Maguindanao del Norte

Maguindanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao. Its provincial capital is Datu Odin Sinsuat. The province occupies the northern and western portion of the former Maguindanao province and includes one independent city, twelve municipalities, and three legislative districts. Cotabato City, the area's largest urban center, is administratively independent from the province but is associated with it for congressional representation. The province was created through the division of Maguindanao into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. The partition was authorized by Republic Act No. 11550 and approved in a plebiscite held on September 17, 2022. The creation followed an earlier, short-lived attempt to establish a separate province in the area: Shariff Kabunsuan existed from 2006 to 2008 before being invalidated and returned to Maguindanao. Because the 2022 plebiscite occurred after the national and local elections, the initial appointment of provincial officials required clarification by the Commission on Elections and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Ainee Sinsuat initially assumed the role of acting governor in October 2022, with Sharifudin Mastura serving as acting vice governor. The province subsequently went through a transitional period and changes in appointed leadership before its first officially elected provincial officials assumed office in June 2025. The leadership transition reflected the administrative complexity of creating a new province after elections had already taken place. The province lies within the political and administrative environment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Maguindanao del Norte covers approximately 3,988.82 square kilometers and borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, Maguindanao del Sur to the southeast, and Sultan Kudarat to the south. Bongo Island, an outlying island near the mainland, is also under its jurisdiction. The population figure associated with the territory is 926,037 in the 2020 census, although that census predates the province's formal creation and therefore reflects the population of the area before separation from Maguindanao. Maguindanaon communities form the largest ethnic population. Iranun communities are particularly prominent in Matanog, Buldon, and Barira, while Teduray communities are strongly represented in Upi. Maranao communities live mainly along the northern and western borders. The province's cultural and social character is therefore shaped by several Muslim and Indigenous communities, as well as by the wider historical traditions of the Maguindanao area. The local economy includes agriculture, forestry, fishing, transportation and storage, other non-agricultural services, and food and accommodation services. Service-related activities have been identified as among the fastest-growing parts of the economy. Philippine Statistics Authority figures reported in the subject's reference material indicate that the economy grew by 7.8 percent in 2021 and 8.8 percent in 2022, with a reported 2022 gross domestic product of PHP 78.01 billion; these figures should be interpreted in light of the province's recent formation and the statistical treatment of the pre-partition territory.

The territory now forming Maguindanao del Norte was historically part of Maguindanao province and lies within the broader cultural and political landscape of central Mindanao. The idea of creating a separate province in the area gained an earlier institutional expression in 2006, when Shariff Kabunsuan was established from territory associated with Maguindanao. That province lasted only about two years before being invalidated and its territory was returned to Maguindanao. A later partition plan was enacted through Republic Act No. 11550, which proposed dividing Maguindanao into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. Voters approved the division in a plebiscite on September 17, 2022. The new province consists of the northern and western areas of the former province, while Maguindanao del Sur comprises the other resulting province. Its administrative center is Datu Odin Sinsuat, and its jurisdiction includes Bongo Island. Cotabato City remains an independent city rather than a component city of the province, although it is grouped with Maguindanao del Norte for congressional representation. The timing of the plebiscite created a transition problem. The national and local elections had already occurred before the province was formally ratified, so the legal framework for selecting the initial governor, vice governor, and other officials was not straightforward. A Commission on Elections opinion issued on September 28, 2022 concluded that the Department of the Interior and Local Government had the authority to appoint the first officials. Ainee Sinsuat took her oath as acting governor on October 13, 2022, while Sharifudin Mastura became acting vice governor. The transition was expected to continue until January 2023, but subsequent appointments and political disputes extended the period of interim administration. In April 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Abdulraof Macacua as officer-in-charge governor and Ainee Sinsuat as officer-in-charge vice governor. Sinsuat later vacated the vice-governorship and revived a claim to the governorship, but the national and Bangsamoro governments did not recognize that claim. Mastura subsequently served as acting governor, while Abdulnasser Abas served as acting vice governor, until the first officially elected provincial administration took office on June 30, 2025. The province covers roughly 3,988.82 square kilometers and is bordered by Lanao del Sur, Cotabato, Maguindanao del Sur, and Sultan Kudarat. Its society is predominantly Maguindanaon, with substantial Iranun, Teduray, and Maranao populations distributed across different localities. Iranun communities are especially associated with Matanog, Buldon, and Barira; Teduray communities are prominent in Upi; and Maranao communities live near the northern and western boundaries. The local economy is based partly on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, while transportation, storage, food, accommodation, and other service activities have been expanding. Economic statistics reported for the territory show growth from 7.8 percent in 2021 to 8.8 percent in 2022 and a 2022 gross domestic product of PHP 78.01 billion. Since the province was created during the period covered by these statistics, the figures require careful interpretation regarding geographic boundaries and the treatment of the former Maguindanao economy.

• 2025

  First elected provincial administration begins

  [1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Datu Tucao O. Mastura and Datu Marshall I. Sinsuat began serving as the province's first officially elected governor and vice governor.

• 2023

  Interim leadership is reorganized

  [1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Abdulraof Macacua was appointed officer-in-charge governor and Ainee Sinsuat officer-in-charge vice governor.

• 2022

  Republic Act No. 11550 is ratified

  [1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  A plebiscite approved the division of Maguindanao into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

• 2022

  First acting officials take office

  [1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Ainee Sinsuat and Sharifudin Mastura assumed the initial acting governorship and vice governorship during the province's transition.

• 2008

  Shariff Kabunsuan is dissolved

  [1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Shariff Kabunsuan ceased to exist and its territory was returned to Maguindanao.

• 2006

  Shariff Kabunsuan is established

  [1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  An earlier attempt to create a separate province in the area resulted in the short-lived province of Shariff Kabunsuan.

A newly established Bangsamoro province centered on local governance, regional administration, agriculture, fisheries, and intercommunity development in northern Mindanao.

• Agriculture

  Agricultural products

  Agriculture is one of the province's foundational economic activities. The available reference material identifies agricultural production as part of the local economy but does not provide a reliable, detailed list of principal crops or major commercial producers.

• Natural resources

  Forestry and fishery products

  Forestry and fishing contribute to the province's resource-based economy. These activities are associated with the province's land and coastal or island environments, although the supplied material does not quantify output or identify specific leading products.

• Services

  Transportation and storage services

  Transportation and storage are identified as growing non-agricultural activities. They support the movement and handling of agricultural, fishery, forestry, and consumer goods across the province and its surrounding Bangsamoro and Mindanao markets.

• 2022

  Partition of Maguindanao into two provincesStrategy

  Background

  Republic Act No. 11550 proposed reorganizing the former Maguindanao province into northern and southern provinces. The measure was presented to voters in a plebiscite after the 2022 elections.

  Action taken

  The September 17, 2022 plebiscite ratified the creation of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

  Aftermath

  The partition created a new provincial government but required an interim administrative structure because the plebiscite occurred after the regular elections.

  Source

• 2022

  Appointment framework for initial officialsOther

  Background

  The province was created after the national and local electoral process, leaving uncertainty over how its first officials should be selected.

  Action taken

  The Commission on Elections issued an opinion stating that the Department of the Interior and Local Government should appoint the initial provincial officials.

  Aftermath

  The province entered a transition period with acting and officer-in-charge officials before its first elected administration took office in 2025.

  Source

• 2025

  First elected provincial officials assume office[1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Datu Tucao O. Mastura and Datu Marshall I. Sinsuat became the first officially elected governor and vice governor of Maguindanao del Norte.

• 2022

  Maguindanao is divided into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur[1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A plebiscite held on September 17, 2022 ratified the legislation dividing the former Maguindanao province into two provinces.

• 2022

  Initial provincial appointments require post-election legal clarification[1]Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Leadership change

  Because the plebiscite took place after the 2022 elections, the Commission on Elections addressed how the first provincial officials should be designated and referred the appointment issue to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

1. 1Maguindanao del Norteen.wikipedia.org