Shariff Aguak
Shariff Aguak is a municipality in Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines, formerly known as Maganoy.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Shariff Aguak, officially the Municipality of Shariff Aguak, is a local government municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur in the Philippines. It is part of the Bangsamoro region and is situated in the historic Maguindanao area of Mindanao. The municipality was previously called Maganoy, a name retained in the local government website address and in historical references. The municipality was established on September 11, 1963, when Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal issued Executive Order No. 47. The new municipality was formed from 28 southern barangays that had previously belonged to Datu Piang in the old province of Cotabato. Its creation occurred during a period of administrative reorganization in Mindanao, before the later division and renaming of provinces in the area. In 1996, Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 45 changed the municipality's legal name from Maganoy to Shariff Aguak. The new name reflects the cultural and political history of the Muslim Mindanao region. The municipality is divided into 13 barangays and had a population of 33,982 according to the 2020 census. Shariff Aguak has had an important relationship with provincial administration. When Maguindanao province was created, the town served as the province's legally designated capital from 1973 to 1977. In 1977, Presidential Decree No. 1170 transferred the provincial seat to Sultan Kudarat. A 1982 law sought to restore Maganoy's status as the provincial seat, but the required plebiscite was not held, so the proposed restoration did not become legally effective. Sultan Kudarat therefore remained the historically recognized legal capital for many years, while Buluan was later formally recognized by the provincial legislature as the provincial capital in 2014. Despite the legal changes, Shariff Aguak continued to function as a de facto center of provincial political power during the terms of governors who came from the municipality. The reference material identifies the governorships of Sandiale Sambolawan from 1980 to 1986, Andal Ampatuan Sr. from 2001 to 2008, and Sajid Ampatuan from 2008 to 2009 as periods when the town exercised this practical role. In 2019, Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu expressed plans to move the provincial capitol back to Shariff Aguak, although the provincial government continued to operate from other locations while administrative facilities were being developed. The municipality's former provincial-capitol complex has had several proposed or actual uses. It was initially considered for conversion into public-school facilities, was later associated with plans for a regional Bureau of Fire Protection headquarters, and ultimately became an installation of a Philippine Army infantry brigade according to the reference material. These changes illustrate the town's continuing institutional importance even after the formal provincial capital moved elsewhere. Shariff Aguak is governed as a Philippine municipality and consists of barangays, which are subdivided into puroks, with some containing sitios. Its public identity is therefore civic and geographic rather than commercial: it is a place name and local-government jurisdiction, not a consumer brand or corporate enterprise. The municipality's principal areas of public significance include local administration, provincial political history, regional autonomy, security, and the social and economic life of its communities.
History
Shariff Aguak was established as Maganoy on September 11, 1963, under Executive Order No. 47 signed by President Diosdado Macapagal. The municipality was carved out of the southern 28 barangays of Datu Piang in the then-province of Cotabato. Its creation formed part of the Philippine government's continuing administrative organization of Mindanao. The municipality adopted its present name in 1996. Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 45 changed the official name from Maganoy to Shariff Aguak, while the former name continued to appear in historical records and in the local government website domain. The renamed municipality is associated with the Maguindanao cultural and political landscape and later became part of the autonomous-government context of Muslim Mindanao. Shariff Aguak's most significant institutional role has concerned the government of Maguindanao. It served as the province's de jure capital from the creation of Maguindanao as a province in 1973 until 1977, when Presidential Decree No. 1170 transferred the seat of government to Sultan Kudarat. A later statute, Batas Pambansa Blg. 211, attempted to restore the provincial seat to Maganoy, but the required plebiscite scheduled for December 18, 1982 was not conducted. Consequently, the proposed legal restoration did not take effect. The town nonetheless remained influential as a de facto political center. Several provincial governors originated from Shariff Aguak, and the municipality functioned in practice as the center of provincial administration during the governorships of Sandiale Sambolawan, Andal Ampatuan Sr., and Sajid Ampatuan identified in the reference material. In 2014, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan formally recognized Buluan as the provincial capital. In 2019, Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu expressed an intention to relocate the capitol to Shariff Aguak, but the provincial government's executive and legislative functions continued to be distributed among facilities in Buluan and Sultan Kudarat while the new arrangements were pending. The former provincial-capitol complex in Shariff Aguak also experienced changing institutional plans. It was considered for public-school use, later associated with a proposed Bureau of Fire Protection regional headquarters, and ultimately became an infantry-brigade facility of the Philippine Army according to the cited account. The complex's changing role reflects both the municipality's administrative history and the security conditions of the wider region. Administratively, Shariff Aguak is divided into 13 barangays. In 2009, the creation of Shariff Saydona Mustapha and Datu Hoffer Ampatuan removed a total of 13 barangays from the former 26-barangay municipality, with the boundary changes also involving areas associated with several neighboring municipalities. The municipality recorded 33,982 residents in the 2020 census. Its continuing importance is principally civic, political, and geographic; it is not a product manufacturer, retailer, or corporate brand.
- 2020
Population recorded at 33,982
[1]The national census recorded 33,982 residents in Shariff Aguak.
- 2014
Buluan recognized as provincial capital
[1]The provincial legislative body formally recognized Buluan as Maguindanao's provincial capital.
- 2009
Neighboring municipalities created from former territory
[1]Shariff Saydona Mustapha and Datu Hoffer Ampatuan were created using barangays formerly belonging in part to Shariff Aguak.
- 1996
Name changed to Shariff Aguak
[1]Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 45 renamed Maganoy as Shariff Aguak.
- 1982
Attempted restoration of provincial-capital status
[1]Batas Pambansa Blg. 211 sought to restore Maganoy as the provincial seat, but the required plebiscite was not held.
- 1977
Provincial seat transferred to Sultan Kudarat
[1]Presidential Decree No. 1170 moved the legal seat of Maguindanao's provincial government from Maganoy to Sultan Kudarat.
- 1973
Becomes legal capital of Maguindanao
[1]Following the creation of Maguindanao province, Maganoy served as its de jure provincial capital.
- 1963
Municipality founded as Maganoy
[1]Executive Order No. 47 established Maganoy on September 11, 1963, from 28 southern barangays of Datu Piang in the old province of Cotabato.
Products and positioning
A civic municipality and historic administrative center in the Maguindanao area of Mindanao, rather than a commercial brand.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2009
Municipal boundaries reorganizedOtherBackground
Administrative reorganization in the region led to the creation of new municipalities from barangays associated with several existing local governments.
Action taken
Shariff Saydona Mustapha and Datu Hoffer Ampatuan were established, incorporating 13 barangays from the former 26-barangay Shariff Aguak among other territorial changes.
Aftermath
Shariff Aguak continued as a 13-barangay municipality.
1996
Municipality renamed Shariff AguakOtherBackground
The municipality had operated under the name Maganoy since its establishment in 1963.
Action taken
Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 45 changed the official municipal name to Shariff Aguak.
Aftermath
Shariff Aguak became the official civic name, while Maganoy remained relevant in historical references and the local government web address.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/shariff-aguak · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled