Cotabato
| Cotabato | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Province | |||
| |||
 Location in the Philippines | |||
| Coordinates: 07°12′N 124°51′E / 7.200°N 124.850°ECoordinates: 07°12′N 124°51′E / 7.200°N 124.850°E | |||
| Country | Philippines | ||
| Region | SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) | ||
| Founded |
September 1, 1914 November 22, 1973 (separated from Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat) | ||
| Capital |
Kidapawan City (present) | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Emmylou J. Taliño-Mendoza (Liberal) | ||
| • Vice Governor | Gregorio T. Ipong (Independent) | ||
| Area[1] | |||
| • Total | 9,008.90 km2 (3,478.36 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 76th out of 81 | ||
| Population (2010)[2] | |||
| • Total | 1,226,508 | ||
| • Rank | 21st out of 81 | ||
| • Density | 140/km2 (350/sq mi) | ||
| • Density rank | 58th out of 81 | ||
| Divisions | |||
| • Independent cities | 0 | ||
| • Component cities | 1 | ||
| • Municipalities | 17 | ||
| • Barangays | 543 | ||
| • Districts | 3 legislative districts | ||
| Time zone | PHT (UTC+8) | ||
| ZIP code | 9400 to 9417 | ||
| Dialing code | 64 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | PH-NCO | ||
| Spoken languages | Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Maguindanao, Chavacano, Tagalog, Manobo | ||
| Website |
cotabatoprov | ||
Cotabato (formerly known as North Cotabato; Filipino: Hilagang Kotabato) is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. Its capital is Kidapawan City.
History
Early history
Cotabato derives its name from the Maguindanao kuta wato (from Malay - "Kota Batu"), meaning "stone fort", referring to the stone fort which served as the seat of Sultan Muhammad Kudarat in what is now Cotabato City.
Islam was introduced in this part of the country in the later part of 15th century by Sharif Mohammed Kabungsuwan, an Arabo-Malay Muslim warrior-missionary. Sharif Kabungsuwan invaded Malabang in 1475, facing armed resistance from the non-Muslim natives, nevertheless successfully vanquishing and subjugating them to his (Islamic) rule through the might of his Samal warriors.[3]
Modern historians have pointed to the Cotabato delta as the medieval location of Toupo, the successor of the Maguindanao/Cotabato Sultanate.[4]
Spanish occupation
Christianity was introduced in 1596, but the Spaniards were unable to penetrate into the region until the second half of the 19th century. The district of Cotabato was formed in 1862, covering the areas of what is now Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces with its capital at Tamontaka. Fort Pikit was established by the Spaniards in 1893 as they continued their conquest of the remnants of Maguindanao Sultanate, which would soon be the site of one of the province's oldest towns, Pikit.
American occupation
The coming of the Americans ushered in the creation of the Moro Province on July 15, 1903, through Act No. 787 of the Philippine Commission. Cotabato, covering what are now the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani, became a district of the huge Moro province. During the American period, large companies were established in Cotabato to exploit the vast timber resources of the region. By the 1930s, settlers from Luzon and Visayas established homesteads in Cotabato.
World War II
In December 1941, Japanese planes bombed and invaded in Cotabato. In 1942, Cotabato was occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces. The establishment of the military general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on 1942 to 1946 and the Philippine Constabulary 10th Infantry Regiment was active again on 1944 to 1946 and military stationed on Cotabato. Moro guerrilla fighters invaded around the province of Cotabato and help them of all local force of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and pre-war Philippine Constabulary 10th Infantry Regiments by fought against the Imperial Japanese Army until 1944, the Moro guerrillas was retreating Japanese troops before liberated. In 1945, Cotabato was recaptured from the Japanese Imperial forces by the combined Filipino and American troops together with the recognized Moro guerrilla units. The guerrillas used the traditional Moro Kampilan, Barong and Kris swords.
Sovereign Philippines
The pace of settlement in the region accelerated in the 1950s and 1960s. The former province of Cotabato was once the largest in the Philippines. In 1966, South Cotabato was created as a separate province. On November 22, 1973, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 341, what remained of the old Cotabato was further divided into the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat.[5] North Cotabato was later renamed Cotabato through Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 approved on March 7, 1984.[6]
Cotabato is now composed of the capital city of Kidapawan, 17 municipalities, and 543 barangays. The province currently has three congressional districts.
Geography
Cotabato lies on the eastern part of Region XII and is centrally located in Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon, on the east by Davao City and Davao del Norte, on the west by Maguindanao and on the southeast by Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur.
Cotabato is strategically linked to the major "Arterial Road System" that traverses and connects the province to Davao City - SOCCSKSARGEN - Cotabato Corridor. The Cotabato via Kabacan - Maramag - Kibawe, Bukidnon Sayre Highway meanwhile serves as its link to the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan City Corridor.
Cotabato stretches west from Mount Apo, which separates it from Davao, to the Piapayungan Range on its boundary with Lanao. In the midst of these uplands is the basin of the Pulangi River or Rio Grande de Mindanao, the second longest in the Philippines at 373 kilometres (232 mi), which rises in Bukidnon and flows south to Maguindanao and Illana Bay. The province’s fertile plains are traversed by tributaries of this great river.
Typhoons do not pass through Cotabato and rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.
Administrative divisions
Cotabato is subdivided into 17 municipalities and one city.[7]
Demographics
| Population census of Cotabato | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1990 | 763,995 | — |
| 1995 | 862,666 | +2.30% |
| 2000 | 958,643 | +2.29% |
| 2007 | 1,121,974 | +2.19% |
| 2010 | 1,226,508 | +3.29% |
| Source: National Statistics Office[2] | ||
Cotabato is a melting pot of people. The first Visayan settlers reached the town of Pikit in 1913, and since then, Christian migrants have moved and lived in Cotabato, cohabitating the province with the local indigenous groups. 71% of Cotabato’s population are migrants from Luzon and the Visayas, while the remaining 18% belong to the indigenous communities Manobo, T'boli, and Maguindanao. The major languages spoken are Hiligaynon (43%), Cebuano (31%), Maguindanao (16%), and Ilocano (10%).
Based on the National Statistics Office, Cotabato has an overall population of 918,992 (2000 Official Census). The average population growth rate is 1.36%, which is under the national average of 2.12%.
Religion
Contrary to the belief of some Filipinos, Cotabato is actually a predominantly Roman Catholic province with 58% adherence (due to many decades of immigration from Luzon and Visayas) while Islam is a significant minority religion. The minority remainders are divided among some Protestant Christians.
Economy
Cotabato is considered as Mindanao’s food basket. It is a major producer of cereals, tropical fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, coconut, coffee, freshwater fish and livestock.
It is also one of the country’s leading producers of raw and semi-processed rubber and industrial trees, with markets in Asia and Europe.
Among its major natural assets are Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak at 10,311 feet above sea level, the Pulangi River which is a major contributor to Mindanao’s irrigation system and hydro-electric energy, and the vast Liguasan Marsh which not only supplies a bounty of freshwater fish and organic fertilizer but considered as a possible source as well of natural gas.
Power utility in the province comes from two energy sources - the NAPOCOR Agus Grid in Iligan transmitted through its Tacurong Substations and the Mindanao 1 Geothermal Power Plant at the foot of Mt. Apo in Ilomavis, Kidapawan City which produces 97 megawatts of electricity. Power distribution is handled by Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (COTELCO).
The province has a 4, 131.32 km road network connecting the major centers to each other and the outlying barangays, and communication linkage through NDD-IDD, fax, cellular phone and the internet is available.
Government
President Benigno Aquino III signed the law dividing to new 3 legislative district of Cotabato on September 14, 2012. The representative shall continue to serve until next national election.[9]
Elected provincial officials:
- House of Representatives
- 1st District- Rep. Susing Sacdalan
- 2nd District- Rep. Nancy Catamco
- 3rd District- Rep. Jose Pingping I. Tejada
- Governor: Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza
- Vice Governor: Dodong Ipong
References
- ↑ "List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
- 1 2 "Population and Annual Growth Rates for The Philippines and Its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities" (PDF). 2010 Census and Housing Population. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=gUt5v8ET4QYC&pg=PA52&dq=ferociously+opposed+but+his+Samal+warriors+subdued+them&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HogXUsqDL4ia9QTwh4GwAQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=ferociously%20opposed%20but%20his%20Samal%20warriors%20subdued%20them&f=false
- ↑ http://asiapacificuniverse.com/pkm/presterjohn.htm
- ↑ "Presidential Decree No. 341: Creating the Provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat". Philippine Laws, Statutes & Codes. Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. 22 November 1973. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ↑ "Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 - An Act Changing the Name of the Province of North Cotabato to Cotabato". Philippine Laws, Statutes & Codes. Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. 22 November 1973. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Province: Cotabato (North Cotabato)". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
- ↑ "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010 (SOCCSKSARGEN)" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
- ↑ Burgonio, TJ (15 September 2012). "Aquino signs law reapportioning Cotabato into 3 districts". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cotabato. |
Geographic data related to Cotabato at OpenStreetMap- Province of Cotabato
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
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Lanao del Sur | Bukidnon | Davao del Norte | |
| Maguindanao |  |
Davao del Sur | ||
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| Maguindanao / Sultan Kudarat |
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