Shariff Kabunsuan

Province of Shariff Kabunsuan
Provincial seal of Shariff Kabunsuan
Map of the Philippines with Shariff Kabunsuan highlighted Region Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao(ARMM) Capital Datu Odin SinsuatDivisions - Highly urbanized cities0 - Component cities0 - Municipalities11 - Barangays209 - Congressional districts1 Population - Total (2007) 365,848 - Density /km² () Area - Total km² Founded October 28, 2006Spoken languages Iranon, MaguindanaonGovernor Datu Bimbo Sinsuat

Shariff Kabunsuan is one of the provinces of the Philippines comprising the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 201 provided for the creation of the new Province of Shariff Kabunsuan comprising the municipalities of Barira, Buldon, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, and Upi, all of the first legislative district of the mother province of Maguindanao. Cotabato City, which is independently governed and does not vote for provincial officials, belongs to neither Maguindanao nor Shariff Kabunsuan. However, for the purposes of congressional representation the said city is grouped with Shariff Kabunsuan, as per Section 5 of MMA Act No. 201.

Shariff Kabunsuan is the country’s 80th province and the sixth in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It is the first province not made by Congress, as it was made through invoking the powers of Republic Act No. 9054 or the Expanded ARMM law.

On October 29, 2006, the creation of the new province of Shariff Kabunsuan was ratified by the affirmative majority (285,372) votes cast in a plebiscite. Only 8,802 voted for its rejection.

On December 30, 2006, the creation of the new municipality of Northern Kabuntalan was ratified by the affirmative majority votes cast in a plebiscite.

1 Political divisions
- 1.1 First District
- 1.2 Second District
2 History
3 References

Political divisions

Shariff Kabunsuan is composed of 11 municipalities in two Sanggunian districts:

First District

MunicipalityNo. of
BarangaysPopulation
(2000) Area
(km²) Pop. density
(per km²) Barira14 18,296 380.0 48.1 Buldon15 26,903 357.20 75.3 Matanog 8 19,006 53.39 356.0 Parang23 60,935 234.59 Sultan Mastura13 15,910 114.36 139.1 Sultan Kudarat (Nuling)39 78,951 611.51

Second District

MunicipalityNo. of
BarangaysPopulation
(2000) Area
(km²) Pop. density
(per km²) Datu Blah T. Sinsuat12 12,916 Datu Odin Sinsuat (Dinaig)34 71,569 503.20 142.2 Kabuntalan (Tumbao)17 13,464 219.34 Northern Kabuntalan11 9,673 Upi23 38,225 896.10

History

The province is named after Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan, an Arab-Malay Islamic preacher who introduced Islam to central Mindanao in the 16th century.