Mati, Davao Oriental

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"Mati City" redirects here. For other uses, see Mati (disambiguation).

Mati
Component City

City of Mati

Capitol Hill

Seal

Nickname(s):
"Coconut Capital of the Philippines"

Map of Davao Oriental with Mati highlighted

Mati
Location in the Philippines

Coordinates:

0657N 12614ECoordinates:

0657N 12614E

Country

Philippines

Region

Davao (Region XI)

Province

Davao Oriental

District

2nd District of Davao Oriental

Founded

1861

Incorporated

1903

Cityhood

June 16, 2007

Barangays

26

Government[1]
Mayor

Carlo Luis P. Rabat (PDP-LABAN)

Vice Mayor

Glenda Rabat-Gayta (PDP-LABAN)

Area[2]
Total

588.63 km2 (227.27 sq mi)

Population (2015)[3]
Total

141,141

Density

240/km2 (620/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Matinian

Time zone

PHT (UTC+8)

ZIP code

8200

Dialing code

87

Income class

5th class

Website

mati.gov.ph

Mati is the only city in, and the capital of the Province of Davao Oriental, Philippines, located on the
south-eastern side of Mindanao. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 141,141
people.[3] Residents of Mati are called Matinians.
Contents
[hide]

1Barangays

2History
o

2.1Cityhood issues

2.2Developments for 2012

3Demographics
o

3.1Ethnicity and Languages

3.2Religion

4Economy
o

4.1Tourism

5Culture and festivals

6Transportation

7Sister cities

8References

9External links

Barangays[edit]
Mati is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.[2] In 1957, the barrio then known as Cabuaya was
renamed to Dawan.[4]

Badas

Bobon

Buso

Cabuaya

Central (City Proper/Poblacion)

Culian

Dahican

Danao

Dawan

Don Enrique Lopez

Don Martin Marundan

Don Salvador Lopez, Sr.

Langka

Lawigan

Libudon

Luban

Macambol

Mamali

Matiao

Mayo

Sainz

Sanghay

Tagabakid

Tagbinonga

Taguibo

Tamisan

History[edit]
Mati comes from the Mandayan word Maa-ti which refers to the town's creek that easily dries up
even after heavy rain. Pioneer settlers were tribes Kalagan, Mandayan, and Maranao which carried
strong Arabic and Indo-Malayan influences.
Captain Prudencio Garcia, the pioneer political-military head in 1861, and his comrade Juan
Nazareno founded Mati and two other towns in Davao Oriental. By 1903, Mati was declared a
municipality by virtue of Act No. 21. By 1907, Act No. 189 further reaffirmed the establishment of its
local government. Francisco Rojas was the first appointed mayor while the first elected mayor was
Patricio Cunanan in 1923. Mati became the capital of Davao Oriental since 1967.
The Japanese Imperial forces landed in town and occupied most of eastern Davao region in 1942.
Mati was liberated in 1945 by the Allied Philippine Commonwealth troops of the 6th, 10th, 101st,
102nd, 103rd, 104th, 106th, 107th and 110th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army,
10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary and the Davaoeo guerrilla units. Mati
celebrated its grand centennial in 2003.

Cityhood issues[edit]
Cityhood history
[show]

The Baywalk of Mati

Developments for 2012[edit]

After it reclaimed its cityhood status, the local government of the City of Mati focused on infra and
eco-tourism projects in 2012 to give the local economy a boost. The local government also improved
its education program with the construction of additional school buildings, allotted a bigger budget for
health services, and started a housing project worth P13.5 million in Guang-guang. ii

Demographics[edit]
Population census of Mati City

Source: National Statistics Office[3][13]

Ethnicity and Languages[edit]

Cebuano is the widely spoken language and the corresponding ethnicity accounts for 68.5% of the
total household population according to a 2000 census. Mandaya ranks second with 12.74%
followed by Kalagan and Boholano with 6.87% and 3.05% respectively. Residents of Mati are
migrants from Visayas who came for employment opportunities in logging, mining, farming, fishing,
trading and teaching.[14]

Religion[edit]
Roman Catholicism is the major religious group, comprising the 80% of the total population. Islam
comes in second with 8 percent, Iglesia Ni Cristo comes in third comprising with 6 percent and a
small number of believers of other Christian groups like the United Church of Christ and Seventh
Day Adventist are in the city as well.[14]
The Cathedral of San Nicolas de Tolentino is the center of Diocese of Mati under the jurisdiction
of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Davao or DADITAMA.

Economy[edit]
This region is linked to the markets of Mindanao, Malaysia and Indonesia. Most of the local people
rely on agriculture and agro-industries for a living. Exports include bananas, pineapples, coconuts
and fish. Because of its tropical nature and beaches, tourism is a rapidly growing business. Mining is
also a contributor to the city's economy, due to the large deposits of copper in the city outskirts. [15]

Tourism[edit]

Pujada Bay and Sleeping Dinosaur Island, view from Badas Point

Mati offers beautiful landscapes and a number of beautiful resorts. The Provincial Capitol building
and park rises atop the hill commanding a fantastic view of the Pujada Bay. Other locations that offer
a bird's-eye view of the city are the Mati Tourism Complex and Badas Viewdeck.
Dahican Beach
Mati has always been known as a beach destination, with foreigners flocking to the city to enjoy what
its beaches have to offer. Dahican is one of the most popular destinations in Mati with its 17kilometer pure, fine white sand shore. It has recently become a prime destination for surfers and
skimboarders. Pujada Bay boasts 15,700 species of sea life and has been considered as among the
richest bays in Southeast Asia. As such, locals take measures to preserve the diversity of marine life,
protecting animals like lobsters, sea cows (locally known as Dugong), bottlenose dolphins,
hammerhead sharks, manta rays and different kinds of turtles.
Recently, skimboarding, surfing, and frisbee sports have established a wide fandom among young
locals with Dahican being the favorite hub for tournaments in the region.
Mati is home to three protected areas, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mati
Protected Landscape, and Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape.
Mindanao SAGA Flying Club

The Quicksilver Sport 2S of the Mindanao SAGA Flying Club flying over Dahican Beach

The Mindanao SAGA Flying Club (MSFC), located at the Mati National Airport in Barangay Dahican,
is an Ultralight aircraft flying facility that offers trial flights and flying lessons. Fast becoming the
major attraction in Mati, MSFC has introduced a safe, affordable, and an exciting way to see the
majestic scenery of the city like no one has seen before. The Quicksilver Sport 2S ultralight is the
favorite of visitors owing to its open cockpit that gives the passenger an unrestricted view of the
landscape and the feeling of ultimate freedom in the air.

One of the attraction in Mati Park and Baywalk.

Culture and festivals[edit]

Mati celebrates two annual grand festivals: the Pujada Bay Festival every June, and the Sambuokan
Festival every October. Compared to the Kadayawan of Davao and other festivals, both of Mati's are
relatively new. The Pujada Bay Festival started in 2004 to promote and protect the Pujada Bay, while
the Sambuokan Festival started in 2001 to unite Matinians during the commemoration of the
municipality's founding anniversary every October 29. In years, both festivals have become
alternative tourist destinations as competitors from various regions in the country start pouring in for
competitions like streetdancing, boat racing, skimboarding, and frisbee.

Transportation[edit]
The pedicab or tricycle is the major means of transportation around the city. In recent
years, underbone motorcycles have earned quite a popularity among professionals and students,
thus easily becoming a public transport alternative to commuters who prefer more
speed. Jeepneys are available for travels from Mati to its neighboring towns while vans and buses
are still the only means of transportation from Mati to other cities.
Mati Airport is to commence scheduled operations between late 2012 and early 2013. [15]

Sister cities[edit]

Tagum, Davao del Norte