Malungon, Sarangani
Definition
Malungon is a first-income-class municipality in Sarangani, Soccsksargen (Region XII), Philippines. Located in the province’s north-east and the only landlocked municipality of Sarangani, it covers 750.92 square kilometers (289.93 sq mi) — the largest in the province — and has 31 barangays, with a population of 105,465 in the 2020 census. Its economy is largely agricultural, with copra and animal husbandry as leading earners.
Identities (Wikipedia/Wikidata/DBpedia)
- Wikipedia: Malungon, Sarangani
- Wikidata: Q174468
- DBpedia: Malungon, Sarangani
Also Known As
Malungon is known as a major coconut-producing (copra) and livestock-raising municipality. As the only landlocked town of Sarangani, it is also distinguished from the province’s coastal towns by its inland, upland character.
Examples and Analogies
Malungon is to Sarangani what a vast inland hinterland is to a coastal province: a productive interior that anchors the farm economy while neighboring towns handle maritime trade. Its copra output resembles other upland coconut regions of Mindanao.
Usage Scenarios
Malungon is referenced in agricultural economics, indigenous-peoples studies (Blaan communities), and regional land-use planning. Its proximity to General Santos City makes it part of that city’s agricultural catchment and labor-shed.
Strategies
Strategies focus on intensifying copra and coconut value chains, expanding cattle and livestock industries, improving upland roads, and supporting indigenous livelihoods and cultural preservation. Proximity to General Santos is leveraged for market access.
Security and Safety Measures
As a large landlocked municipality bordering other provinces, Malungon coordinates inter-jurisdictional peace and order, manages upland landslide and wildfire risks, and supports community policing across widely dispersed barangays.
Historical Context
Malungon was formerly part of the municipality of General Santos before becoming separate through Republic Act No. 5522, approved on June 21, 1969. It became part of the new province of Sarangani in 1992, when the province was carved out of South Cotabato.
Challenges and Controversies
Malungon faces challenges typical of large, sparsely serviced inland municipalities: delivering services across a vast area, protecting upland watersheds and indigenous ancestral domains, balancing plantation and smallholder interests, and mitigating remote-area poverty.
Related Topic
General Santos City