Buldon
Buldon is a municipality in Maguindanao del Norte, Philippines, with a history shaped by territorial reorganization, Iranun culture, resettlement, and the armed conflict in central Mindanao.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Buldon, officially the Municipality of Buldon, is a local government unit in the province of Maguindanao del Norte in the Bangsamoro area of the Philippines. It is an Iranun-majority municipality located in central Mindanao and is organized into 15 barangays. The municipality’s local names include Inged nu Buldun in Maguindanaon, Inged a Buldon in Iranun and Mëranaw, and Bayan ng Buldon in Tagalog. The 2020 Philippine census recorded a population of 39,684. The municipality was created from territory formerly belonging to Parang, then part of the province of Cotabato. Republic Act No. 3419, approved on June 18, 1961, established Buldon by separating twelve barrios and twenty sitios from Parang. The law designated Barrio Nabalawag as the seat of municipal government. Buldon later underwent a major territorial change in 1977, when Presidential Decree No. 1188 created the municipality of Barira from part of Buldon. Eastern portions of Nabalawag and Tugaig remained within Buldon after that separation. Migration and resettlement also influenced the municipality’s social and territorial history. Former Huk members were among the migrants who settled in Buldon, Parang, and other parts of Mindanao. The Economic Development Corporation, created in 1951 during the administration of President Ramon Magsaysay, established resettlement areas that were initially administered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Gallego area was transferred to the Land Authority in 1976, while the Barira resettlement area had been transferred to the Department of Agrarian Reform in 1972 before becoming part of the municipality of Barira. Buldon has been significantly affected by armed conflict since the early 1970s. The municipality was associated with clashes involving Muslim armed groups, government security forces, and later the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Camp Abubakar, a major MILF base from the 1980s until its capture by government forces in 2000, was located in the broader area near Buldon and other Iranun-majority municipalities. During periods of conflict, municipal administrative functions were reportedly conducted from Cotabato City or Parang, while municipal halls in Buldon and nearby Matanog were often underused. Buldon also played a role in the early stages of the Philippine government–MILF peace process. A local ceasefire was declared in January 1997, and the Buldon Ceasefire Agreement was signed on July 27 of that year as part of the effort to expand a local truce into a broader Mindanao ceasefire. The process was accompanied by renewed fighting, including clashes in Garigayan, Kabayuan, and other areas, as well as the shelling of an Islamic school and later engagements involving government troops and MILF forces. Battles continued in and around the municipality during 2000, contributing to the fall of Camp Abubakar. Although a ceasefire was signed in Kuala Lumpur in August 2001, fighting resumed near a vacant military outpost in September of that year. Today, Buldon is a functioning municipality of Maguindanao del Norte. Its identity combines local government administration, Iranun cultural heritage, a rural settlement pattern, and a difficult conflict-era history. Available reference material does not establish Buldon as a commercial consumer brand; the subject is instead a Philippine municipality and public administrative entity.
History
Buldon was established as a municipality on June 18, 1961, under Republic Act No. 3419. The law separated twelve barrios and twenty sitios from Parang, which was then part of Cotabato, and named Barrio Nabalawag as the municipal seat. The creation of Buldon formed part of the postwar administrative expansion and settlement history of central Mindanao. The municipality’s population and territorial history were influenced by state-supported migration. Former Huk members were among the migrants who later settled in Buldon, Parang, and surrounding Muslim-majority areas. The Economic Development Corporation, established in 1951 during the presidency of Ramon Magsaysay, opened resettlement areas that were initially administered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Gallego settlement was transferred to the Land Authority in 1976. Another settlement area, Barira, had been transferred to the Department of Agrarian Reform in 1972 and subsequently became associated with the separate municipality of Barira. Buldon’s boundaries changed substantially in 1977. Presidential Decree No. 1188 created Barira from part of Buldon, although eastern portions of the barangays of Nabalawag and Tugaig remained within the original municipality. Buldon was later included in the province of Shariff Kabunsuan from October 2006 until the Supreme Court nullified that province in July 2008. It is currently part of Maguindanao del Norte. The municipality is predominantly inhabited by Iranun people and shares that cultural and historical setting with nearby Matanog and Barira. Its location also placed it close to Camp Abubakar, which served as a principal base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front from the 1980s until government forces captured it in 2000. Armed conflict affected local administration, mobility, and civilian life. During the Marcos era and subsequent periods, municipal offices in Buldon and Matanog were at times operated from Cotabato City or Parang, while the local municipal halls were reportedly largely vacant. Hostilities began affecting Buldon in the early 1970s. Among the earliest recorded incidents were clashes in Garigayan involving Moro separatists led by Bangon Aratuc and the Philippine Constabulary. In August 1971, fighting between Muslim armed groups known as the Blackshirts and constabulary forces was followed by a peace pact involving government negotiators and local Muslim representatives. The agreement also supported rehabilitation assistance. During the 1980s, the administration of mayor Macarampat Manalao was associated with efforts to address Christian–Moro conflict in the area. Buldon became an important local site during the first phase of the government–MILF ceasefire process in 1997. On January 27, a municipal ceasefire was declared, and the arrangement was later broadened through the Buldon Ceasefire Agreement signed on July 27. The peace process did not prevent further violence. On January 16, an attack involving a military escort accompanying mayor Manalao in Garigayan reportedly killed 22 people, including two soldiers. Subsequent fighting occurred in Garigayan and Kabayuan before another local agreement was reached. Other reported incidents in 1997 included the shelling of an Islamic school on March 16 and an MILF attack in June, followed by government retaliation. Further clashes were reported in Upper Minabay in 1998. Buldon was among the municipalities affected by the 2000 military campaign that led to the fall of Camp Abubakar. A ceasefire signed in Kuala Lumpur in August 2001 was followed by renewed fighting in September, when MILF fighters attacked a vacant military outpost. The ensuing clashes reportedly killed members of the Philippine Army and MILF. Buldon is now a municipality composed of 15 barangays: Ampuan, Aratuc, Cabayuan, Calaan or Poblacion, Karim, Dinganen, Edcor or Gallego Edcor, Kulimpang, Mataya, Minabay, Nuyo, Oring, Pantawan, Piers, and Rumidas. The 2020 census recorded 39,684 residents. Its contemporary identity is that of a rural local government unit with Iranun cultural roots and a history closely connected to the political and security transformation of central Mindanao.
- 2020
Population recorded at 39,684
[1]The Philippine census recorded 39,684 residents in Buldon.
- 2000
Fall of Camp Abubakar
[1]Buldon was among the municipalities affected by battles connected with the government campaign that led to the fall of Camp Abubakar.
- 1997
Buldon ceasefire process
[1]A local ceasefire declared in January was followed by the Buldon Ceasefire Agreement in July during the early government–MILF peace process.
- 1977
Barira is separated from Buldon
[1]Presidential Decree No. 1188 constituted part of Buldon into the municipality of Barira.
- 1971
Armed clashes and a local peace pact
[1]Fighting between Muslim armed groups and the Philippine Constabulary was followed by a peace agreement and rehabilitation assistance.
- 1961
Municipality of Buldon is established
[1]Republic Act No. 3419 established Buldon from territory separated from Parang and designated Nabalawag as the seat of government.
- 1951
Economic Development Corporation establishes resettlement areas
[1]The Economic Development Corporation opened resettlement areas in Mindanao, contributing to later settlement patterns involving Buldon and nearby municipalities.
Products and positioning
A local government and public administrative entity serving the communities of Buldon in Maguindanao del Norte, rather than a commercial product brand.
Brand decisions
1997
Local ceasefire and peace-process participationStrategyBackground
Buldon was an active conflict zone near MILF positions during negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF.
Action taken
A municipal ceasefire was declared in January and later formalized through the Buldon Ceasefire Agreement in July.
Aftermath
The agreement contributed to the broader ceasefire effort but did not prevent further clashes in and around the municipality.
1977
Territorial separation of BariraOtherBackground
The national government reorganized local territories in the area.
Action taken
Presidential Decree No. 1188 created Barira from part of Buldon while retaining specified portions of Nabalawag and Tugaig in Buldon.
Aftermath
Buldon’s territorial footprint was reduced and its boundary with Barira was established.
1961
Creation of the municipalityOtherBackground
Parang’s twelve barrios and twenty sitios were separated to form a new municipality in central Mindanao.
Action taken
Republic Act No. 3419 formally established Buldon and designated Barrio Nabalawag as its administrative seat.
Aftermath
Buldon became an independent local government unit, later undergoing territorial and provincial changes.
Recent events
- 2008
Supreme Court nullifies Shariff Kabunsuan[1]
Regulation
The Supreme Court nullified the province of Shariff Kabunsuan, affecting Buldon’s provincial administrative affiliation.
- 2006
Buldon becomes part of Shariff Kabunsuan[1]
Regulation
Buldon was included in the province of Shariff Kabunsuan after its creation in 2006. The provincial reorganization was later nullified by the Supreme Court in 2008.
- 1977
Barira is created from part of Buldon[1]
Other
Presidential Decree No. 1188 constituted part of Buldon’s territory into the separate municipality of Barira, while portions of Nabalawag and Tugaig remained with Buldon.
- 1961
Buldon is established as a municipality[1]
Other
Republic Act No. 3419 created Buldon by separating twelve barrios and twenty sitios from Parang and designated Barrio Nabalawag as the municipal seat.
Sources2 sources
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