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| Map of Lanao provinces |
BY JUN ENRIQUEZ
The Province of Lanao del Norte
The province of Lanao
existed from 1914 until 1959. In 1959, Republic Act No. 2228 was passed by the
Philippine Congress, partitioning Lanao into two provinces: Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.
The new provinces were inaugurated on July 4 of every year thereafter, with Iligan City as its capital for Lanao del Norte until June 24, 1982, and now change its
capital to Tubod and Marawi City as its capital for Lanao del Sur.
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| Map of Lanao del Norte |
Lanao del Norte is located in the northwestern part of Mindanao and is administratively part of Region 10 since 2001. It is composed of different settlers that are historically from Visayas and Luzon who tended to settle in the Northern part of Lanao and the native Maranaos who inhabited the south.
The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast,Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Misamis Oriental to the northeast, and is separated from Misamis Occidental by Panguil Bay to the northwest. According to the 2020 census, the province has a total population of 722,902 people. Situated within Lanao del Norte is the highly urbanized city of Iligan, which is governed independently from the province.
The province then consisted of the municipalities of Baloi, Kauswagan, Bacolod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Tubod, Baroy, Lala, Kapatagan, Karomatan and the following municipal districts that got converted into regular municipalities of Matungao, Pantao Ragat, Munai, Tangcal, and Nunungan.
In 1977, President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Resolution No. 805, s. 1977 of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Parliamentary Bill No. 586) sponsored by Assemblyman Abdullah D. Dimaporo, into Presidential Decree 181 transferring the province's capital from Iligan City to the municipality of Tubod.
In October 1984, inaugural ceremonies were held to celebrate the occasion of the transfer of the Provincial Capitol from Poblacion, Tubod to the Don Mariano Marcos Government Center (now Governor Arsenio A. Quibranza Provincial Government Center) at Pigcarangan, in Tubod.
Despite the outbreak of the conflict of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by the former "Commander Bravo" Abdullah Macapaar and the Philippine Army in the municipality of Kauswagan in March 2000, during the Estrada administration called “All-out-war”. Another conflict occured in Maigo, a siege by the MILF in 2003, and followed by the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) controversy, as it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme court, resulted to a siege again by the MILF in Kauswagan and Kolambugan in 2008, during the Arroyo administration.
Through
the provincial government's effort, peace and order was restored in the
province of Lanao del Norte. The former "Commander Bravo" Abdullah Macapaar is now a member of the parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In 2018, the Bangsamoro Organic Law was passed into law; this law provided for the establishment of a new BARMM is to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). According to this law, the six municipalities of Munai, Tagoloan, Pantar, Baloi, Tangcal, and Nunungan would be incorporated into this new region should a majority of voters in both the affected municipalities and the parent province of Lanao del Norte to vote in favor of inclusion of the aforementioned municipalities in the proposed autonomous region in a plebiscite. The plebiscite was held the following year. A majority of voters in the affected municipalities voted in favor of inclusion in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region; however, the rest of Lanao del Norte voted strongly against, and as a result, none of the six municipalities were included in the new autonomous region. The provincial government of Lanao del Norte had campaigned against the inclusion of the six municipalities into the region.
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| Gov. Imelda "Angging" Dimaporo |
Lanao del Norte is bordered by Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, and Misamis Oriental to the northeast, and Panguil Bay to the northwest. The province of Lanao del Norte comprises 22 municipalities. The provincial government of Lanao del Norte is currently headed by Governor Imelda “Angging” Quibranza Dimaporo.
The City of Iligan
Iligan City is geographically within the province of Lanao del Norte but administered independently from the province. It was once part of Central Mindanao, Region 12, until the province was moved under Northern Mindanao, Region 10, in 2001. It is a first class highly urbanized city in the region of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 363,115 people.
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| Map of Iligan City |
Iligan is approximately 90 kilometers away from the capital of the province, Tubod, and approximately 800 kilometers from the capital of the Philippines, Manila. Iligan has a total land area of 813.37 square kilometres (314.04 sq mi), making it one of the 10 largest cities in the Philippines in terms of land area. Among one of the 33 highly urbanized cities of the Philippines, Iligan is the third-least dense, with a population density of 421 inhabitants per square kilometer, just behind Butuan and Puerto Princesa.
The name Iligan came from the Higaunon (Lumad/Native of Iligan) word "Ilig" which means "to go downstream". However, some also claim that the name of Iligan was taken and inspired by the Higaunon term "iligan" or "ilijan", which means "fortress of defense", an appropriate term due to frequent attacks incurred by pirates as well as other Mindanao tribes.
Historically in pre-Spanish colonial era, Iligan had its beginnings in the village of Bayug, four kilometers north of the present Poblacion. It was the earliest pre-Spanish settlement of native sea dwellers. In the later part of the 16th century, the inhabitants were subdued by the Visayan migrants from the island-nation called the Kedatuan of Dapitan, on Panglao island.
In the accounts of Jesuit historian Francisco Combes, the Moluccan Sultan of Ternate invaded Panglao. This caused the Dapitans to flee in large numbers to a re-established Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.
In Dapitan, the surviving Datu of Panglao Pagbuaya, received Legazpi's expedition in 1565. Later, Pagbuaya's son Manook was baptized Pedro Manuel Manook. Sometime afterward in by the end of the 16th century after 1565 Manook subdued the higaunon (animist) village of Bayug and turned it into one of the earliest Christian settlements in the country. Although the settlement survived other raids from other enemies, especially Muslims from Lanao, the early settlers and converts moved their settlement from Bayug to Iligan, which the Augustinian Recollects founded in 1609, thus establishing the oldest town in northern Mindanao.
The Jesuits replaced the Recollects in 1639. Iligan was the Spaniards' base of operations in attempting to conquer and Christianize the Lake Lanao area throughout its history. A stone fort called Fort St. Francis Xavier was built in 1642 where Iliganons sought refuge during raids by bandits. But the fort sank due to floods. Another fort was built and this was named Fort Victoria or Cota de Iligan.
In 1850, because of floods, Don Remigio Cabili, then Iligan's gobernadorcillo, built another fort and moved the poblacion of the old Iligan located at the mouth of Tubod River west of the old market to its present site.
Being the oldest town in Northern Mindanao, Iligan was already a part of the once undivided Misamis Province by the year 1832. However, it did not have an independent religious administration because its diocese by then was based at Misamis, the provincial capital. It was one of the biggest municipalities of Misamis Province. The Spaniards abandoned Iligan in 1899, paving the way for the landing of the American forces in 1900.
In American era in 1903, the Moro Province was created. Iligan, inhabited of its Moro residents, was taken away from the Misamis Province. By then, Iligan became the capital of the Lanao District and the seat of the government where the American officials lived and held office. Later in 1907, the capital of the Lanao District has transferred to Dansalan.
In 1914, under the restructuring of Moroland after the end of the Moro Province (1903–1913), Iligan became a municipality composed of eight barrios together with the municipal district of Mandulog. After enjoying peace and prosperity for about 40 years, Iligan was invaded by Japanese forces in 1942.
The liberation of Iligan by the Philippine Commonwealth forces attacked by the Japanese held sway in the city until 1944 to 1945 when the war ended. On November 15, 1944, the city held a Commonwealth Day parade to celebrate the end of Japanese atrocities and occupation.
Using the same territorial definition as a municipality, Iligan became a chartered city of Lanao del Norte on June 16, 1950. It was declared a first-class city in 1969 and was reclassified as First Class City "A" on July 1, 1977, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 465. In 1983, Iligan was again reclassified as a highly urbanized city.
Republic Act No. 9724, an Act separating the City of Iligan from the First Legislative District of the Province of Lanao del Norte, became a lone congressional district, sponsored by former congressman Vicente “Varf” Belmonte at the Lower House during the 14th congress, and was approved by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 20, 2009.
Geographically, Iligan is bounded on the north by three municipalities of Misamis Oriental, namely Lugait, Manticao and Opol, to the south by three municipalities of Lanao del Norte, Baloi, Linamon and Tagoloan, and two municipalities of Lanao del Sur, Kapai and Tagoloan II, to the north-east by the city of Cagayan de Oro, to the east by the municipality of Talakag, Bukidnon; and to the west by Iligan Bay provides ferry and container ship transportation. East of the city, flat cultivated coastal land gives way to steep volcanic hills and mountains providing the waterfalls and cold springs for which the area is well known.
Iligan falls within the third type of climate wherein the seasons are not very pronounced. Rain is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Sad experienced considered typhoon “Sendong” flashflood struck Iligan city on the evening of December 16, 2011 killing at least 2,000 people and missing others.
Iligan is politically subdivided into 44 barangays, such as, Abuno, Acmac-Mariano Badelles Sr., Bagong Silang, Bonbonon, Bunawan, Buru-un, Dalipuga, Del Carmen, Digkilaan, Ditucalan, Dulag, Hinaplanon, Hindang, Kabacsanan, Kalilangan, Kiwalan, Lanipao, Luinab, Mahayahay, Mainit, Mandulog, Maria Cristina, Pala-o, Panoroganan, Poblacion, Puga-an, Rogongon, San Miguel, San Roque, Santa Elena, Santa Filomena, Santiago, Santo Rosario, Saray, Suarez, Tambacan, Tibanga, Tipanoy, Tomas L. Cabili (Tominobo Proper), Tominobo Upper, Tubod, Ubaldo Laya, Upper Hinaplanon, and Villa Verde.
Iliganons are composed of a Cebuano-speaking majority, and local minorities mainly Maranaos, Higaonon and other cultural minorities and immigrants. Iligan is not only rich in natural resources and industries but it is also the home of a mix of cultures: the Maranaos of Lanao, the Higaonon of Bukidnon, and many settlers and migrants from other parts of the country. It is known for its diverse culture.
Cebuano is the most spoken language in the city, with 92.27% as their first language. Minor languages include Maranao, Higaonon, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Chavacano, and Waray. The majority of the population can speak and understand Tagalog (Filipino) and English, the official languages of the country.
In terms of religious practices, majority of Iligan citizens are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics. The city is also the center of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iligan which has 25 parishes in Iligan City and twelve municipalities of Lanao del Norte (Linamon, Kauswagan, Bacolod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Tubod, Baroy, Lala, Kapatagan, Sapad, Salvador, and Magsaysay). It covers an area of 3,092 square kilometers with a population of 1,551,000, which 65.5% of the population are Roman Catholics. Muslims are the largest minority, comprising 11.48% of the population are mainly Sunnites.
Islam was the first-recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines in the 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders, Sufi missionaries from the Ba Alawi of Yemen from the Persian Gulf, southern India, and their followers from several sultanates in the wider Malay Archipelago. The first missionaries then followed in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. They facilitated the formation of sultanates and conquests in mainland Mindanao and Sulu. Those who converted to Islam came to be known as the Moros, with Muslim conquest reaching as far as Tondo that was later supplanted by Bruneian Empire vassal-state of Manila.
Muslim sultanates had already begun expanding in the central Philippines by the 16th century, when the Spanish fleet led by Ferdinand Magellan arrived. The subsequent Spanish conquest led to Catholic Christianity becoming the predominant religion in most of the modern-day Philippines, with Islam becoming a significant minority religion.
In the 21st century, there is some disagreement regarding the size of the Muslim population. The 2000 Census reported that Muslims comprised about five percent of the population and a 2015 report of Philippine Statistics Authority asserted that 4.1% of Filipinos were Muslims. However, it was reported in 2004 that some Muslim groups asserted that the proper number was between eight and twelve percent. As of 2020, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) estimated a figure of 4–5 percent, attributing the difference to a number of factors.
Most Muslims live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu Archipelago – an area known as Bangsamoro or the Moro region. Some have migrated into urban and rural areas in different parts of the country. Most Muslim Filipinos practice Sunni Islam according to the Shafi'i school.
On Industrial development, Iligan City is known as the Industrial Center of the South as its economy is largely based on heavy industries. It produces hydroelectric power for the Mindanao region through the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), the site of the Mindanao Regional Center (MRC) housing Agus V, VI, and VII hydroelectric power plants. Moreover, Holcim Philippines' largest Mindanao cement plant is located in the city. It also houses industries like steel, tinplate, cement, and flour mills.
After the construction of Maria Cristina Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant by National Power Corporation (NPC) in 1950, the city experienced rapid industrialization and continued until the late 1980s. The largest steel plant in the country, National Steel Corporation (NSC), was also established in 1962. During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the city experienced a severe economic slowdown. A number of industrial plants were closed, notably the National Steel Corporation. The city experienced Economic revival with the reopening of the National Steel Corporation, renamed Global Steelworks Infrastructures, Inc. (GSII) in 2004. In October 2005, GSII officially took a new corporate name: Global Steel Philippines, Inc., but again, later on the Global steel industry was totally closed.
Iligan is commonly known as the "City of Majestic Waterfalls" because of the numerous waterfalls located within its area. The many waterfalls in the area attract tourists from all over the world with their beauty and power. There are about 24 waterfalls in the city. The most well-known is the Maria Cristina Falls. It is also the primary source of electric power of the city, harnessed by the Agus V, VI and VII Hydroelectric Plants of the National power corporation (NPC).
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| Mayor Frederick W. Siao |
Other waterfalls in the city are Tinago Falls, accessible through a 300-step staircase in Barangay Ditucalan. Mimbalut Falls in Barangay Buru-un, Abaga Falls in Barangay Suarez, and Dodiongan Falls in Barangay Bonbonon. Limunsudan Falls in Barangay Rogongon is about 50 kilometers from the city proper of Iligan. These are the highest waterfalls in the Philippines, at 265 meters (870 feet).
On governance aspect, Iligan is a highly urbanized city and is politically independent of the province of Lanao del Norte. Registered voters of the city no longer vote for provincial candidates such as the Governor and Vice Governor, and Board members, as a result of its charter as a city in the 1950s. Iligan City was not spared during the moro conflict in previous decades but was played a key role in building peace through the help of the civil society and media.
Iligan's seat of government, the city hall, is located at Buhanginan Hills in Barangay Pala-o. The local government structure is composed of mayor, vice mayor, and twelve councilors, elected to a 3-year term and can be re-elected up to 3 terms in succession. The day-to-day administration of the city is handled by the city administrator. The local government of Iligan City is currently headed by Mayor Frederick Siao.
The Province of Lanao del Sur
Officially the Province of Lanao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Its capital is the city of Marawi, and it borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao del Norte and Cotabato to the south. Bounded to the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf. Situated in the interior of Lanao del Sur is Lanao Lake, the largest in Mindanao. The province of Lanao del Sur is estimated as high as to at least 700 meters above sea level.
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| Map of Lanao del Sur |
Historically, "Lanao" means "lake", derived from ranao. The province, situated at basin of Lake Lanao, is known as the land of the "Maranaos", which means "the "people of the lake".
In early history prior to the arrival of Islam, the region already had a sophisticated culture, as embodied in various Maranao epics, chants, and recorded history. The people of Lanao used to adhere to Hinduism, polytheist animism, and Buddhism. During this era, various cultural icons developed, such as the torogan, the singkil dance, the darangen epic, the unique Maranao gong and metal craft culture, the sarimanok, the okir motif, and an indigenous suyat script.
During the Spanish colonial era, Lanao was first explored by the Spaniards in 1689, upon which they discovered a well-settled community named Dansalan at the lake's northern end. Lanao was the seat of the Sultanate of Lanao. During the Pre-Spanish time, there were 4 important boundaries which held the power of appointing a new sultan namely: Bakayawan, Dalama, Madamba and Sawer. In appointing a new sultan the permission of these four boundaries are needed to validate the new sultan appointed to his position.
In 1942, during the Japanese occupation era, it was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Forces who landed in Southern Lanao. On May 2, 1942, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines José Abad Santos was killed by the Japanese Imperial forces in a firing squad at Malabang, Lanao del Sur. In 1945, the first of the liberation forces landed in Southern Lanao and liberated the area with United States, Philippine Commonwealth troops together with the Maranao guerrilla units. They used infantry weapons, the Maranao Kris, Barong and Kampilan swords against the Japanese forces in the Battle of Lanao. In 1956, Republic Act No. 1552 changed the name Dansalan to Marawi, taken from the word rawi, referring to the reclining lilies abundant in the Agus River.[
In 1959, Lanao was divided into two provinces, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, under Republic Act No. 2228. Marawi was designated as the capital of Lanao del Sur. The city was renamed the "Islamic City of Marawi" in 1980, and is currently the Philippines' only city having a predominantly Muslim population.
In 1971, Republic Act No. 6406, proposed to create a new province out of eastern Lanao del Sur, corresponding to the province's first congressional district, was approved on October 4, 1971. The province was to consist of the municipalities of Bubong, Ditsaan-Ramain, including what is now Buadiposo-Buntong, Kapai, Lumba-Bayabao, including what is now Maguing, Marantao, Masiu, Mulondo, Saguiaran, Piagapo, Poona Bayabao, Tamparan, Taraka and Wao, including what is now Bumbaran, with the chartered city of Marawi serving as the new provincial capital. The division never took place due to the declaration of Martial law in the Philippines on September 21, 1972, which disrupted the elections for 1973.
In a 1989 plebiscite, Lanao del Sur voted to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), but the city of Marawi voted to remain outside the ARMM. It later joined ARMM in 2001 following the plebiscite that sought to expand the autonomous region.
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| Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra |
Contemporarily, Marawi siege occurred on May 23, 2017 which was attacked by the Maute armed group, an ISIS inspired extremists to establish caliphate statue in Marawi City. The City’s commercial center became the battleground destroyed most of the cityscape of Marawi and became ground zero due to its devastation, killing hundreds of rebels, civilians and Filipino soldiers. The City’s ground zero is now rised again as it is rehabilitated by the government after the siege. Lately in May 2023, the military encounters Dawla Islamia – another ISIS inspired extremists group in the Municipality of Marogong and in Marawi City killing few numbers of the rebels including their leaders and few members of the military and wounding others.
The people
of Marawi signed a petition in support for the usage of the Torogan as
inspiration for the rehabilitation after the Marawi siege. The petition was
released in opposition to the possible Manila rehabilitation that the government
plans to impose. The Manila-style rehabilitation would establish shanty houses and buildings
without Maranao architectural styles, thus destroying Marawi's Maranao
cultural traditions. The petition advocates a Warsaw-style
Rehabilation Effect, where the culture and styles of a particular area is used
as foundation for rehabilitation of built heritage and landscape. Among the
local architectural styles that may be used under the Warsaw-style are the okir, sarimanok, and
inspirations from the Torogan. The Warsaw-style is also foreseen to boost tourism in
the city in the long-run due to the cultural aesthetics it would bring. Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra is current Mayor of Marawi City.
Lanao del Sur is located in the western portion of Northern Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by Lanao del Norte, on the east by Bukidnon, on the west by Illana Bay, and on the south by Maguindanao and Cotabato. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills and valleys, placid lakes and rivers with the presence of Lanao Lake, the second largest in the country, its waters drained by the Agus River which eventually empties into Iligan Bay. The climate in the province is characterized by even distribution of rainfall throughout the year, without a distinct summer season. The province is located outside the typhoon belt.
Administratively, Lanao del Sur comprises 39 municipalities and 1 city. The population of Lanao del Sur in the 2020 census was 1,195,518 people, with a density of 310 inhabitants per square kilometre or 800 inhabitants per square mile. The majority of people in the province are Maranaos, while some are Cebuanos, Zamboangueños, Tausugs, Yakans, and Sama. Maranao is the most commonly spoken language in the province. Iranun is the native language of most of the inhabitants of the municipality of Kapatagan. Also spoken are Maguindanao, Cebuano, and Chavacano followed by Tagalog and English.
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| Gov. Mamintal Bombit Adiong, Jr. |
The people of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in a diverse cultures still exists peacefully despite the many challenges encountered in the past.
On July 4, since 1959, and every year thereafter, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur synchronically commemorates its establishments politically and geographically divides for almost 64 years now, as of the current year 2023. (Source: The Web Internet profiles of Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan City. The Author, Jun Enriquez, is a practicing Peace journalist and Conflict sensitive journalism (CSJ) practitioner)