Cotabato City

Being an independent component city, it is not a subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Maguindanao del Norte where it is geographically located.Prior to the arrival of Hindus and Muslims, the city was a vast swamp and rainforest landscape where numerous ethno-linguistic groups lived.To that end, Spanish Jesuit missionaries have already made their way as early as 1859 at Polloc where they earned several hundred converts, but the place was deemed unsuitable in account of its less than optimal ecology.And so the Spanish district governor of Mindanao based in Zamboanga requested Datu Amirul, the father of present Sultan of Maguindanao Muhammad Makakua, for them to establish a military base at the stone fortress at Kota Wato in what is now Barangay Tamontaka, and Datu Amirul gave the consent.Forests were felled and cleared by the new Catholic Tiruray converts of Tamontaka to make way for the expansion of the newly established town.[14] Following the Spanish evacuation in Jan. 1899, Datu Piang led the Moro's in a massacre of the remaining Christian community, enslaving those they did not kill.In 1942, at the beginning of the Pacific Front of World War II, the Japanese Imperial forces entered what is now Maguindanao province.[16] Under the said charter, the city was politically sibdivided into five (5) Barangays namely Poblacion, Rosary Heights, Bagua, Kalanganan, and Tamontaka.[18] Cotabato is approximately 698.9 nautical miles (1,294.4 kilometres) from Manila, the country's capital, and is bounded by the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat to the north—with Rio Grande de Mindanao/Pulangi River separating the two—Kabuntalan to the east, and Datu Odin Sinsuat to the south.Cotabato City has a total land area of 176.0 square kilometres (68.0 sq mi), located at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Mindanao and Pulangi River.The city is criss-crossed by meandering and braided creeks and rivers like the Matampay, Parang, Timako, Esteros and Miwaruy.As reported by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on 2015, 76% of the people of Cotabato City are adherents of Sunni Islam.Cotabato City also hosts the largest mosque in the Philippines, the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid which can accommodate approximately 15,000 worshippers.Elected officials 2022–present:[33] 1935 Philippine Constitution Poverty Incidence of Cotabato City Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Cotabato City serves as the commercial, industrial, financial, educational, healthcare, and regional center of the Bangsamoro Region and Central Mindanao.This robust economic growth contributed to the city's total annual income of 1.044 billion pesos for the same year.Over the past five years, Cotabato City has experienced an average annual income growth rate of 10.51 percent.Cotabato City ranks as the third highest in bank deposits in Mindanao, totaling Php 88.66 billion as of June 30, 2021,[42] attributable to robust economic activity.It is located along Quezon Avenue corner Sinsuat Avenue, & the project is estimated to cost 11 billion pesos, the mall is four storey tall with a total lot area of 11 hectares; on the second phase of construction is the completion of eleven storey hotel with a convention center, probably upon completion this could be the tallest building in Region XII.[45] Cotabato City has a more or less 1,700 hectares of fishponds which has an annual production of 500,000 kg of mangrove crabs, prawn and milkfish.To the north, routes reach the Province of Bukidnon, Lanao Del Sur (Wao), and Cagayan De Oro City.Additionally, recent developments have expanded connectivity to the western side of Mindanao, including cities such as Dipolog, Pagadian, and Zamboanga.There are also Shuttle Vans currently operating in the city that travels to Lebak, Kalamansig, Marawi, Iligan, Parang, North Upi, Kabuntalan and even to various towns in BARMM, SOCCSARGEN, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.[54] Telecommunications are handled by PLDT or Philippine Long Distance Company, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and Dito Telcom.