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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF MAGUINDANAO
FAST FACTS
Capital : Sultan Kudarat
Area : 5,425 sq. km
Population : 674,494
Cities : Cotabato City
No. of Towns : 18
Click Here to see the List of Towns
LOCATION
Maguindanao is in central Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by
Lanao del
Sur, on the east by North Cotabato, on the west by the Moro Gulf,
and on the
south by Sultan Kudarat.
THE LAND
The eastern side of the province is part of the Cotabato plains
crisscrossed by
the Rio Grande de Mindanao and its tributaries. The western part
is
mountainous, except the area around the Cotabato City at the
mouth of the
great Mindanao River. The climate is characterized by more or
less even
distribution of rainfall throughout the year. Compared to other
provinces of
the country, Maguindanao has the lowest frequency of cloudy or
overcast
days.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Maguindanao means "people of the flooded plains."
Mindanao itself was
derived form the word danao, meaning "inundation of a river,
lake or sea."
Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan of Johore introduced Islam in the
area at
the end of the 15th century. He subsequently married a local
princess and
established the Sultanate of Maguindanao. The Cotabato Valley
formed the
sultanate's heartland but its influence extended from the
Zamboanga peninsula
to Sarangani Bay and Davao. The Spaniards launched expeditions to
subdue
the area throughout the colonial era but they never gained
control of the
middle of the 19th century.
During the American period, Cotabato became a district of the
Moro Province
created in 1903 and a province of the Department of Mindanao and
Sulu in
1914. The old province of Cotabato was subsequently divided first
into North
and South Cotabato in 1966 and later, North Cotabato into three
more
provinces. Maguindanao was created in November 22, 1973 by virtue
of
Presidential Decree No. 341, along with North Cotabato and Sultan
Kudarat.
Maguindanao is the only Mulsim province of the four created out
of the
former Cotabato Province. In 1989, under Republic Act No. 6743,
it opted to
join the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao but Cotabato City
did not.
THE PEOPLE
The Maguindanaons make up about 60% of the population of the
province.
Cotabato City on the other hand, is about 60% Christian. Cultural
communities include the Tituray, T'boli, and Manobo. The main
dialects are
Cebuano and Maguindanao.
Traditionally, the Maguindanaons are rice farmer who live in the
valley.
Those near the coast have become fishermen and traders. They also
produce
fine handicrafts such as brassware, hand-woven malongs, mats, and
baskets.
They are musically instrument. Their kulintang ensemble has two
more large
gongs than that of the Maranaos. The Tirurays are found in Dinaig
and in the
densely forested hills. They are basically a horseriding people
living in
communal households. They practice kaingin farming, supplemented
by
hunting and weaving into vines and rattan into baskets, bags and
hats.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Maguindanao is primarily agricultural. corn, rice and coconut are
the major
crops. It has substantial timber reserves, especially in Buldon
in the north and
Upi in the south. The Mindanao River with its swampy delta and
the many
brackish-water fishponds in the area supply the province with
fish and other
fishery products. Fish from Illana Bay are landed at Cotabato
City as the
regional trading center. The main inter-island port, however, is
in Polloc, 26
km. north of the city.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:January 19, 1999.
