Lanao del Sur
Encyclopedia
Lanao del Sur is a province
of the Philippines
located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM). Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte
to the north, Bukidnon
to the east, and Maguindanao
and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay
, an arm of the Moro Gulf
. Found in the interior of Lanao del Sur is Lanao Lake, the largest lake in Mindanao
.
is the most commonly spoken language in the province. Also spoken are Tagalog
as well as English
and Arabic
.
Points of interest in the province include:
.
. It is bounded on the north by Lanao del Norte
, on the east by Bukidnon
, on the west by Illana Bay
, and on the south by Maguindanao
and Cotabato
. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills and valleys, placid lakes and rivers.
The climate in the province is characterized by even distribution of rainfall throughout the year, without a distinct summer season. The province is located outside the typhoon belt.
; thus, it is the land of the Maranaos, the "people of the lake."
Lanao is the seat of the Sultanate of Lanao.
When the Spaniards first explored Lanao in 1689, they found a well-settled community named Dansalan at the lake's northern end. Dansalan became a municipality in 1907 and a city in 1940.
music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines.
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the region, located in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines, that is composed of predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan , Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the only region that has its own government...
(ARMM). Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated...
to the north, Bukidnon
Bukidnon
Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...
to the east, and Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay
Illana Bay
Illana Bay is a large bay in the southwestern part of Mindanao island, Philippines, at ....
, an arm of the Moro Gulf
Moro Gulf
The Moro Gulf is a sea in Mindanao in the Philippines. It is part of Celebes Sea and is surrounded by the Zamboanga Peninsula and the central part of Mindanao. Sibuguey Bay and Illana Bay are its major branches. Zamboanga City is the most important port city on its coast...
. Found in the interior of Lanao del Sur is Lanao Lake, the largest lake in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
People and culture
MaranaoMaranao
Maranao is the term used for the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region in the Philippines island of Mindanao. They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature...
is the most commonly spoken language in the province. Also spoken are Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
as well as English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.
Points of interest in the province include:
- Mindanao State UniversityMindanao State UniversityMindanao State University is a public coeducational institution of higher education located in the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines...
(Main Campus) - Aga KhanAga KhanAga Khan is the hereditary title of the Imam of the largest branch of the Ismā'īlī followers of the Shī‘a faith. They affirm the Imamat of the descendants of Ismail ibn Jafar, eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, while the larger Twelver branch of Shi`ism follows Ismail's younger brother Musa...
Museum - Torogan (of Tuka)
- Islamic Center of the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(the country's largest dome) - Tallest Minarets of Marawi
- Abu Bakar Mosque (largest mosque in Lanao del Sur)
- Lanao People's Park (only park in Lanao del Sur)
- Lanao Library
- Ayala Resort Hotel (only hotel in Lanao del Sur)
- Dansalan Market (natively known as Padian)
- MSU Golf Course
- piagapo firing line
- tapukan falls located in wato
- O.OO Kilometer zone (the reference point of all roads in Mindanao)
- King Faisal Mosque King Faisal Mosque
Political
Lanao del Sur is subdivided into 39 municipalities and 1 cityCities of the Philippines
A city is a tier of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies the administrative structure...
.
Municipalities
|
|
Physical
Lanao del Sur forms the western portion of Northern MindanaoNorthern Mindanao
Designated as Region X of the Philippines, Northern Mindanao is composed of five provinces and two cities classified as highly-urbanized, all occupying the north-central part of Mindanao island, and the island-province of Camiguin...
. It is bounded on the north by Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated...
, on the east by Bukidnon
Bukidnon
Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...
, on the west by Illana Bay
Illana Bay
Illana Bay is a large bay in the southwestern part of Mindanao island, Philippines, at ....
, and on the south by Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
and Cotabato
Cotabato
Cotabato , is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao...
. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills and valleys, placid lakes and rivers.
The climate in the province is characterized by even distribution of rainfall throughout the year, without a distinct summer season. The province is located outside the typhoon belt.
Sultanate of Lanao
Lanao comes from the word ranao, meaning "lake." Lanao centers on the basin of Lake LanaoLake Lanao
Lake Lanao is a large lake in the Philippines, located in Lanao del Sur province in the country's southern island of Mindanao. With a surface area of 340 km²...
; thus, it is the land of the Maranaos, the "people of the lake."
Lanao is the seat of the Sultanate of Lanao.
When the Spaniards first explored Lanao in 1689, they found a well-settled community named Dansalan at the lake's northern end. Dansalan became a municipality in 1907 and a city in 1940.
World War II
In 1942, it was occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces who landed in Southern Lanao. On May 2, 1942, the former chief justice of the supreme court of the Philippines Jose Abad Santos was killed by the Japanese Imperial forces in a Firing Squad at Malabang, Lanao del Sur. In 1945, the first of the liberation forces landed in Southern Lanao and liberated the area with United States, Philippine Commonwealth troops together with the Maranao guerrilla units. They used infantry weapons, the Maranao Kris, Barong and Kampilan swords against the Japanese forces in the Battle of Lanao. In 1956, Republic Act NO. 1352 changed the name Dansalan to Marawi, taken from the word rawi, referring to the reclining lilies abundant in the Agus River.Division
When Lanao was divided into two provinces under Republic Act No. 2228 in 1959, Marawi was made the capital of Lanao del Sur. In 1980, the city was renamed the Islamic City of Marawi. It is now the only chartered city in the country with a predominantly Muslim population.Proposed Maranaw Province
In 1971, Republic Act No. 6406, which sought to create a new province out of eastern Lanao del Sur (now corresponding to the province's first congressional district), was approved on October 4, 1971. The province was to consist of the municipalities of Bubong, Ditsaan-Ramain (including what is now Buadiposo-Buntong), Kapai, Lumba-Bayabao (including what is now Maguing), Marantao, Masiu, Mulondo, Saguiaran, Piagapo, Poona Bayabao, Tamparan, Taraka and Wao (including what is now Bumbaran), with the chartered city of Marawi serving as the new province's capital. The division never took place due to the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines on September 21, 1972, which disrupted the elections for 1973.Joining the ARMM
In a 1989 plebiscite, Lanao del Sur voted to join the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), but Marawi City elected to remain outside ARMM. It later joined ARMM in 2001 following the plebiscite that sought to expand the autonomous region.Musical Heritage
The native Maranao of Lanao del Sur have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintangKulintang
Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums...
music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines.