Maguindanao del Sur, officially the Province of Maguindanao del Sur, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao. Its capital is the municipality of Buluan near the city of Tacurong in the neighboring province of Sultan Kudarat. It borders Cotabato province to the east, Maguindanao del Norte to the west, and Sultan Kudarat to the south.
History
Foundation
Maguindanao del Sur was formed when Maguindanao province was split into two provinces; the other province being Maguindanao del Norte. The division occurred following a plebiscite on September 17, 2022 which ratified Republic Act 11550 which proposed the partitioning of the province. As per law former Maguindanao Governor Mariam Mangudadatu was expected to become the governor of the newly formed Maguindanao del Sur province. However an issue arose since the determination of the first set of officials of the province presumes that the plebiscite was held prior to the 2022 national and local elections. However the plebiscite was postponed to a date after the elections. This led to the Commission on Elections to come up with a legal opinion. The position was issued on September 28, 2022, where the election body conclude that only the Department of the Interior and Local Government could appoint the first officials of the province.
Mangudadatu would assume the position and take oath as governor of the new province in October 13, 2022. Nathaniel Midtimbang, a member of the Maguindanao Provincial Board, became her vice governor. A transition period would take place until January 9, 2023.
Geography
Maguindanao del Sur is composed of 24 municipalities and 2 legislative districts. It has a total area of . Being landlocked, it is bounded by Maguindanao del Norte to the west, Cotabato to the north and east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south.
City municipality District Population Area Density Coordinates Ampatuan 1st 17,800 11 Buluan † 2nd 38,106 7 Datu Abdullah Sangki 1st 17,079 10 Datu Anggal Midtimbang 1st 13,339 7 Datu Hoffer Ampatuan 1st 16,295 11 Datu Montawal 2nd 31,265 11 Datu Paglas 2nd 20,290 23 Datu Piang 1st 28,492 16 Datu Salibo 1st 15,062 17 Datu Saudi Ampatuan 1st 20,330 8 Datu Unsay 1st 12,490 8 General Salipada K. Pendatun 2nd 24,004 19 Guindulungan 1st 16,071 11 Mamasapano 1st 22,354 14 Mangudadatu 2nd 14,864 8 Pagalungan 2nd 31,891 12 Paglat 2nd 11,207 8 Pandag 2nd 13,795 8 Rajah Buayan 2nd 17,423 11 Shariff Aguak 1st 34,376 13 Shariff Saydona Mustapha 1st 16,442 16 South Upi 1st 35,990 11 Sultan sa Barongis 2nd 22,547 12 Talayan 1st 16,042 15 Total 637,033 507,554 — — — — 287
Demographics
According to the 2024 census conducted before the province's creation, Maguindanao del Sur has a population of 813,243 people, with a population density of . The predominant ethnic group is the Maguindanaon.
Population percentage Total population: 741,221
Economy According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, registered economic growth of the province had decelerated from 10.2 percent (before its establishment) to 6.7 percent in 2022.
Agricultural growth from forestry and fishery had a growth declined to 5.2 percent. However, economic growth from services grew by 8.9 percent. Among services, accommodation and food services accounted for 31.7 percent.
Notable people Lav Diaz – filmmaker
References