquito nets” because “mosquitoes were as big as bees”.

Yet, all the hardships and suffering, and even death of the early settlers only served to strengthen their decision to stay and utilize the vast natural resources of Magpet. The land was very fertile and varieties of fishes were found in the rivers and streams, and on the woodlands, wild pigs, deer and birds are plentiful. Food was not a problem during that period, but rather, marketing of production surplus and purchase of basic commodities. They traveled for days and weeks in order to sell their crops to the nearest trading centers and they needed salt, sugar, matches and soap for daily needs.

Geography

The municipality of Magpet is located in the eastern part of Cotabato Province and at the foothills of Mt. Apo with generally a sloping to mountainous terrain. Furthermore, it is a landlocked municipality located at the boundary of the provinces of Cotabato and Davao del Sur. It is bounded on the North by the Municipality of Arakan; on the East by Davao City, on the West by President Roxas and Antipas and 9.0 km on the South by Kidapawan City of Cotabato Province. The municipality lies between the latitude 7º 6.178’ N and longitude 125º 7.461’ E.

Land Area

The municipality has an area of approximately 75,536 hectares, 0.98% (744 hectares) of which covers the urban area, while 99.02% (74,792 hectares) of land is for rural area. Based on the Municipality Socio-Economic Profile the municipality has 35 barangays, classified into 1 urban area; the Poblacion and rest (34) are rural area.

Topography & Soil

The geographic feature of Magpet reveals a marked landscape of plains, scattered small hills, rugged slopes and mountains. The municipality’s area of 75,536 hectares is broadly categorized into 50.81% alienable and disposable, while the remaining 49.19% or around 37,156 hectares are forests and unclassified public lands. Magpet is located far from seas but it is gifted with numerous inland water bodies such as Lake Maraum, the Mab’bu, Bongolanon and Tagibaka Waterfalls, Boay-Boay spring, marshlands and four (4) big rivers such as Kabacan, Magpet, Marble and Mabato Rivers. These rivers also serve as the natural drainage flow of the municipality’s wastes aside from being a source of water for agricultural and domestic needs. These rivers could provide sufficient water for irrigation purposes. Also, it could be tapped to provide hydroelectric power.

Magpet is situated between 100 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The municipality is nestled at the foothills of the majestic Mount Apo. Barangay Imamaling has the highest elevation of 1,100 meters above sea level (masl).

Income and Poverty Incidence

The municipality has a huge area for agricultural and mostly the people are farmers and their income derived from farming activities. The average annual family income is Php 83,053 or an average monthly income of Php 6,921. Wages and salaries as well as entrepreneurial is also as their main income for workers, individual or self employed income earners has been noted also in the municipality like skylab or single motorcycle driver, tricycle drivers, market and ambulant vendors and among others. The data of poverty incidence of the municipality from the Philippine Statistic Authority, 2012 show that poverty incidence of Magpet is 43.9% in 2006, 36.7% in 2009 and 48.9% in 2012.

Roads and Bridges

Magpet has a total road length of 310.91 kilometers of which 38.30 kilometers National Road,25.30 kilometers Provincial Road ,8.073 kilometers Municipal Road and 239.237 Barangay road. These roads are categorized into: Concrete (84.37 km), Asphalt (1.05 km), Gravel (116.17 km), and Earth/ unpaved (109.30 km). There are 6 bridges and 2 double barrel box culvert along the national highway of Kidapawan-Magpet-Pangao-an Road (KMP) which include 2 FVR type steel bridge and 4 RCDG bridge and 3 bridges and 2 double barrel box culvert along Magpet- Binay- Basak-Temporan Road which include 3 RCDG bridges, in the provincial road along kisandal-Bongolanon-Magcaalam-Bangkal-Manobo there are 3 bridges, 1 double barrel box culvert and 1 overflow bridge, these 2 bridges are RCDG type of bridges and 1 bailey bridge in Manobo that need immediate repair. Generally the bridges along these national and provincial roads are in good condition but it need maintenance and rehabilitation to make it sure to sustain durability of the structure. It needs to construct new RCDG bridge in Tagibaka river, Bongolanon. In other hand, in the barangay roads almost all rivers and creeks has an existing bridges and overflow bridges, like the 21 lm bailey bridge in Brgy. Ilian, 18 lm bailey bridge in Bangkal, and RCDG bridge in Sitio Namuwaran in Manobisa, RCDG bridge in Tagibaka, Magcaalam. So far all this existing bridges and overflow bridges are in good conditions.

Transportation

Most areas in the municipality can be reached by any type of transportation especially in the major road networks, but the people prefer to used skylab or single motorcycle type of transportation for the fast transportation especially in the rural barangays. Tricycle is the mode of transportation in going to nearby city of Kidapawan. There are also jeepneys plying in the northern part of the municipality.

Power

Almost all of the brgy.in the municipality has already power energy service by Cotabato Electric Cooperative (COTELCO) but this can be found near the electric transmission line and the center of the brgy., but in the sitio power services is still need to be implemented.

Major Economic Activity

Magpet primary income is coming from agriculture, this is because of huge potential area for agriculture development, and the major agricultural product produce are rubber, banana both lacatan and cardava, coconuts, coffee and frits. While the minor products, rice and corn, root crops,Tahiti and vegetables,etc. The municipality is not so much a meat and poultry producing municipality, but mostly a small or a backyard poultry and hog raising only.

Rice production in Magpet is only 1.16% or 1,028 hectares of the total land area with another 1.50% or 1,115 hectares as potential area due to its land topography, which is mostly hilly or mountainous.

Magpet is the No. 1 Banana producing municipality in the Province of North Cotabato. Knowing Magpet has a cool climate and high elevation, favourable in growing large and sweet variety of highland lacatan banana.

Of all the commodity crops planted, Lacatan banana is the no. 1 income generating in the municipality. It covers the entire barangays in Magpet, while some areas identified as rice and corn commodity were subsequently converted into banana plantation areas. About 25% or a total of 171 hectares were converted into banana production.

Banana covers the largest plantation area in the municipality with a total of 2,123.30 hectares and has a total of 940,531,500.00 metric tons per year as of December 31, 2013 data. ThisLacatan banana variety is being sold to the local market and transported to Cities like Manila, Cebu, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro via Davao City.

Many Banana Plantation Companies like SUMIFRU and DOLE Stanfilco grow Cavendish bananas in the northern and southwest portion of the municipality. This banana variety is exported to Middle East countries and Central Asia countries like China, Singapore and others. It provides employment to local farmers who do not have a farm of their own to till.

SUMIFRU (Philippines) Corporation operates a plantation in Barangays DatuCelo, Basak, &Bagumbayan from 150 land owners. The plantation covers a productive area of 48 has and produces an average of 700 boxes/has/year of banana.

Businesses in the municipality are dominated by small to medium-scale establishments engaged mostly in the distribution of finished products. As of 2010, number of registered business establishments totaled to 1,455 (New – 735; Renewal – 720).

Tourism industry is also a very potential entrepreneur in the municipality, this give income to the LGU. Mostly tourist spot was developed by the LGU like in Tausuvan water falls and Kirongdong water falls in Kinarum. There are also private operated resort in the municipality, Leal family resort the Sitio Maupot in Pangao-an, river and swimming pool resort in Bantac

Barangays

Magpet is politically subdivided into 32 barangays. 

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Demographics

Population census of Magpet

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1970	30,869	—
1975	43,983	+7.36%
1980	47,286	+1.46%
1990	55,399	+1.60%
1995	35,256	−8.12%
2000	38,973	+2.17%
2007	44,114	+1.72%
2010	45,183	+0.88%
2015	49,201	+1.64%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

In the 2020 census, the population of Magpet, Cotabato, was 53,800 people, with a density of 71 inhabitants per square kilometre or 180 inhabitants per square mile.

Natural resources

Water

Several rivers located in Magpet are being tapped for irrigation development and potential for hydro power plants. Others are the major tributaries to Kabacan River, which flows to many barangays of Magpet, to the Municipalities of Pres. Roxas, Matalam, Kabacan, Carmen and connects with Pulangi River. As a major source of water supply, it served for irrigation purposes, servicing thousands of hectares of rice fields not only in the Municipality of Magpet, but also in the various areas of the Province as well. Magpet is serviced by two public water system (Level III) by the Metro Kidapawan Water District(MKWD) servicing to barangays Bongolanon, Kisandal, Tagbak, Poblacion and Gubatan. While Magpet Water Works Services (MWWS), a water system owned an managed by the Local Government Unit extend its services to barangyas Magkaalam, Tagbak, Poblacion, Owas, Kamada, Gubatan, Kauswagan, Alibayon, Del Pilar, Inac, Doles, Binay, Bantac and Pangao-an . Other barangays have their own system the The Barangay Water Sanitation (BAWASA), a level III and level II water system.

Minerals

Mineral products found in the municipality of Magpet include non-metallic like limestone, sand and gravel which are the basic good materials for constructions while the red and white clay, considered as among the best in the country, are good materials for ceramic production. These can be found particularly in the barangays of Doles, Inca and Noa. Metallic minerals include gold, nickel and silver.

Tourist attractions

• Towsuvan Falls located at the foothills of Mount Apo in the town of Magpet. Crystal-clear water that offer a cool respite to a trek through lush forests, with a 20–30 metres (66–98 ft) drop of water with a natural pool. Its temperature may drop to 6 °C (43 °F) at night.
• Kirongdong Falls and Rainforests located at Kinarum, Magpet, with a drop of water between 70 to 80 metres (230 to 260 ft) surrounded by mountain ranges and cliffs.
• Mabu Falls and Rainforest located at Manobo, Magpet. About 120 metres (390 ft) high waterfalls and blessed with bed of flowers and century Cinnamon and Almaciga trees in the surroundings.
• Grace Tropical Resort located at Pangao-an, Magpet, with a 3 hectares (7.4 acres) orchard.
• Manobo Tribal Village locatec at Manobo, Magpet. It is one of the entry point to Mt. Apo via Lake Venado.
• Dallag Tribal Village located at Manobo, Magpet. It has an area of 400 hectares (990 acres) and nestled at about 400 metres (1,300 ft) above sea level and it is inhabited with indigenous Manobo tribes.
• Sitio Maupot Family Resort located at Crossing Kamatis, barangay Pangao-an, Magpet. The scenic venue for all occasions. A Bali inspired resort facing the Majestic Mt. Apo. https://www.facebook.com/sitiomaupotfamilyresort/

Vision

Magpet is a major water resource provider and the eco-tourism capital of the Province of Cotabato in an agri-industrial town of well-managed natural resources in an ecologically balanced environment inhabited by productive, healthy and empowered cultural sensitive people enjoying accessible facilities and services governed by transparent, accountable leadership working towards a dynamic economy and sustainable development.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System