Mindanao

• 1. Mountains And Seas

  ›

  The island of Mindanao rises from four surrounding bodies of water. The Sulu Sea lies to the west while the Philippine Sea borders the east coast. To the south, the Celebes Sea stretches out and the Mindanao Sea defines the northern boundary. This geography creates a rugged landscape dominated by ten distinct mountain ranges. Mount Apo stands as the highest peak in the entire country at 2,954 meters above sea level. It sits near Davao City alongside another inactive volcano named Mount Talomo. The Diwata Mountains run along the eastern portion of the island from Bilas Point to Cape San Agustin. These mountains reach elevations of up to 1,800 meters in places like Mount Hilong-Hilong. A second north-south range extends from Talisayan to Tinaca Point along the western borders of several provinces. At least three active volcanoes exist within this central belt including Mount Ragang which reaches 2,673 meters. Lake Lanao occupies a large plateau in Lanao del Sur at an elevation of 780 meters. The Agus River flows from this lake to create Maria Cristina Falls. The Limunsudan Falls stand as the highest waterfall in the Philippines with a height of approximately 1,000 meters. The Philippine Deep offshore reaches measured depths of 10,540 meters making it the third-deepest trench on Earth.

  59

• 2. Neolithic Traders

  ›

  Archaeological findings point to human activity dating back about ten thousand years. Around 1500 BC Austronesian people spread throughout the Philippines. The Subanon settled in the Zamboanga Peninsula during the Neolithic era between 4500 and 2000 BC. Evidence of stone tools appears in Zamboanga del Norte indicating a late Neolithic presence. Ceramic burial jars found in caves include both unglazed and glazed varieties alongside Chinese celadons. Gold ornaments beads and bracelets have been discovered in these same caves. Many ceramic objects date from the Yuan and Ming periods showing a long history of trade between the Subanon and China. In the classic epoch starting around 900 AD Hindu and Buddhist influence arrived from Indonesia and Malaysia. Indianized scripts such as Kawi and baybayin were introduced from Java and Sulawesi. Cultural icons included the sarong known locally as malong or patadyong along with silk and batik weaving methods. Artifacts from this era include a golden kinnara and a Ganesha pendant. The Butuan Rajahnate existed as a Hinduized kingdom mentioned in Chinese records as a tributary state in the 10th century. It concentrated power along the northeastern coast of Butuan Bay. The Rajahnate of Sanmalan also stood within Mindanao near Zamboanga.

  1316

• 3. Spanish Conquest

  ›

  Antonio Pigafetta wrote an account of reaching Maingdano while sailing for the king of Spain in 1521. Ruy López de Villalobos became the first Spaniard to reach Mindanao on the 2nd of February 1543. He named the island Caesarea Caroli after Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. Spain moved to colonize the Caraga region in northeast Mindanao shortly after taking Cebu. A significant Muslim presence remained on the island despite these efforts. Settlements endured attacks from neighboring Muslim sultanates throughout the centuries. Zamboanga City served as the most heavily fortified settlement apart from a brief period in 1662 when soldiers traveled to Manila due to threats from Koxinga. Governor Don Sebastían Hurtado de Corcuera brought reinforcements from Peru during his voyage to Acapulco. The Sultanate of Ternate formed a close alliance with local sultanates especially Maguindanao. Ternate regularly sent military reinforcements to assist the war against Spanish-controlled Manila. By the late 18th century Spain held geographic dominance over the island. They established settlements and forts including Misamis Occidental Iligan City Bukidnon Camiguin Island Surigao Agusan and Davao. Spain continued to engage in battles with Muslim sultanates until the end of the 19th century.

  17181920

• 4. Moro Insurgency

  ›

  The Marcos administration encouraged Christian settlers who emigrated to Mindanao to form a militia called the Ilaga. Anecdotal evidence states that the Ilaga often committed human rights abuses by targeting Moro and Lumad people. This resulted in lingering animosity between communities that persists today. The Jabidah massacre occurred in 1968 serving as a major flashpoint for the Moro insurgency. Ethnic tensions led to the formation of secessionist movements like the Muslim Independence Movement. Prohibition of political parties after Martial Law in 1972 allowed armed groups such as the Moro National Liberation Front to dominate. Incidents like the Manili massacre Pata Island massacre and Palimbang massacre escalated ethnic conflicts further. In March 2000 President Joseph Estrada declared an All Out War against the MILF following terrorist attacks on government buildings. A shootout took place during a police operation in Tukanalipao Mamasapano Maguindanao on the 25th of January 2015. More than 180,000 people were forced to evacuate Marawi City during the siege in May 2017. Around 165 security forces and 47 residents were confirmed killed in the five-month conflict. The official death toll reached 1,109 mostly members of a militant alliance.

  34364546

• 5. Breadbasket Economy

  ›

  Mindanao's economy accounts for 14% of the country's gross domestic product. Agriculture forestry and fishing make up more than 40% of the island's market share. It serves as the largest supplier of major crops such as pineapples and bananas. Davao Region has the fifth-biggest economy in the country and is the second-fastest-growing region next to Cordillera Autonomous Region. Products including papayas mangoes bananas pineapples fresh asparagus flowers and fish products are exported internationally. There is also a growing call center sector centered in Davao City. Some 2,130 government-led infrastructure projects worth P547.9 billion have been lined up until 2022. Sixty-eight percent of that budget will be allotted to transportation while sixteen percent goes to water resources. Flagship projects include the Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment of the Mindanao Railway costing P35.26 billion. The Davao airport project carries a price tag of P40.57 billion. Laguindingan airport costs P14.62 billion while the Panguil Bay Bridge Project totals P4.86 billion. The Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Phase II requires an investment of P5.44 billion.

  525457

• 6. Cultural Mosaic

  ›

  In 2017 Mindanao had a population of over 25 million representing 22 percent of the entire country. Around 25.8 percent of household populations classified themselves as Cebuanos. Other ethnic groups included Bisaya/Binisaya at 18.4% and Hiligaynon/Ilonggo at 8.2%. Maguindanaon made up 5.5% while Maranao comprised 5.4%. The remaining 36.6 percent belonged to other ethnic groups including individuals from Luzon and Lumad people. Dozens of languages are spoken in Mindanao with Cebuano having the largest number of speakers. It is spoken throughout Northern Mindanao except southern parts of Lanao del Norte and the Davao region. Hiligaynon serves as the main language of Soccsksargen where most inhabitants are of ethnic Hiligaynon stock. Tausug is widely spoken specifically in the Sulu Archipelago which comprises Basilan Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces. Chavacano is the native language of Zamboanga City and also the lingua franca of Basilan. Christianity remains the dominant religious affiliation with 43% of the household population identifying as Catholic. Islam comprised 23.39% of the population while Pentecostals accounted for 5.34%. Many Christian migrants from Luzon integrated into the majority Cebuano-speaking society over recent decades.

  656667