Sarangani


Sarangani is a province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen region. Its capital is Alabel. 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 City development cluster, and is linked by paved roads to the international airport and harbor of General Santos City.
The province is divided into two sections, separated by the Sarangani Bay and General Santos City, and it used to be part of South Cotabato until it was made an independent province in 1992.

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 island of Sarangani was named by Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos in 1543 as Antonia, in honor of Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco who commissioned the Villalobos expedition to the Philippines. The early inhabitants who first inhabited Sarangani were the indigenous natives, called MunaTo, a native term for "first people."
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 World War II under the Japanese Occupation.
Before its inception in 1992, Sarangani was part of South Cotabato as the Third District of South Cotabato. The province was created by Republic Act No. 7228 on March 16, 1992, penned by Congressman James L. Chiongbian. His wife, Priscilla L. Chiongbian, was the first Governor of Sarangani.

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 sections, separated by the Sarangani Bay and General Santos City 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.

Demographics

The population of Sarangani in the was people, with a density of.

Religion

is the majority religion in the province with a total of 79%. Other religious minorities are Islam and Iglesia Ni Cristo. The remainder is usually divided among other Christian churches.

Economy

Coconut, corn, rice, banana, mango, durian, rubber, and sugarcane are major crops now being planted by the inhabitants.
The province has plantations, 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
Elected Officials
Elected Officials
Elected Officials
Elected Officials
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. Amid Mindanao's armed conflicts, artifacts found thereat prove settlements of pre-historic civilization in Maitum.