Tugunan | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Tugunan | |
 Map of Cotabato with Tugunan highlighted | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Bangsamoro (Special Geographic Area) |
| Province | Cotabato |
| Founded | April 13, 2024 |
| Barangays | 9 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sindato Karim |
| • Vice Mayor | Suharto Salbo Hashim |
| Area | |
• Total | 102.60 km2 (39.61 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,651 |
| • Density | 298.74/km2 (773.74/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| PSGC | PSGC unknown  |
| Native languages | Maguindanaon |
Tugunan, officially theMunicipality of Tugunan (Maguindanaon:Inged nu Tugunan,Jawi: ;Hiligaynon:Banwa sang Tugunan;Cebuano:Lungsod sa Tugunan;Tagalog:Bayan ng Tugunan), is a municipality in the province ofCotabato,Philippines. The municipality is part of theBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao despite Cotabato being part ofSoccsksargen.
When theBangsamoro was created in 2019 to supplant theAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 63 barangays in the province ofCotabato were grouped with the newer autonomous region in thesecond part of the plebiscite held in February 6.[1] The mother municipalities and Cotabato province remained part ofSoccsksargen.[2]
By March 2020, these barangays were designated as aSpecial Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro region.[3]
On August 17, 2023, the bills consolidating the SGA barangays into 8 municipalities were approved by theBangsamoro Parliament.[4] The particular bill creating Tugunan was Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 135.[5]
A plebiscite was held on April 13, 2024, and voters approved all eight bills reconstituting the SGA barangays to eight municipalities, including Tugunan, where 11,501 voted in favor of its creation while 13 voted against. The Bangsamoro regional government will provide P2.5 million in funding for the municipal government until it gets its share of income from the National Tax Allotment.[6] Tugunan was created from eight barangays ofPikit and a single barangay fromAleosan.[5]
Tugunan is politically subdivided into ninebarangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroks while some havesitios.
Officers-in-charge (OIC) was selected by BARMM Chief MinisterMurad Ebrahim to fill positions in the municipal government pending regular elections in 2025. The municipality remains under the jurisdiction of the Special Geographic Area pending the creation of a new province.[7][8]
Abdullah Pungot Abas was the OIC mayor of Tugunan from July 9, 2024 to June 30, 2025.[9]
Places adjacent to Tugunan | |
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 Province ofCotabato | |||||
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Kidapawan (capital) | |||||
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