Maguindanao

This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, see Maguindanao (disambiguation).

Maguindanao
Province
{{#property:P41}} Flag {{#property:P158}} Seal
{{#property:P242}} Location in the Philippines
Coordinates:
Country	[[{{#property:P17}}]]
Region	Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
Founded	November 22, 1973
Capital	Shariff Aguak
Government
• Governor	Esmael Mangudadatu (Liberal Party)
• Vice Governor	Lester Sinsuat (Liberal Party)
Area
• Total	5,970.53 km2 (2,305.23 sq mi)
Area rank	11th out of 81
	Excluding Cotabato City
Population ()
• Total	{{#property:P1,082}}
• Rank	26th out of 81
• Density rank	52nd out of 81
	Excluding Cotabato City
Divisions
• Independent cities	1
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	36
• Barangays	508 including independent cities: 545
• Districts	1st and 2nd districts of Maguindanao (shared with Cotabato City)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
Dialing code	{{#property:P473}}
ISO 3166 code	{{#property:P300}}
Spoken languages	Bahasa Maguindanao
Website	{{#property:P856}}

Maguindanao is a province in the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south.

History

Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan of Johore introduced Islam in the area at the end of the 15th century. He subsequently married a local princess from the Maranao Tribe of Malabang and Maguindanao Province, 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 region until the middle of the 19th century after the Spaniards established a military post at what is now Barangay Tamontaka, one of the earliest Christian settlements founded south of the Philippines, in present-day Cotabato City. Spaniards already took with them Chabacanos and Chabacano-speaking Muslims from Zamboanga and Basilan and Cebuanos. Chabacanos being brought by Spaniards are the reason of existing Chabacano dialect in Cotabato City called Cotabateño, evolved from Zamboangueño.

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.

In 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces entered what is now Maguindanao.

In 1945, Maguindanao was liberated by allied Philippine Commonwealth troops and Maguindanaoan guerrilla units after defeating the Japanese Imperial forces in the Battle of Maguindanao during the Second World War.

The old province of Cotabato was divided in 1966 into Cotabato and South Cotabato. In 1973, the successor province of Cotabato was split into the provinces of Maguindanao, (North) Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

Maguindanao is the only Muslim-majority province of the four created out of the original Cotabato Province. In 1989, majority of its voters opted to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao but Cotabato City did not, which, ironically, has since served as the provisional capital of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

On October 31, 2006, Maguindanao voters approved the creation of a new province to be composed of 10 towns from the province. Of more than 500,000 voters registered, 285,372 favored the creation of the province, and 8,802 voted against it. The new province, Shariff Kabunsuan, became the country's 80th province and the 6th in the ARMM. It was composed of the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, Sultan Mastura, Parang, Buldon, Matanog and Barira. However, in July 2008, the Supreme Court nullified the province's creation, restoring its municipalities to Maguindanao.

2009 election violence

Further information: Maguindanao massacre

Maguindanao guerillas in 1999

On November 23, 2009, a 2010 gubernatorial election caravan supporting Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan, was attacked. Fifty-seven people were killed, including Mangudadatu's wife and sisters, supporters, local journalists, and bystanders. On December 4, 2009, a number of homes belonging to the Ampatuan political family were raided in connection with the massacre.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo officially declared martial law in the province of Maguindanao on December 5, 2009, Saturday morning.

In a press conference past 7 am, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced Proclamation No. 1959 declaring a state of martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the province of Maguindanao, except for certain areas identified as bailiwicks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) separatists.

The 44 police officers who perished during the clash.

The declaration of martial law led to the "arrests without warrants" of other members of the Ampatuan clan who have been linked to the November 23 massacre of 58 civilians.

On August 15, 2011, Mangudadatu and his convoy were ambushed as they were on their way to his birthday celebration.

Mamasapano clash

Main article: Mamasapano clash

On January 25, 2015, 44 members of the Special Action Force were killed after they killed the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir aka Marwan, by allegedly Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Geography

Administrative divisions

Maguindanao is composed of 36 municipalities, which are further subdivided into 508 barangays. Cotabato City is often grouped with Maguindanao for historical and geographical purposes, but is in actuality administratively independent from the province as well as from ARMM.

The province is divided into two congressional districts. In October 2006, the first congressional district was split off into a new province, Shariff Kabunsuan. However, the ARMM's Act creating the province was nullified by the Supreme Court in July 2008, on the basis that creation of a province is a function of the Philippine legislature. The area has since reverted to the province of Maguindanao.

Political map 2011 map

Municipality District Area (km²) Population (2010) Density (per km²) No. of barangays ZIP code Income class (DOF) Coordinates Ampatuan 2nd 255.4 17,800 69.7 11 9609 4th Barira 1st 392.61 19,686 50.1 14 9614 4th Buldon 1st 429.4 33,729 78.5 15 9615 4th Buluan 2nd 699.5 38,106 54.5 7 9616 4th Datu Abdullah Sangki 2nd 220 17,079 77.6 10 — — Datu Anggal Midtimbang 2nd 85.43 13,339 156.1 7 — — Datu Blah T. Sinsuat 1st 147.21 16,533 112.3 13 — 1st Datu Hoffer Ampatuan 2nd 461.1 16,295 35.3 11 — — Datu Odin Sinsuat 1st 461.8 76,332 165.3 34 9601 — Datu Paglas 2nd 132.1 20,290 153.6 23 9617 4th Datu Piang (Dulawan) 2nd 302.97 28,492 94 16 9607 2nd Datu Salibo 2nd — 15,062 — 17 — — Datu Saudi-Ampatuan 2nd 60.16 20,330 337.9 8 — 4th Datu Unsay 2nd 95.39 12,490 130.9 8 — 5th Gen. S. K. Pendatun 2nd 189.37 24,004 126.8 19 9618 4th Guindulungan 2nd 130.68 16,071 123 11 — — Kabuntalan 1st 371.08 16,794 45.3 17 9606 5th Mamasapano 2nd 85.31 22,354 262 14 — 5th Mangudadatu 2nd 98.16 14,864 151.4 8 — — Matanog 1st 146.5 23,269 158.8 8 9613 4th Northern Kabuntalan 1st 106.77 14,251 133.5 11 — 5th Pagagawan (Datu Montawal) 2nd 461.1 31,265 67.8 11 — — Pagalungan 2nd 898.76 31,891 35.5 12 9610 1st Paglat 2nd 177.74 11,207 63.1 8 — — Pandag 2nd 85.31 13,795 161.7 8 — — Parang 1st 850.78 73,328 86.2 25 9604 1st Rajah Buayan 2nd 71.98 17,423 242.1 11 — — Shariff Aguak (Maganoy) † 2nd 392.7 34,376 87.5 13 9608 3rd Shariff Saydona Mustapha 2nd — 16,442 — 16 — — South Upi 2nd 184.8 35,990 194.8 11 9603 4th Sultan Kudarat (Nuling) 1st 712.91 82,758 116.1 39 9605 1st Sultan Mastura 1st 242.07 21,712 89.7 13 — 5th Sultan sa Barongis (Lambayong) 2nd 291.3 22,547 77.4 12 9611 2nd Sultan Sumagka (Talitay) 2nd 62.96 13,328 211.7 9 — — Talayan 2nd 143.84 16,042 111.5 15 9612 4th Upi 1st 742.95 45,444 61.2 23 9602 1st  †  Provincial capital Coordinates are sorted according to latitude. (Italicized entries indicate the generic location. Otherwise, they mark the vicinity of the city or town center). Italicized names are former names. Dashes (—) in cells indicate unavailable information. The independent city of Cotabato, although geographically within and traditionally grouped with the province, is excluded in this table.

Demographics

Population census of Maguindanao
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	630,674	—
2000	801,102	+2.42%
2010	944,718	+1.66%
Excluding Cotabato City Source: National Statistics Office

The majority of people in Maguindanao are Maguindanao people, with some and Cebuanos, Chabacanos, Tausugs, Yakan, and Bajau.

The main languages are Maguindanao and Cebuano. Other language spoken is Chabacano, spoken by both Christians and Muslims. The dialect of Chabacano native in Cotabato City is called Cotabateño, evolved from Zamboangueño dialect. Also spoken are Tagalog, as well as English and Arabic.

Religion

Maguindanao is a predominantly practitioners of Islam (30%), majority of them are Sunnites, with a minority of Christians, (mostly Roman Catholics, 11%) and most of them are Cebuanos and Chabacanos. Roman Catholics of Maguindanao fall under the jurisdiction of Roman Catholic Diocese of Kidapawan, a suffragan of Archdiocese of Cotabato.

Government

Maguindanao is divided into two congressional districts, which elect members to the House of Representatives. For the brief period that the province of Shariff Kabunsuan existed, Maguindanao became a lone-district province. Since the appointment of a new set of provincial officials for the reunified province of Maguindanao by the ARMM Governor in January 2009, the provincial government has reverted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan setup (coterminous with the restored 1st and 2nd Congressional districts of Maguindanao) from before Shariff Kabunsuan was created.

Brass gongs used as a main melodic instrument in the kulintang ensemble

Having elected to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Maguindanao also sends six representatives (three per district) to the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly that convenes in Cotabato City.

Musical heritage

Main articles: Music of the Philippines and Kulintang

The native Maguindanaon culture revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines.

External links

• Geographic data related to Maguindanao at OpenStreetMap
• COMELEC Resolution No. 8169
• COMELEC Plebiscite Results for 3 new Maguindanao municipalities
• Local Governance Performance Management System

1. REDIRECT Template:Administrative divisions of the Philippines