Maguindanao

Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Shariff Aguak and borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, Shariff Kabunsuan (which was annulled by Sema v. Comelec) to the west and Sultan Kudarat to the south.

Economy

Geography

Political

Maguindanao's second legislative district is subdivided into 22 municipalities, which are in turn divided into 279 barangays. Cotabato City is an independent component city of Maguindanao.

	No. of Barangays	Population (2007)
Ampatuan	11	33,702
Buluan	7	32,310
Datu Abdullah Sangki	10	33,259
Datu Anggal Midtimbang	7	23,713
Datu Paglas	23	29,979
Datu Piang	20	49,971
Datu Saudi-Ampatuan	14	45,126
Datu Unsay	9	38,891
Gen. S. K. Pendatun	19	36,038
Guindulungan	11	23,777
Mamasapano	18	29,285
Mangudadatu	8	24,300
Pagagawan	11	32,995
Pagalungan	12	31,052
Paglat	8	23,432
Pandag	8	20,557
Rajah Buayan	11	24,973
Shariff Aguak (Maganoy)	25	71,971
South Upi	11	32,014
Sultan sa Barongis (Lambayong)	12	25,767
Talayan	15	25,753
Talitay	9	21,964

These municipalities are from the old province of Shariff Kabunsuan, whose establishment was nullified by the Supreme Court in the case Sema v. Comelec. These comprise the province's first legislative district.

	No. of Barangays	Population (2000)	Area (km²)	Pop. density (per km²)
Barira	14	27,607	380.0	73
Buldon	15	36,937	357.20	103
Matanog	8	36,319	53.39	680
Parang	23	102,247	234.59	436
Sultan Mastura	13	25,741	114.36	225
Sultan Kudarat (Nuling)	39	121,324	611.51	198
Datu Blah T. Sinsuat	12	22,656
Datu Odin Sinsuat (Dinaig)	34	103,765	503.20	206
Kabuntalan (Tumbao)	17	22,363	219.34	102
Northern Kabuntalan	11	22,170
Upi	23	41,757	896.10	47

Physical

Government

Maguindanao is divided into two provincial districts for purposes of electing members to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or the Provincial Board which serves as its legislature. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Maguindanao is composed ten elected members, five from each of the provincial districts the province is divided into. On the other hand, Cotabato City does not elect any provincial official being an independent component city.

District I: Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Shariff Aguak, South Upi, Talayan, Talitay.
District II: Buluan, Datu Paglas, Gen. S. K. Pendatun, Mangundadatu, Pagagawan, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Sultan sa Barongis.

History

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 region until 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.

In 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces enter in Maguindanao Province.

In 1945, liberated in Maguindanao from the Filipino soldiers and Maguindanaoan guerillas used the weapons and Maguindanaoan Kampilan and Kris swords by the attacked from the Japanese Imperial forces defeated beginning 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, the it opted to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao but Cotabato City did not, which, ironically, has since served as the capital of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

On October 31, 2006, voters in Maguindanao's 29 municipalities have approved the creation of a new province to be composed of 10 towns. Of Maguindanao's more than 500,000 registered voters, 285,372 favored the creation of Shariff Kabunsuan province. Only 8,802 voted against it.

Shariff Kabunsuan became the country's 80th province and the 6th in the ARMM.

The new province, carved out of Maguindanao, is composed of the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, Sultan Mastura, Parang, Buldon, Matanog and Barira. The creation of Shariff Kabunsuan left Maguindanao with only inland towns and no access to the coast, rendering it landlocked.

The ARMM is now composed of Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the city of Marawi.

Musical Heritage

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