Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

Castillejos Campus, Castillejos, Zambales

BRIEF HISTORY OF MINDANAO ISLAND

Introduction:

Mindanao Island:
• second largest island in the Philippines
• it measures 293 miles (471km) North to South and 324 miles (521km) East to West
• marked by peninsulas
• it has rugged, faulted mountains & volcanoes
• it has narrow coastal plains, river systems, fertile basins and extensive swamps
• it has marsh-game refuge and bird sanctuary
• considered the country’s “pioneer frontier”
• the chief crops are corn, rice, abaca, bananas, pineapples, mangoes and coconuts
• it has also gold, nickel, iron, and coal deposits
• chartered cities include Zamboanga City, Cotabato City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro
and Biluan
• it has an area of 36, 537 miles (94,630 sq. km) & has a population of 16,939,967 in 2007
(gorlinski,2012)
• it has the largest concentration of ethnic minorities which includes Maguindanao,
Maranao, Ilanum & Sangil
• groups in uplands include T’boli, Subanon, Bukidnon, Bagobo, Mandaya, Manobo and
Tiruray (whose religion is a mixture of Christian, Muslim and Local beliefs

History of Mindanao Island:

Mindanao:
• derived its name from the Maguindanaons who constituted the largest sultanate. maps
made during the 17th and 18th centuries suggest that the name was used to refer to the
island by natives at the time.

PreHistoric Time:
• sometime around 1500 BC Austronesian people spread throughout the Philippines and far
beyond
• Negrito people arrived
• native people of the Maluku Islands refer to the island as Maluku Besar (Great Moluccas)
• Subanons, from Malay origin, was known to be the early people of the peninsula

Spanish Time:
• upon their arrival, they were dismayed to find such a strong Muslim presence
• the name “Moros” was given to the Muslim inhabitants
• “Caesarea Caroli” was the name given by Villabos to Mindanao when he reached the
place
• “Caesarea Caroli” referred to Charles v of the Holy Roman Empire
• Zamboanga became the capital and seat of the gobierno-politico-militar
• Zamboanga became the spanish garrison
• Zamboanga had opened its port to international maritime trading with the rest of the
European countries during the 18th century which resulted in better economic
opportunities

17TH Century
• the Spaniards conquered Cotabato
• settlements grew in the mouth of Rio Grande de Mindanao that proved the growth of
civilization in the area
• trading of basic commodities, industrial raw materials, agricultural and aquaculture
products became the center of economic activities in the area

In 1848
• Don Jose Cruz Oyanguren, native of Vergara, Guipuzcoa, Spain, was ordered by Don
Narciso Claveria, the governor-general to conquer and subdue the entire Davao gulf
district, expel or pacify the Moros, and establish the Christian religion
• Oyanguren was reported to have peaceful posession of the Davao gulf at the end of 1849

American Regime
• in 1898, United States reigned over the Philippines after the Spanish-American war
• United States initiated a policy designed to assimilate Moro and to curb some feudal
practices such a slave trading which resulted to intransigence and rebellion
• Davao had a sizable population of Japanese immigrants
• Japanese immigrants controlled the entire abaca industry
• Davao became the biggest producer of abaca
• despite all of these, Moros hated these Japanese immigrants and fought them when they
landed in Davao

Moro Wars (1901-1913)

• series of scattered campaigns involving American troops and Muslim bands on Mindanao
• the Moro fought for religious rather than political reasons, and their actions were
unconnected with those of the Filipino revolutionaries who conducted the Philippine-
American war (1899-1902)

1969
• Muslim scholar Nur Misuari established the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),
which begins an armed campaign to put up a separate Islamic state
1972-1976
• the fighting raged between government forces and the MNLF

1976
• under a deal brokered by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the MNLF
signed an agreement with the Marcos Administration to end hostilities in exchange for
greater autonomy in Muslim areas

1977
• Misuari’s deputy, Hashim Salamat, led a group of key commanders in splitting the
MNLF

1978
• Salamat, Hashim split from MNLF and vowed to press ahead with the fight for an
Independent Islamic State

1981
• Salamat and Murad Ebrahim, prominent rebel commander. formed the MILF (Moro
Islamic Liberation Front)

1986
• after EDSA People Power Revolution, the Aquino Administration launched peace talks
with the MNLF

1989
• the organic act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was signed
into law.

1996
• Misuari signed a final peace agreement with the Ramos government.

2000
• Pres. Joseph Estrada mobilized the entire armed forces to crush the MILF and bring down
its seat of power in Camp Abubakar, Central Mindanao.

Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

• resumed negotiations with the MILF, crafting a draft agreement that triggered widespread
opposition from lawmakers and later on, the Supreme Court, declared as unconstitutional.

October 2012
• the Aquino Administration and the MILF signed a peace agreement in Malacañang

March 2014
• both parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB)
 20TH Century
• Bangsamoro is home to most of the Country’s Muslim or Moro Populations, composed of
Maranao, Tausug, Banguingui (users of vinta) and Lumads.
• Lumads controlled an area which now covers 17 of Mindanao’s 24 provinces, but by the
1980 census, they constituted less than 6% of the population of Mindanao and Sulu

Submitted by:

Erlisa Jane A. Cayaga

Student
Submitted to:

Mr. Herbert Himalin

Instructor