Cotabato City, officially the City of Cotabato, is an independent component city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 383,383 people, making it the most populated city under the independent component city status.
Cotabato City was formerly a part and the regional center of Region XII, but due to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, it is now part of Bangsamoro and serves as the regional center. Being an independent component city, it is not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Maguindanao del Norte where it is geographically located. The Philippine Statistics Authority also lists Cotabato City as statistically independent. It was the capital of the Sultanate of Maguindanao.
History
Prior to the arrival of Hindus and Muslims, the city was a vast swamp and rainforest landscape where numerous ethno-linguistic groups lived. Maguindanao vernacular architecture developed during this era, which included the architectural techniques of at least 10 ethno-linguistic groups. Later on, Hindu traders arrived and the people of the area embraced the practice of Hinduism. The set of moral standards and culture of present-day people of Maguindanao are seen due to this Hindu influence.
Sultanate of Maguindanao
By 1515, after a successful Muslim establishment in Sulu, Muslim merchants went to Maguindanao and converted many Maguindanaoans to Islam. Those that did not accept the arrival of the Muslims went into higher ground or the interior of the island and became the Teduray, as well as other lumad groups. During the same year, the Sultanate of Maguindanao was formally established, with Tubok as its initial capital. However, the sultan's seat would eventually be transferred in 1711 at around Tamontaka, a barangay within modern-day Cotabato. In 1861, Spain would eventually establish a garrison in Maguindanao and establish Kuta Watu, which was eventually renamed as Cotabato, as its new capital.
Spanish and American occupation
The Spanish Empire had defeated the Sulu Sultanate in war and forced it to sign an unfavorable peace treaty in 1851. With the Moro Gulf and Illana Bay now open to Spanish traffic as a result of their victory over the Sulu Moros, this paved the way for the first steps for the conquest of the Maguindanao Sultanate several years later. To that end, Spanish Jesuit missionaries have already made their way as early as 1859 at Polloc where they earned several hundred converts, but the place was deemed unsuitable on account of its less than optimal ecology. And so the Spanish district governor of Mindanao based in Zamboanga requested Datu Amirul, the father of present Sultan of Maguindanao Muhammad Makakua, for them to establish a military base at the stone fortress at Kota Wato in what is now Barangay Tamontaka, and Datu Amirul gave the consent. The Spanish then established themselves at the said fort, raising the Spanish flag there and renamed it Cotabato, the Hispanized form of its name, on April 30, 1861. The Spanish and the Moro chiefs and locals then had a conference later the same day which stipulated the Maguindanaoan locals of Cotabato are now subjects of the Spanish Crown but their Islamic beliefs would be respected. Thus, on April 30, 1861, in the flood plains of Tamontaka, the town of Cotabato was officially born.
Under the reign of Sultan Muhammad Makakua, who while being the nominal sultan of Maguindanao was at this point under complete Spanish vassalage, roads and wharves were built in Cotabato, specifically where the Tamontaka River was situated. Forests were felled and cleared by the new Catholic Tiruray converts of Tamontaka to make way for the expansion of the newly established town. In 1871, the capital of the Spanish military district of Mindanao was moved from Zamboanga to Cotabato, only to be moved back previously the next year when a destructive earthquake ravaged the town.
Following the Spanish evacuation in Jan. 1899, Datu Piang led the Moro's in a massacre of the remaining Christian community, enslaving those they did not kill.Foreman, J., 1906, The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons Americans arrived in Mindanao in 1900 after the Spanish–American War ended in 1898. Cotabato town was part of Moro Province and of Department of Mindanao and Sulu from 1903 to 1920, when the Empire Province of Cotabato, referred to as "Moroland" by the Americans, was founded with the town as the capital, with Datu Piang as its first governor.
Cotabato Several towns were carved off from Cotabato town since the year 1913, with Pikit being the first one founded by Cebuano Christian colonists. Dulawan (now Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur) and Midsayap were incorporated as regular municipalities in 1936. In 1942, at the beginning of the Pacific Front of World War II, the Japanese Imperial forces entered what is now the Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur provinces. In 1945, Maguindanao was liberated by allied Philippine Commonwealth troops and Muslim Maguindanaoan guerrilla units after defeating the Japanese Imperial forces in the Battle of Maguindanao during the Second World War. On August 18, 1947, just two years after the Second World War and a year after the official inauguration of Philippine independence, the number of towns in the gigantic Cotabato province were multiplied by Executive Order No. 82 signed by President Manuel Roxas, namely: Kidapawan, Pagalungan, Buayan, Marbel, Parang, Nuling, Dinaig, Salaman, Buluan, Kiamba, and Cabacan, a total of eleven (11) towns added to the previous four towns; the newly founded towns of Kabuntalan, Pikit (conversion as regular municipality), and Glan added up on September 30, 1949. More and more newly created towns added up in the province's number of towns as the province entered the second half of the 20th century.
Cityhood
The city was chartered when President Carlos P. Garcia signed into law the Republic Act No. 2364 on June 20, 1959. Authored then by Senator Salipada K. Pendatun. Under the said charter, the city was politically sibdivided into five (5) Barangays namely Poblacion, Rosary Heights, Bagua, Kalanganan, and Tamontaka. In 1989, the existing Barangays were split up which resulted into 32 more Barangays, presently the City has 37 Barangays.
The city used to be part of the original Province of Cotabato and was its capital from 1920 until 1967, a year after the separation of South Cotabato; since then the city was the administrative center of the ARMM when Maguindanao was carved out in 1973.
However, the city broke off administratively from Maguindanao as it rejoined Soccsksargen in the 1990s. Now many sources consider the city as part of the present Cotabato province, although geographically it is still considered part of Maguindanao del Norte.
Inclusion in the Bangsamoro region The city has traditionally resisted efforts for its inclusion to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao despite serving as the government center of the region. Despite this, the city's residents voted for their locality's inclusion in the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region by voting to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the January 21, 2019 plebiscite. The city became de jure part of Bangsamoro following the plebiscite, as well as the government center of the new region. It became official part of the region after its formal turnover to the Bangsamoro regional government on December 15, 2020.
Geography
Cotabato is approximately from Manila, the country's capital, and is bounded by the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat to the north—with Rio Grande de Mindanao/Pulangi River separating the two—Kabuntalan to the east, and Datu Odin Sinsuat to the south. The city faces Illana Bay, part of the Moro Gulf, to the west.
Cotabato City has a total land area of , located at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Mindanao and Pulangi River.Disaster Preparedness of Schools by Abdul Raffi A. Abas
Urban Areas
Cotabato City has 27 urban barangays that are grouped into two major urban areas, the Down Town Area and the Upper Town Area.
Down Town Area The Downtown Area encompasses the barangays of Poblacion and Bagua, with a population exceeding 150,000. Situated below sea level, it faces constant flooding risks. Serving as Cotabato City's central hub for banking, trading, and commerce, it hosts over 20 banks and major wet markets like Mega Market and City Arcade. Additionally, prominent malls and supermarkets such as South Seas Mall, Puregold Main Branch, Sugni Super Store, and Superama (with 3 branches) are situated here, along with KCC Mall of Cotabato. Notable educational institutions include Notre Dame University, Cotabato City Central Pilot School (the largest elementary school), STI Cotabato, and Notre Dame of Cotabato.
Upper Town Area The Upper Town Area, situated in the elevated regions of Cotabato City, encompasses all barangays of Rosary Heights and is home to the Peoples Palace (City Hall). Serving as the service center of Cotabato City, it houses Regional Government Agencies from both the Bangsamoro Region and Region 12. Additionally, it is home to Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, along with other medical facilities. Educational institutions in this area include Cotabato State University, Notre Dame-RVM, and AMA Computer College, as well as the now-closed University of Mindanao. Major shopping destinations include CityMall, Mall of Alnor, and Fiesta Mall.
Two other emerging areas include Barangays of Kalanganan, where the Seaport and Grand Mosque are situated. The primary industry here revolves around aquaculture, with proposed developments for a Public Market and Public Terminal. Additionally, construction of a coastal road is underway in this area. Another burgeoning area is the Barangays of Tamontaka, slated for the establishment of an International Airport. Tamontaka also serves as the eastern diversion road of Cotabato City.
Topography
The city is situated in the lowest portion of Maguindanao del Norte. The City of Cotabato with its 37 barangays spans an area with marked landscapes of flat, level to nearly level, very gently sloping to gently undulations to moderately sloping or rolling. It is basically a delta formed by two big rivers, the Tamontaka River and the Rio Grande de Mindanao. Basically 70% of its total land area is below sea level. There are only 2 existing elevated areas in the city, the PC Hill and the Timako Hill with an altitude of 90 and 150 feet, respectively. At the foot of PC Hill is Tantawan Park and also hosts the Kutang Bato Caves.
Concentration of settlements and other urban uses are in the central portion while the southwestern and southeastern portion have mixed uses of agricultural land settlements. The city is criss-crossed by meandering and braided creeks and rivers like the Matampay, Parang, Timako, Esteros and Miwaruy.
These water bodies serve as sources of both agricultural, industrial and domestic water requirements of some rural barangays. These rivers also serve as the natural drainage flow of the city's wastes.
Barangays Cotabato City is politically subdivided into 37 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
Currently, there are 27 urban barangays as classified by Philippine Statistics Authority (highlighted in bold).
Bagua Mother Bagua I Bagua II Bagua III Kalanganan Mother Kalanganan I Kalanganan II Poblacion Mother Poblacion I Poblacion II Poblacion III Poblacion IV Poblacion V Poblacion VI Poblacion VII Poblacion VIII Poblacion IX Rosary Heights Mother Rosary Heights I Rosary Heights II Rosary Heights III Rosary Heights IV Rosary Heights V Rosary Heights VI Rosary Heights VII Rosary Heights VIII Rosary Heights IX Rosary Heights X Rosary Heights XI