Barangay Tinoto in Maasim, Sarangani is Maasim's Sama Barangay. A strong majority of the population are Sama in at least three different seaside communities.  Many of the families living on the shoreline have been there for more than 60 years.  This predates the founding of General Santos, the creation of the fish port, the paving of the coastal highway, and the creation of the Sarangani province.  It predates Pacquiao Beach Resort, Susan's Beach and Lemlunay Beach Resort which are all in Barangay Tinoto and also the Conal coal power plant in the neighboring Barangay Kamanga.  This year the residents of Tinoto were informed that their homes on the shoreline will be demolished and they will be relocated to a location without shore access.

All over the Philippines most Sama homes are built on the ocean or its shoreline.  Therefore government efforts to return the ancestral domains of its people to its people have no impact on Sama ancestral domain.  They are often driven from their villages by powerful people or companies.

The Sama community of Barangay Tinoto is a model community for the Sama throughout the island of Mindanao.  The Tinoto community exemplifies the Sama's capability of working hard to make a living from the ocean while employing a wide variety of fishing techniques to adapt for the changing seasons and migrations of fishing.  Tinoto is outstanding among Sama communities for their adoption of education as a part of their cultural and community values.  Tinoto is praiseworthy for maintaining the culture and customs of the Sama people without corruption while at the same time integrating and participating in the broader Philippines society wholeheartedly.  The Tinoto community is historical.  For all these reasons, we humbly ask that the people of Sarangani, of General Santos, and of the Philippines along with those who represent them would protect the community of Tinoto and stop any and all efforts being made to remove its rightful residents from the shoreline.