Cotabato
A landlocked province of the Philippines in central Mindanao, known for agricultural production, cultural diversity, and its historical connection to the Pulangi River basin.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Cotabato, officially the Province of Cotabato and still frequently called North Cotabato, is a landlocked province in the southern Philippines. It occupies a strategically important part of central Mindanao and is primarily associated with the Soccsksargen administrative region, although several barangays in its western municipalities fall under the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Kidapawan City serves as the provincial capital and is the province’s most populous urban center. The name Cotabato derives from the Maguindanaon expression Kuta Watu, or the related Malay form Kota Batu, generally translated as “stone fortress.” The name reflects the area’s long association with the Maguindanao political and cultural sphere. According to Maguindanao royal traditions, Islam reached the region in the late fifteenth century through Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuan. Cotabato later became an important center of the Maguindanao Sultanate, with the seat of Sultan Muhammad Kudarat located there in the seventeenth century. Spanish influence arrived gradually. Christianity was introduced in the late sixteenth century, but Spanish forces did not establish sustained control over the interior until the nineteenth century. In 1860, the Spanish colonial administration created the District of Cotabato, a much larger territory that included areas now forming several separate provinces. Fort Pikit, established in 1893, became an important military and settlement site. Under American rule, Cotabato was incorporated into the Moro Province created in 1903. Timber exploitation and agricultural settlement expanded, while migrants from Luzon and the Visayas established homesteads during the early twentieth century. The province was occupied by Japanese forces during the Second World War. Filipino Commonwealth troops, the Philippine Constabulary, American forces, and Moro guerrilla units participated in resistance and liberation operations. After the war, migration accelerated during the 1950s and 1960s, producing a socially and linguistically diverse population and contributing to the development of large-scale farming. Cotabato’s administrative boundaries changed repeatedly. South Cotabato was separated from the former large province in 1966. In 1973, the remaining territory was divided into North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat. North Cotabato was officially renamed Cotabato in 1984. A further territorial adjustment followed the 2019 plebiscite associated with the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Sixty-three barangays in municipalities including Pigkawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Carmen, Banisilan, and Pikit voted to join Bangsamoro, and the transfer was completed in 2019. Geographically, Cotabato covers approximately 9,008.90 square kilometres. It extends from the Mount Apo area in the east toward the Piapayungan Range in the west and contains extensive plains and river systems. The Pulangi River, also known as the Rio Grande de Mindanao, is central to the province’s irrigation, settlement, and economic geography. The province is generally outside the principal path of Philippine typhoons and receives rainfall throughout the year. Cotabato is widely regarded as one of Mindanao’s major food-producing areas. Its agricultural economy includes cereals, tropical fruit, vegetables, sugarcane, coconut, coffee, freshwater fish, livestock, rubber, and industrial trees. It also has geothermal and hydroelectric significance through the Mount Apo geothermal facilities and the Pulangi watershed. The province’s roads connect it with Davao, Soccsksargen, Bukidnon, and the Cagayan de Oro–Iligan corridor. Cotabato is ethnolinguistically plural, with Hiligaynon, Maguindanao, Cebuano, and Ilocano among the principal languages. Its population includes Visayan and Luzon settler communities, Magindanaons, Iranuns, and several Indigenous peoples, including Manobo and Obo groups. Roman Catholicism is the largest religious affiliation, alongside substantial Muslim and Protestant communities. The province remains an important agricultural, transport, and cultural area of Mindanao, while its history continues to be shaped by migration, autonomy arrangements, and relations among Christian, Muslim, and Indigenous communities.
History
The history of Cotabato is closely tied to the Pulangi River basin, the Maguindanao Sultanate, Islamic expansion in Mindanao, Spanish colonial campaigns, American administrative restructuring, postwar migration, and the modern Bangsamoro peace process. The province’s name is associated with Kuta Watu in Maguindanaon and Kota Batu in Malay, expressions commonly interpreted as “stone fortress.” This terminology reflects the area’s historical role as a fortified and politically significant center in the Maguindanao world. Maguindanao royal traditions place the arrival of Islam in the late fifteenth century, when Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuan, described in those traditions as a Johorean Malay Muslim noble and missionary of Arab descent, established influence in the region. Cotabato subsequently became the capital of the Maguindanao Sultanate. Sultan Muhammad Kudarat made the area a seat of power in 1619, reinforcing its role as a political, commercial, and religious center in the interior of Mindanao. Spanish missionaries introduced Christianity in 1596, but Spanish military and administrative penetration remained limited for centuries. The Spanish formed the District of Cotabato in 1860, encompassing a territory much larger than the present province and including areas that are now Cotabato, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani. Fort Pikit was established in 1893 during campaigns against the remaining power of the Maguindanao Sultanate. Pikit later became one of the oldest towns associated with the province. The American period brought another territorial framework. Act No. 787 of the Philippine Commission created the Moro Province on July 15, 1903, with Cotabato as one of its districts. Commercial timber operations expanded, and the region’s agricultural potential attracted settlers. During the 1930s, migrants from Luzon and the Visayas established homesteads, beginning demographic changes that would make Cotabato one of the most ethnically and linguistically varied parts of Mindanao. Japanese aircraft bombed Cotabato in December 1941, followed by occupation by Japanese Imperial forces in 1942. Philippine Commonwealth Army units and the Philippine Constabulary maintained military structures in the area, while Moro guerrillas supported resistance operations. Fighting continued until the combined Filipino, American, and recognized Moro guerrilla forces recaptured the area in 1945. The wartime experience left a strong historical association between Cotabato and local resistance movements. Postwar settlement grew substantially during the 1950s and 1960s. Cotabato was formerly one of the largest provinces in the Philippines, but its territory was progressively subdivided. South Cotabato became a separate province in 1966. Presidential Decree No. 341, issued on November 22, 1973, divided the remaining old Cotabato into North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat. North Cotabato was renamed Cotabato through Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 on March 7, 1984. The province also became a site of severe conflict during the period of martial law and the wider Moro insurgency. The Manili massacre occurred in Carmen on June 19, 1971, when Muslim civilians gathered in a mosque for an alleged peace meeting and were killed by armed men suspected of belonging to the Ilaga militant group. The event intensified ethnic and political tensions. Following the declaration of martial law in 1972, the Moro National Liberation Front consolidated as an armed secessionist movement, and conflict affected communities across Mindanao, including Cotabato. The most recent major territorial change followed the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. In the February 2019 plebiscite process, 63 barangays from seven Cotabato municipalities voted to join Bangsamoro. The barangays were formally transferred in November 2019, reducing the province’s administrative territory and creating a complex boundary arrangement in which some barangays and municipalities are connected to a neighboring autonomous jurisdiction. Cotabato now consists of one component city, Kidapawan, and 25 municipalities, although several municipalities have barangays administered within Bangsamoro’s special geographic area. Contemporary Cotabato combines an agricultural economy with transport, energy, and natural-resource assets. Its plains support cereals, sugarcane, coconut, fruits, vegetables, coffee, rubber, fish, and livestock. Mount Apo, the Pulangi River, and the Liguasan Marsh are among its most important geographic features. The province’s identity remains shaped by the interaction of Christian settler communities, Magindanaon and other Muslim groups, and Indigenous peoples, as well as by continuing adjustments in local governance and regional autonomy.
- 2019
Barangays transferred to Bangsamoro
[1]Following the Bangsamoro plebiscite, 63 barangays from Cotabato municipalities voted for inclusion and were formally transferred to Bangsamoro later that year.
- 1984
North Cotabato renamed Cotabato
[1]Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 restored the name Cotabato to the province then known as North Cotabato.
- 1973
North Cotabato created
[1]Presidential Decree No. 341 divided the remaining old Cotabato into North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat.
- 1971
Manili massacre
[1]A massacre in a mosque in Manili, Carmen, killed dozens of Muslim civilians and became a major symbol of the escalating communal conflict in Mindanao.
- 1966
South Cotabato separated
[1]South Cotabato was created as a separate province from the former large Cotabato territory.
- 1945
Cotabato liberated from Japanese occupation
[1]Combined Filipino, American, and recognized Moro guerrilla forces recaptured Cotabato from Japanese Imperial forces.
- 1903
Cotabato becomes a district of Moro Province
[1]Act No. 787 created the American-era Moro Province, with Cotabato included as one of its districts.
- 1893
Fort Pikit established
[1]Spanish forces established Fort Pikit during their campaigns in the region.
- 1860
Spanish District of Cotabato established
[1]Spain organized the District of Cotabato, whose territory included much of present-day central and southern Mindanao.
- 1619
Cotabato becomes a seat of the Maguindanao Sultanate
[1]The area became the seat of power of Sultan Muhammad Kudarat and an important center of the Maguindanao Sultanate.
Products and positioning
A major agricultural and food-producing province in central Mindanao, with strategic transport links, substantial water and geothermal resources, and a culturally diverse population.
Agriculture
Agricultural commodities
Cotabato is a major food-producing area in Mindanao. Its agricultural output includes cereals, sugarcane, coconut, tropical fruits, vegetables, coffee, freshwater fish, and livestock. Production supports local consumption, regional trade, and processing activities.
Forestry and agricultural processing
Rubber and industrial tree products
The province is among the Philippines’ notable producers of raw and semi-processed rubber and industrial tree products. These commodities serve domestic and export-oriented markets, including markets elsewhere in Asia and Europe.
Energy
Geothermal energy
The Mount Apo geothermal facilities near Kidapawan contribute electricity to the Mindanao power system. The province’s energy profile also benefits from its location within the Pulangi watershed and connections to the wider Philippine grid.
Controversies
1971
Manili massacre
On June 19, 1971, Muslim residents gathered in a mosque in Manili, Carmen, reportedly for a peace meeting with Christian groups. Armed men suspected of belonging to the Ilaga militant group opened fire, killing approximately 70 to 79 people, including women and children. The incident became a major symbol of the communal violence that preceded the Moro conflict.
Brand decisions
2019
Transfer of barangays to the Bangsamoro autonomous regionStrategyBackground
The Bangsamoro plebiscite allowed qualified barangays in Cotabato municipalities to decide whether to join the newly formed autonomous region.
Action taken
Sixty-three barangays voted for inclusion in Bangsamoro and were formally turned over to the autonomous government on November 20, 2019.
Aftermath
Cotabato’s territory and local administrative relationships changed, with several municipalities retaining barangays connected to a different regional jurisdiction.
1984
Renaming of North Cotabato as CotabatoOtherBackground
The province had been designated North Cotabato after the 1973 territorial division.
Action taken
Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 changed the province’s official name from North Cotabato to Cotabato.
Aftermath
North Cotabato continued to be used informally and remains a common distinguishing name because Cotabato is also associated with Cotabato City and other historical territories.
1973
Administrative division of the former Cotabato provinceStrategyBackground
The former Cotabato province covered a very large area of Mindanao and included territories with distinct political and administrative conditions.
Action taken
Presidential Decree No. 341 divided the remaining old Cotabato into the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat.
Aftermath
The division created the basic provincial boundaries that later shaped the modern Province of Cotabato and neighboring provinces.
Recent events
- 2019
Sixty-three Cotabato barangays voted to join Bangsamoro[1]
Regulation · Other
A plebiscite involving barangays in several western municipalities approved their inclusion in the newly established Bangsamoro autonomous region. The territorial transfer was completed later in 2019.
- 2017
House bill proposed renaming the province Cotabato del Norte[1]
Other
Representative Roger Mercado authorized House Bill 6408, which proposed changing the province’s name to Cotabato del Norte.
Sources2 sources
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