Sarangani | |
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| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Jawi | سرڠان |
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 Flag  Seal | |
| Anthem: Sarangani, Land of Beauty | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
 Interactive map of Sarangani | |
| Coordinates:5°52′N125°17′E / 5.87°N 125.28°E /5.87; 125.28 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Soccsksargen |
| Founded | May 19, 1992 |
| Capital | Alabel |
| Largest Municipality | Glan |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlalawigan |
| • Governor | Rogelio D. Pacquiao (PFP) |
| • Vice Governor | Danny A. Martinez (PCM) |
| • Representative | Steve Solon (Lakas) |
| • Legislature | Sarangani Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,601.25 km2 (1,390.45 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 37th out of 82 |
| Highest elevation | 2,083 m (6,834 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[2] | |
• Total | 580,915 |
| • Rank | 55th out of 82 |
| • Density | 161.309/km2 (417.789/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 58th out of 82 |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 142 |
| • Districts | Legislative district of Sarangani |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)83 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-SAR |
| Spoken languages | |
| Income classification | 2nd class |
| Website | www |
Sarangani, officially theProvince of Sarangani (Cebuano:Lalawigan sa Sarangani;Hiligaynon:Kapuoran sang Sarangani;Maguindanaon:Dairat nu Sarangani,Jawi: دايرت نو سرڠان;Filipino:Lalawigan ng Sarangani), is aprovince in the Philippines located in theSoccsksargenregion. Its capital isAlabel whileGlan is the most populous municipality in the province. With a 230-kilometer (140 mi) coastline along theSarangani Bay andCelebes Sea, the province is at the southernmost tip ofMindanao island, and bordersSouth Cotabato andDavao del Sur to the north,Davao Occidental to the east, and theCelebes 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 ofGeneral Santos.
The province is divided into two sections, separated by theSarangani 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.[3]
TheGeneral Santos Metropolitan Area orMetro General Santos is a metropolitan area encompassing the highly urbanized city ofGeneral Santos, The Regional Agro-Industrial Center of Alabel, the towns of Glan, Kiamba, Maasin, Maitum, Malapatan and Malungon and the neighboring provinces ofSouth Cotabato adding Metro General Santos addingLake Sebu,Polomolok,T'Boli andTupi.
The earliest civilization in the province can be found inMaitum, Sarangani, where theMaitum 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 ofSultanate of Maguindanao. The establishment of the Sultanate in the area caused more Maguindanaon settlers arrival. After the fall of theSultanate of Maguindanao as a great power in Mindanao, Datu Uto of Buayan expanded his domain towards Sarangani Bay. Sarangani would eventually be under theSultanate of Buayan until the American era.
Sarangani Island (now part ofDavao Occidental) was namedAntonia by theSpanishexplorerRuy López de Villalobos[citation needed] in 1543, in honor ofAntonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, theviceroy ofNew Spain who had appointed López de Villalobos to leadan expedition to the Western Islands (now the Philippines) because of theirrelation by marriage. The early inhabitants who first inhabited Sarangani were theindigenous natives, calledMunaTo, a native term for "first people."[4]
In 1942, theJapanese troops occupied Southern Cotabato.[further explanation needed] In 1945, Filipino troops of the 6th, 10th, 101st and 102nd Infantry Division of thePhilippine Commonwealth Army and 10th Constabulary Regiment of thePhilippine Constabulary entered in and liberated Southern Cotabato and fought against the Japanese Imperial Army forces during theBattle of Cotabato at the end ofWorld War II under theJapanese Occupation.[citation needed]
Before its inception in 1992, Sarangani was part ofSouth Cotabato under itsthird district. The province was created byRepublic Act No. 7228 on March 16, 1992,[3] penned by Congressman James Chiongbian, who would later become the province's first representative to theHouse 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.
TheSangil 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.[5]
Sarangani covers a total area of 3,601.25 square kilometers (1,390.45 sq mi)[6] occupying the southern tip of theSoccsksargen in centralMindanao. The province is bordered on the central-north bySouth Cotabato, northeast byDavao del Sur, east byDavao Occidental, south by theSarangani Bay andCelebes Sea, and northwest bySultan Kudarat.
Sarangani is divided into two (eastern and western) sections, separated by theSarangani Bay andGeneral Santos in the middle. The western portion comprises the towns ofMaitum,Kiamba, andMaasim, and is bounded on the north bySouth Cotabato and on the northwest bySultan Kudarat. The eastern section consists ofAlabel,Glan,Malapatan, andMalungon.
Sarangani comprises sevenmunicipalities. Asingle legislative district encompasses all towns.[6]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | 19,043 | — |
| 1939 | 24,051 | +1.12% |
| 1948 | 36,166 | +4.64% |
| 1960 | 73,162 | +6.05% |
| 1970 | 127,637 | +5.72% |
| 1975 | 166,179 | +5.43% |
| 1980 | 219,372 | +5.71% |
| 1990 | 283,141 | +2.59% |
| 1995 | 367,006 | +4.98% |
| 2000 | 410,622 | +2.44% |
| 2007 | 475,514 | +2.04% |
| 2010 | 498,904 | +1.76% |
| 2015 | 544,261 | +1.67% |
| 2020 | 558,946 | +0.56% |
| 2024 | 580,915 | +0.93% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[7][8][9] | ||
The population of Sarangani in the 2020 census was 558,946 people,[2] with a density of 160 inhabitants per square kilometer or 410 inhabitants per square mile.
| Religion | percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic | 48% | |||
| Protestant | 31% | |||
| Islam | 9% | |||
| Iglesia ni Cristo | 2% | |||
| Others | 10% | |||
Christianity is the majority religion in the province with a total of 79% (48%Roman Catholicism[10] and 31%evangelicals).[11] Other religious minorities areIslam (9%)[12] andIglesia ni Cristo (2%).[13] The remainder is usually divided among other Christian churches. The majority of Muslims are from theSangil,Maguindanao, andKalagan ethnic groups. Furthermore, there are quite a few individuals who have converted to Islam, also known asBalik Islam (reverting to Islam).[5]
Sarangani has a huge ethnic diversity, such asLumads, consisting ofBlaan,T'boli,Tagakaulo,Kalagan,Manobo,Ubo,Moro Muslims, and Christian settlers. Muslims comprise 7 ethnic groups, Lumads 17 ethnic groups, and Christian migrant settlers, at least 20 ethnic groups.[14]Sarangani andSangil peoples, although no longer dominant, still have a presence here.[5] Being one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Mindanao.[14]
The Blaan people are the largest minority and are spread across the municipalities ofMalapatan,Glan,Alabel,Maasim, andMalungon. Most of Blaan people lives in Malapatan, constituting 37% of the municipality's population. Other ethnic groups, such as theMaguindanao 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 inMalungon.Cebuano settlers are found in Glan and Alabel,Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) are located in Malungon, whileIlocano mostly live in Kiamba and Maitum.[14]
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 andCebuano-speaking Muslims on the east coast, the Tboli, Manobo, andIlocano-speaking Muslims on the west coast, and theIlonggo-speaking Blaan and Tagakaulo peoples of the northern highlands.[14]
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 theNational 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.
Elected Officials(2025-2028)
Elected Officials(2022-2025)
Elected Officials(2019-2022)
Elected Officials(2016-2022)
Elected Officials(2013-2016)
Elected Officials(2010-2013)
Elected Officials(2007-2010)
Elected Officials(2004-2007)
Elected Officials(2001-2004)
Elected Officials(1998-2001)
Elected Officials(1995-1998)
Elected Officials(1992-1995)
Note
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Sarangani celebrates its foundation anniversary every November, named asMunaTo Festival.[23]
Sarangani has ancientburial jars, discovered by archaeologists from theNational Museum inAyub Cave inMaitum, in 1991 and in 2008, and atSagel Cave in Maitum (now declared byNational Historical Institute as a national historical site). AmidMindanao's armed conflicts,artifacts found thereat prove settlements of pre-historic civilization in Maitum.[23][24]
The provincial government started their celebration of its 21st foundation anniversary on Thursday and officially opened its 11th "MunaTo Festival" starting November 27 and will run up to December 6, this year.
Despite armed conflicts occurring in Mindanao, artifacts found by archaeologists from the National Museum in Ayub Cave in 1991 and Sagel Cave this year prove settlements of pre-historic civilization in Maitum.
Media related toSarangani at Wikimedia Commons
Geographic data related toSarangani atOpenStreetMapWestern section | |
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Eastern section | |
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