Lanao del Sur
A predominantly Maranao province in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Lanao del Sur is a province in the southern Philippines, within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Its capital and largest urban center is Marawi City, located near the northern end of Lake Lanao. The province occupies the central highlands of Mindanao and is bounded by Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, Maguindanao del Norte and Cotabato to the south, and Illana Bay to the southwest. Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao and one of the Philippines’ major inland bodies of water, dominates the province’s geography and has shaped its settlement patterns, economy, identity, and political history. The name Lanao derives from ranao, a local term associated with a lake. The province is traditionally identified with the Maranao, whose name is commonly interpreted as “people of the lake.” Maranao cultural life is expressed through oral literature, royal and community institutions, architecture, music, metalwork, woodcarving, textiles, visual motifs, and dance. Important cultural forms associated with the area include the darangen epic, the singkil dance, the sarimanok motif, okir ornamentation, the torogan traditional house, and Maranao gong traditions. The Darangen Chants of the Maranao People of Lake Lanao were recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, reflecting the international significance of the province’s living traditions. The area had established indigenous political and cultural systems before Spanish colonial expansion. The Sultanates of Lanao and the four major political boundaries traditionally associated with the lake basin played important roles in legitimizing leadership and organizing authority. Spanish expeditions reached the Lanao area in the seventeenth century, but local resistance prevented sustained colonial control comparable to that established in many other parts of the archipelago. A settlement at the northern end of the lake became known as Dansalan; in 1956, Republic Act No. 1552 changed its name to Marawi, a name linked to the rawi lilies associated with the Agus River. During the Second World War, Japanese forces occupied parts of the region. José Abad Santos, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, was executed by Japanese forces at Malabang on 2 May 1942. Liberation forces, including United States and Philippine Commonwealth units supported by Maranao guerrillas, returned to the area in 1945. In the postwar period, the former province of Lanao was divided into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur under Republic Act No. 2228 in 1959, with Marawi designated as the capital of Lanao del Sur. Lanao del Sur has undergone several changes in its autonomous and administrative status. A proposed 1971 division that would have created a new province from eastern areas of Lanao del Sur did not take effect after the declaration of martial law disrupted the planned political process. In the 1989 plebiscite establishing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the province voted to join the autonomous region, while Marawi initially remained outside it. Marawi later joined the autonomous region after the 2001 plebiscite. Following the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Lanao del Sur became one of its provinces. The province remains predominantly Muslim, with Maranao as its most widely spoken language. Iranun, Maguindanao, Cebuano, Chavacano, Tagalog, English, and several other Philippine languages are also used. Its institutions include Mindanao State University and other colleges, hospitals, public agencies, municipalities, and cultural organizations. Agriculture, local commerce, public services, education, traditional crafts, and lake- and upland-based livelihoods form important parts of its socioeconomic life. The 2017 Battle of Marawi was a defining contemporary event. Fighting between Philippine government forces and militants affiliated with the Islamic State destroyed or severely damaged large areas of the city and caused extensive civilian displacement and loss of life. Reconstruction has since raised questions about heritage conservation, urban design, and the preservation of Maranao identity. Local cultural advocates have argued that rebuilding should draw on torogan forms, okir designs, sarimanok imagery, and other local traditions rather than impose a generic Manila-style urban landscape. These debates demonstrate that Lanao del Sur functions not merely as an administrative territory but also as a prominent center of Maranao historical memory and cultural expression.
History
The history of Lanao del Sur is closely tied to Lake Lanao and the Maranao communities that developed around it. Before Spanish intervention, the lake basin supported sophisticated political, religious, artistic, and literary traditions. Maranao society preserved historical knowledge through epics, chants, genealogies, and customary institutions. The torogan, a high-status traditional house, the singkil dance, the darangen epic, sarimanok imagery, okir decoration, indigenous writing practices, and gong and metalworking traditions all emerged within this wider cultural setting. Political legitimacy was associated with the sultanates and with influential boundaries or ruling houses, traditionally identified as Bakayawan, Dalama, Madamba, and Sawer. Spanish forces reached the Lanao area during the seventeenth century. Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera led an expedition near the lake in 1639, and a Spanish garrison was established in the following year. Local Maranao resistance prevented the Spanish from consolidating lasting control in the lake region. A settlement at the northern end of Lake Lanao was later recorded as Dansalan. The area remained associated with the Sultanate of Lanao and with autonomous Maranao political structures. Japanese forces occupied parts of southern Lanao during the Second World War. On 2 May 1942, José Abad Santos, who had served as Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, was executed by Japanese forces at Malabang. Liberation began in 1945 when United States and Philippine Commonwealth troops, supported by Maranao guerrilla units, returned to the region. Fighting involved both modern infantry weapons and locally significant weapons such as the kris, barong, and kampilan. The postwar political history of the province developed through a series of name and boundary changes. Republic Act No. 1552 renamed Dansalan as Marawi in 1956. Republic Act No. 2228 divided the former province of Lanao into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in 1959 and designated Marawi as the capital of the southern province. A further division was authorized by Republic Act No. 6406 in 1971, but the proposed province was never organized because martial law and the disruption of the planned 1973 electoral process prevented implementation. Lanao del Sur participated in the creation of Muslim autonomy in the Philippines. In the 1989 plebiscite, the province voted to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, whereas Marawi initially remained outside the autonomous region. A subsequent 2001 plebiscite brought the city into the regional structure. With the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Lanao del Sur became one of its constituent provinces. The most consequential recent event was the Battle of Marawi in 2017. Government forces fought militants linked to the Islamic State, including foreign participants, in and around the city. The conflict killed civilians and soldiers, displaced residents, and destroyed much of Marawi’s built environment. Reconstruction generated a major heritage debate. Advocates urged planners to use Maranao architectural and artistic references, including torogan forms, okir ornament, and sarimanok imagery, rather than replace the historic landscape with standardized construction. Cultural preservation remains a central part of the province’s public identity. UNESCO recognition of the Darangen Chants affirmed the importance of Maranao oral heritage, while Tugaya and the province’s traditional crafts have attracted heritage attention and recommendations for further safeguarding or inscription. The condition and location of traditional torogans, the survival of craft practices, and the cultural character of postwar reconstruction continue to connect Lanao del Sur’s contemporary development with its older historical traditions.
- 2017
Battle of Marawi
[1]Government forces fought Islamic State-linked militants in Marawi, causing widespread destruction, displacement, and loss of life.
- 2008
Darangen chants receive UNESCO recognition
[1]The Darangen Chants of the Maranao People of Lake Lanao were placed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
- 2001
Marawi joins the autonomous region
[1]Marawi City later joined the autonomous region following the 2001 plebiscite on regional expansion.
- 1989
Lanao del Sur joins the autonomous region
[1]The province voted to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the plebiscite establishing the region.
- 1971
Proposed creation of a new Maranaw province
[1]Republic Act No. 6406 authorized a proposed province from eastern portions of Lanao del Sur, but the division was not implemented.
- 1959
Lanao is divided into two provinces
[1]Republic Act No. 2228 divided the former Lanao province into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, with Marawi as the southern province’s capital.
- 1956
Dansalan is renamed Marawi
[1]Republic Act No. 1552 changed the name of Dansalan to Marawi.
- 1640
Spanish garrison is attacked
[1]A Spanish garrison established near Lanao was attacked by indigenous Maranao forces.
- 1639
Spanish expedition reaches the Lanao area
[1]An expedition led by Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera entered the region near Lake Lanao, marking an early major Spanish intervention in the area.
Products and positioning
A culturally distinctive Maranao province and administrative center of the Bangsamoro region, recognized for Lake Lanao, Islamic heritage, traditional arts, and the historic city of Marawi.
Cultural and artisanal goods
Maranao traditional crafts
Lanao del Sur is associated with Maranao craft traditions including carved wood, okir ornament, metalwork, gongs, textiles, and related decorative arts. These practices are connected to social status, household architecture, ceremonial life, and regional identity. Tugaya is particularly associated with traditional craft production and heritage activity. The continuity of these traditions has been affected by economic change, displacement, and damage caused by the 2017 conflict.
Heritage and tourism offering
Lake Lanao cultural landscape
Lake Lanao is the province’s defining natural and cultural landscape. It supports communities, waterways, historical traditions, and a broad body of Maranao oral and artistic heritage. The lake is connected to the Agus River system and to the identity expressed in the name Maranao, commonly understood as the people of the lake.
Intangible cultural heritage
Darangen Chants
The Darangen is a large body of Maranao epic chants containing narratives, values, historical memory, social practices, and cultural knowledge. Its recognition by UNESCO reflects the significance of the tradition beyond the province and highlights the need for transmission and safeguarding.
Traditional architecture
Torogan architecture
The torogan is a traditional Maranao royal or high-status house distinguished by its scale, carved ornament, and relationship to customary authority. Torogans have become central to heritage-preservation discussions, particularly after the destruction and reconstruction challenges associated with Marawi.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Maranao-style reconstruction campaign
Marawi City · Lanao del Sur · Philippines
Cultural advocates campaigned for the rebuilding of Marawi with Maranao architectural references and local heritage principles after the Battle of Marawi. The proposal emphasized torogan-inspired forms, okir ornament, and sarimanok imagery instead of standardized construction modeled on Manila.
Outcome. The campaign made cultural identity and heritage conservation central issues in discussions of Marawi’s rehabilitation, although the supplied material does not establish a single final implementation outcome.
- Return of relocated torogans campaign
Lanao del Sur · Bataan · Philippines
A provincial campaign called for the return of two historic torogans that had been acquired and transported to a heritage resort in Bataan, arguing that the houses belong in their ancestral Maranao setting.
Outcome. The relocation generated continuing heritage controversy; the supplied material does not document a confirmed return.
Brand decisions
2017
Pursue culturally grounded Marawi rehabilitationStrategyBackground
The Battle of Marawi destroyed much of the city and created a need for large-scale reconstruction.
Action taken
Local advocates proposed using Maranao architectural and artistic traditions as the basis for rebuilding, including torogan, okir, and sarimanok references.
Aftermath
The proposal shaped public debate over heritage, tourism, urban design, and the cultural ownership of reconstruction.
1959
Create Lanao del Sur through provincial divisionStrategyBackground
The postwar Philippine government reorganized the former province of Lanao.
Action taken
Republic Act No. 2228 divided Lanao into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and assigned Marawi as the southern province’s capital.
Aftermath
Lanao del Sur became a distinct provincial government and administrative unit.
1956
Rename Dansalan as MarawiOtherBackground
The settlement at the northern end of Lake Lanao had historically been known as Dansalan.
Action taken
Republic Act No. 1552 changed the city’s name to Marawi.
Aftermath
Marawi became the capital and principal urban center of Lanao del Sur.
Recent events
- 2017
Marawi reconstruction and heritage-preservation debate[1]
Other
The Battle of Marawi caused extensive destruction in the provincial capital. Subsequent reconstruction discussions included calls to preserve Maranao architectural forms, cultural motifs, and the historic urban identity of the city.
Two historic torogans relocated to Bataan[1]
Other
The transfer of two traditional Maranao royal houses to a heritage resort in Bataan prompted a provincial campaign seeking their return to their ancestral region in Lanao del Sur.
Sources2 sources
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