Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital isShariff Aguak.

It borders Lanao del

Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south.
Contents
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1 Geography

2 History

o
o
o

2.1 2009 election violence

2.2 Mamasapano Clash

3 Demographics

1.1 Subdivisions

3.1 Religion

4 Government
5 Musical heritage
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

Geography[edit]
Maguindanao is composed of 36 municipalities, which are further subdivided into 508 barangays. Cotabato City is often grouped with Maguindanao for historical,
geographical, and statistical purposes, but it is actually independent from the province and not part of the ARMM as Maguindanao is.
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.

Subdivisions[edit]

Political Map of Maguindanao as of 2011

Municipality

No. of

Population

Area

Pop. density

Barangays

(2010)[4]

(km)

(per km)

Ampatuan

11

17,800

Barira

14

14,516

Buldon

15

33,729

Buluan

38,106

Datu Abdullah Sangki

10

17,079

Datu Anggal Midtimbang

13,339

Datu Blah T. Sinsuat

13

16,533

11[n 1]

16,295

Datu Odin Sinsuat

34

76,332

Datu Paglas

23

20,290

Datu Piang (Dulawan)

16[n 2]

28,492

Datu Salibo

17[n 3]

15,062

Datu Saudi-Ampatuan

8[n 4]

20,330

Datu Unsay

8[n 5]

12,490

Gen. S. K. Pendatun

19

24,004

Datu Hoffer Ampatuan

Municipality

No. of

Population

Area

Pop. density

Barangays

(2010)[4]

(km)

(per km)

Guindulungan

11

16,071

Kabuntalan

17

16,794

Mamasapano

14[n 6]

22,354[n 6]

Mangudadatu

14,862

Matanog

23,269

Northern Kabuntalan

11

14,251

Pagagawan (Datu Montawal)

11

31,265

Pagalungan

12

31,891

Paglat

11,207

Pandag

13,795

Parang

25

73,328

Rajah Buayan

11

17,423

Shariff Aguak (Maganoy)

13

31,451[n 7]

16[n 8]

16,442[n 8]

11

35,990

Shariff Saydona Mustapha

South Upi

Municipality

No. of

Population

Area

Pop. density

Barangays

(2010)[4]

(km)

(per km)

Sultan Kudarat (Nuling)

39

82,758

Sultan Mastura

13

25,741

Sultan sa Barongis (Lambayong)

12

22,547

Sultan Sumagka (Talitay)

13,328

Talayan

15

16,042

Upi

23

45,444

History[edit]
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 Cotabateo, evolved from Zamboangueo.
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[edit]

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.[5]Fifty-seven people were
killed, including Mangudadatu's wife and sisters, supporters, local journalists, and bystanders.[6] On December 4, 2009 a number of homes belonging to the
Ampatuan political family were raided in connection with the massacre.[7]
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo officially declared martial law in the province of Maguindanao on December 5, 2009, Saturday morning.[8]
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 declaration of martial law will lead to the "arrests without warrants" of other members of the Ampatuan clan who have been linked to the November 23
massacre of 58 civilians.[9]
Last August 15, 2011, Provincial Governor Esmael Mangudadatu and his convoy were ambushed in a form of bombing as they were on their way to his birthday
celebration.

Mamasapano Clash[edit]
Main article: Mamasapano clash

The 44 police officers who perished during the clash.

On January 25, 2015, 44 members of the Special Action Force were killed after they killed the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist Zulkifli Abdhiraka Marwan, by
allegedly Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.[10][11]

Demographics[edit]
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[2]

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 Cotabateo, evolved from Zamboangueo dialect. Also spoken are Tagalog, as well as English and Arabic.

Religion[edit]
Maguindanao is a predominantly practitioners of Islam (64%), majority of them are Sunnites, with a minority of Christians, (mostly Roman Catholics, 11%) and
most of them are Cebuanos and Chabacanos.

Government[edit]
Maguindanao is divided into two congressional districts, which elect members to the House of Representatives. For the brief period that the province of Shariff
Kabunsuanexisted, 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.
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[edit]
Main articles: Music of the Philippines and Kulintang

The largest and smallest brass gong of the Philippine kulintang used as a main melodic instrument in thekulintang ensemble

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.

Notes[edit]
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.
6.
7.
8.

Jump up^ The number of barangays includes two barangays (Macalag and Tuntungan) that have been divided between this municipality and Datu Unsay.
However, the population count does not include inhabitants from these divided barangays.
Jump up^ The number of barangays includes ten barangays (Alonganan, Balakanan, Buayan, Dado, Damabalas, Duaminanga, Kalipapa, Liong, Magaslong and
Masigay) that have been divided between this municipality and Datu Salibo.
Jump up^ The number of barangays includes ten barangays (Alonganan, Balakanan, Buayan, Dado, Damabalas, Duaminanga, Kalipapa, Liong, Magaslong and
Masigay) that have been divided between this municipality and Datu Piang, and one barangay (Pagatin) that have been divided between this municipality
and Datu Saudi-Ampatuan.
Jump up^ The number of barangays includes one barangay (Pagatin) that has been divided between Datu Salibo and Shariff Saydona Mustapha, and possibly
this municipality too (as legislation is unclear as to whether any portion of Brgy. Pagatin actually remains with Datu Saudi-Ampatuan). However, the population
count does not include inhabitants from this barangay.
Jump up^ The number of barangays includes two barangays (Macalag and Tuntungan) that have been divided between this municipality and Datu Hoffer
Ampatuan. However, the population count does not include inhabitants from these divided barangays.
^ Jump up to:a b The number of barangays includes one barangay (Libutan) that has been divided between this municipality and Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
Jump up^ The population count does not include inhabitants from two barangays (Lapok and Tapikan), because at the time of the 2007 Census these two
barangays still included the population of recently created Brgys. Datu Bakal and Datu Kilay, now part of Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
^ Jump up to:a b The number of barangays includes one barangay (Pagatin) that has been divided between this municipality and Datu Salibo, and another
barangay (Libutan) that has been divided between this municipality and Mamasapano. However, the population count does not include inhabitants from these
divided barangays.