Sarangani, officially the Province of Sarangani (; ; Maguindanaon: Dairat nu Sarangani, Jawi Alphabet: دايرت نو سرڠان; ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen region. Its capital is Alabel while Glan is the most populous municipality in the province. With a coastline along the Sarangani Bay and Celebes Sea, the province is at the southernmost tip of Mindanao island, and borders South Cotabato and Davao del Sur to the north, Davao Occidental to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south.
Sarangani is part of the South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos (Soccsksargen) development cluster, and is linked by paved roads to the international airport and harbor of General Santos.
The province is divided into two sections, separated by the Sarangani Bay and the city of General Santos, and it used to be part of South Cotabato until it was made an independent province in 1992.
The General Santos Metropolitan Area or Metro General Santos is a metropolitan area encompassing the highly urbanized city of General Santos, The Regional Agro-Industrial Center of Alabel, the towns of Glan, Kiamba, Maasin, Maitum, Malapatan and Malungon and the neighboring provinces of South Cotabato adding Metro General Santos adding Lake Sebu, Polomolok, T'Boli and Tupi.
History
Early history
The earliest civilization in the province can be found in Maitum, Sarangani, where the Maitum Anthropomorphic Pottery or Maitum Jars were found. The jars have been dated to approximately 5 BC to 370 AD, one of the oldest in the entire Southeast Asian region and the Philippines. The discovery testified to the long history of cultural exchanges in Sarangani and its people.
The Sarangani was once part of Sultanate of Maguindanao. The establishment of the Sultanate in the area caused more Maguindanaon settlers arrival. After the fall of the Sultanate of Maguindanao as a great power in Mindanao, Datu Uto of Buayan expanded his domain towards Sarangani Bay. Sarangani would eventually be under the Sultanate of Buayan until the American era.
Spanish colonial era
Sarangani Island (now part of
Davao Occidental) was named Antonia by the
Spanish Empire Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos in 1543, in honor of Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, the viceroy of New Spain who had appointed López de Villalobos to lead an expedition to the Western Islands (now the Philippines) because of their
in-laws. The early inhabitants who first inhabited Sarangani were the indigenous natives, called
MunaTo, a native term for "first people."
[ balita.ph/2008, Man-made island resort now a Sarangani landmark]
Japanese occupation
In 1942, the Japanese troops occupied Southern Cotabato. In 1945, Filipino troops of the 6th, 10th, 101st and 102nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and 10th Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary entered in and liberated Southern Cotabato and fought against the Japanese Imperial Army forces during the Battle of Cotabato at the end of
Pacific War under the Japanese Occupation.
Philippine independence
Before its inception in 1992, Sarangani was part of
South Cotabato under its third district. The province was created by Republic Act No. 7228 on March 16, 1992,
penned by Congressman James Chiongbian, who would later become the province's first representative to the House of Representatives, ratified in a plebiscite on May 19, 1992 and installed its first set of officials on November 28, 1992. His wife, Priscilla Chiongbian, became the first Governor of Sarangani.
The Sangil people are active in the struggle for self-determination as part of their strategy to preserve and develop their culture and social institutions. The creation of Sarangani province itself was an effort to ease tensions between the Sangil people and the Philippine government.
Geography
Sarangani covers a total area of occupying the southern tip of the
Soccsksargen in central
Mindanao. The province is bordered on the central-north by
South Cotabato, northeast by Davao del Sur, east by
Davao Occidental, south by the
Sarangani Bay and
Celebes Sea, and northwest by
Sultan Kudarat.
Sarangani is divided into two (eastern and western) sections, separated by the Sarangani Bay and General Santos in the middle. The western portion comprises the towns of Maitum, Kiamba, and Maasim, and is bounded on the north by South Cotabato and on the northwest by Sultan Kudarat. The eastern section consists of Alabel, Glan, Malapatan, and Malungon.
Administrative divisions
Sarangani comprises seven municipalities. A single legislative district encompasses all towns.
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Demographics
The population of Sarangani in the 2020 census was 558,946 people, with a density of .
Religion
Christianity is the majority religion in the province with a total of 79% (48% Roman Catholicism
and 31% evangelicals).
Other religious minorities are
Islam (9%)
and Iglesia ni Cristo (2%).
The remainder is usually divided among other Christian churches. The majority of Muslims are from the
Sangil people, Maguindanao, and
Kalagan people ethnic groups. Furthermore, there are quite a few individuals who have converted to Islam, also known as
Balik Islam (reverting to Islam).
Ethnic groups
Sarangani has a huge ethnic diversity, such as
Lumad people, consisting of
Blaan people, T'boli,
Tagakaulo people,
Kalagan people,
Manobo people,
Ubo people,
Moro people, and Christian settlers. Muslims comprise 7 ethnic groups, Lumads 17 ethnic groups, and Christian migrant settlers, at least 20 ethnic groups.
and
Sangil people peoples, although no longer dominant, still have a presence here.
Being one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Mindanao.
The Blaan people are the largest minority and are spread across the municipalities of Malapatan, Glan, Alabel, Maasim, and Malungon. Most of Blaan people lives in Malapatan, constituting 37% of the municipality's population. Other ethnic groups, such as the Maguindanao people reside in the municipalities of Malapatan, Maitum, and Maasim, the T'boli people mostly reside in Maitum, Kiamba, and Maasim, while the Tagakaulo people is almost entirely in Malungon. Cebuano people settlers are found in Glan and Alabel, Ilonggo people are located in Malungon, while Ilocano people mostly live in Kiamba and Maitum.
Thus, the mixed population of Sarangani is quite diverse, with the language of the Christian settlers being used commonly by both Moro Muslims and natives, consisting of the Blaan and Cebuano language Muslims on the east coast, the Tboli, Manobo, and Ilocano language Muslims on the west coast, and the Ilonggo language Blaan and Tagakaulo peoples of the northern highlands.
Economy
Coconut, corn, rice, banana, mango, durian, rubber, and sugarcane are major crops now being planted by the inhabitants.
The province has plantations (mango, banana, pineapple, asparagus), cattle ranches, and commercial fishponds that have been operating in the area, some of which having existed as far back as 40 years.
Electricity comes from the National Power Corporation, and augmented by a 50 MW power plant in Alabel, the province's capital. Water is provided for by sustainable spring development projects.
Government
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Steve Solon
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Gov. Rogelio D. Pacquiao
-
Vice Gov. Danny A. Martinez
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Steve Solon
-
Gov. Rogelio D. Pacquiao
-
Vice Gov. Elmer T. de Peralta
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Rogelio D. Pacquiao
-
Gov. Steve Solon
-
Vice Gov. Elmer T. de Peralta
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Rogelio D. Pacquiao
-
Gov. Steve Solon
-
Vice Gov. Elmer T. de Peralta
Elected Officials
Elected Officials
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Erwin Chiongbian
-
Gov. Miguel Angelo Dominguez
-
Vice Gov. Steve Solon
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Erwin Chiongbian
-
Gov. Miguel Angelo Dominguez
-
Vice Gov. Bridget Chiongbian-Huang
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Erwin Chiongbian
-
Gov. Miguel Escobar
-
Vice Gov. Felipe Constantino
Elected Officials
-
Rep. Juan Domino*
-
Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian
-
Vice Gov. Miguel Escobar
Elected Officials
-
Rep. James Chiongbian(as Lone District of Sarangani)
-
Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian
-
Vice Gov. Miguel Escobar
Elected Officials
-
Rep. James Chiongbian (as Third District of South Cotabato)
-
Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian
-
Vice Gov. Miguel Escobar
Note
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*-Rep.Juan Domino was Disqualified due to a lack of Residency
Tourism
Sarangani celebrates its foundation anniversary every November, named as
MunaTo Festival.
Sarangani has ancient burial jars, discovered by archaeologists from the National Museum in Ayub Cave in Maitum, in 1991 and in 2008, and at Sagel Cave in Maitum (now declared by National Historical Institute as a national historical site). Amid Mindanao's armed conflicts, artifacts found thereat prove settlements of pre-historic civilization in Maitum.
Notable people
External links
