The Empire strikes back

MANILA, Philippines - The Empire Province of Cotabato was once the archipelago’s biggest province, spanning the lush Moro Gulf and Sarangani Bay, fertile farmlands, majestic mountain ranges and verdant tropical rainforests.

Back in the day, Cotabato was the domain of the legendary 18th century Muslim leader Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat when Mindanao experienced its golden age.

Founded by the American civil government on Sept. 1, 1914, it included the whole South Central Mindanao region, covering the present-day South Cotabato, Sarangani, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, and the cities of Cotabato and General Santos.

Geopolitical partitions over the years notwithstanding, Cotabato has remained the “mother province” and cradle of culture of the region now referred to as “Soccsksargen,” an acronym of the provinces comprising the area.

The province’s claim to fame is the confluence of 13 indigenous Muslim and lumad tribes, which make it a cultural kaleidoscope. Among the prominent IP groups are the Teduray, Manobo, Tagabawa, Igorot, B’laan, Matigsalog, Ilianen, Kirintiken, Tinananon and Aromanen, plus the Maguindanaoan Muslim tribe, all of whom live in harmony.

This cultural tapestry is preserved in the annual Kalivungan Festival which also marks the provincial founding day. Coined from the Manobo word meaning “gathering,” it showcases the ethnic music, dance, rituals and the diverse ways of life.

Cotabato Gov. Emily Taliño-Mendoza said that Kalivungan brings to the fore the political and economic strides made by the province over the years.

The centennial fete highlighted unity in diversity among lumads, Christians and Moros who have made the province a land of harmony and peaceful coexistence.

The month-long festivity included home-grown sports activities to showcase Cotabato’s great outdoors with the Lumba Anay sa Salba Bida, an 8-km river tubing challenge through the Alamada-Libungan River in Alamada and the Lumba sa Pulangi, a regatta of dugout wooden canoes in Carmen.

Exotic Moro music also echoed as Maguindanaoans displayed their artistry through the kulintang brass percussion ensemble in the Kapagana Festival held in Pikit.

Literally meaning to welcome or entertain, the cultural event included the Kulentangan Extravaganza and the native game sipa sa manggis which traces its origins to Southeast Asian Malay settlers.

Culminating the month-long merry-making was the Street Dancing Showdown at the provincial capitol grounds in Amas, Kidapawan City to mark the province’s centennial day.

Municipal contingents rendered contemporary interpretations of lumad and Muslim dances, with delegations from neighboring provinces which used to be part of the Empire Province.

Regarded as an ecotourism getaway, Cotabato forms part of the Department of Tourism’s “12th Paradise” which promotes South Central Mindanao’s cultural, adventure and natural attractions.

Its major tourist spot is the KMM Eco-tourism Triangle, composed of Kidapawan City and Magpet and Makilala towns, which are the gateways to the 10,311-foot Mt. Apo National Park, the country’s tallest peak.

Housing the Philippine Eagle sanctuary, the area abounds in exotic flora and fauna and is a true-blue mountaineer’s ultimate climb. Most of its ascent points are found in Cotabato.

A favorite access point is the mystic Moncada folk religious community at the New Israel Eco-Park in Makilala. The upland village has a 2.3-kilometer two-line zipline, reputedly the longest in Asia.

Asik-Asik Falls, tucked in the hinterlands of Alamada town, is the poster image of the province because of its rejuvenating and mesmerizing curtain-like icy waters which pour out from the rocks on a cliff.

An emerging historical spot is Fort Pikit, located on a hilltop in Pikit town built in 1893 as a fortress, offering a commanding view of the vast plains and rivers from where Moros mounted raids against the Spanish. It is undergoing restoration after being declared a national historical landmark in 2011.

Meanwhile, fruit lovers will find the province an agri-tourism and agro-industrial haven because of its sprawling animal farms, eco-parks and vast plantations of tropical fruits such as durian, marang, pomelo and mangosteen.