Cotabato comes from the Maguindanao kuta wato, or stone fort, and bespeaks of the long tradition of courage and resistance that marks the history of the Pulangi River basin. Cotabato was once part of the extensive realm of the Sultan of Maguindanao. The region was settled by Manobos, who either were tributary or were subject to the Maguindanao Sultans. The Spaniards were unable to penetrate into the region until the second half of the 19^th century.

When the Maguindanao Sultan acceded to Spanish sovereignty in 1861, the colonial government organized several districts to cover the vast plain of the Pulangi. Those who resisted the Spaniards fled towards the interior, to Pagalungan and continued resisting Spanish intrusion into the region. The district of Cotabato was formed in 1860. In 1871, the district covered the military areas of Polloc, Malabang, Reina Regente, Taceran, Babia, Illana, Baras and Lebac. What is presently Cotabato remained outside the area of Spanish activities.

In 1901, the American government formed the province of Cotabato covering what are presently the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani. During the American period, large companies were established in Cotabato to exploit the vast timber resources of the region. By the 1930s settlers from Luzon and Visayas established homesteads in Cotabato. The pace of settlement accelerated in the 1950s and 1960s.

The settlement of large Christian communities in what were then considered Muslim territories raised ethnic tensions between the two cultural communities. The tensions exploded into bloody skirmishes between Muslim and Christian armed groups like the Blackshirts and the Ilagas in 1971. The infamous Manili massacre, where more than fifty men, women and children were killed inside a mosque by an armed Christian group, inflamed ethnic tensions further and led to the escalation of the conflict into open warfare between Bangsa Moro secessionists and government forces. Thousands of refugees fled to more settled towns.

In October 1973, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 373, the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat were created from out of the province of Cotabato. The province became part of an autonomous government for Region XII following the Tripoli Agreement of 1976. In 1989, following a plebiscite to determine the extent of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the province declined inclusion.

The first Visayan settlers reached the town of Pikit in 1913, and since then a stream of Christian migrants have moved and lived in Cotabato. Thus the principal dialect is Cebuano. However, there are minority groups inhabiting the province like the Manobos, T’bolis and Maguindanaos. Of the three, the Manobos are the most populous. Kidapawan is a Manobo cultural center. They are closely related linguistically with its neighboring groups in Bukidnon, Higa-onon, and Ata.

The Manobo occupy and have adapted to various ecological niches ranging from the coastal to the rugged mountain highlands of the interiors of Mindanao. They practice kaingin farming, supplemented by hunting and food gathering. The communities are widely scattered and placed on high ridges above mountain drainage systems. In some areas, there are long houses that accommodate a number of families usually of an extended kind.

Leaders are chosen for their skills and their capability to have a strong following thru various methods of alliances including marriage. In a community of kin, the datu is considered head. A number of datus would be united under a more sovereign datu, up through a political pyramid with a Sultan and a Rajah Muda holding authority in a larger territory. Although the kin relationship is bilateral, there is a bias toward the male in terms of decision-making and leadership. The woman holds a more subordinated position in the society.

Manobo crafts include pottery, basketry, and weaving. Though Manobo cloth is generally thinner than that of other tribes. Their traditional dress is impressive. Women wear a red blouse with black sleeves; abaca skirt; a girdle of braided human hair or vegetable fiber, from which hangs a cluster of beads, shells, and herbs. The outfit is completed by leglets, a comb, and ear discs. The men wear long, loose, trousers or tight breeches, topped by a buttonless jacket.

With the dawning of the new millennium, Cotabato strikes hard once again to provide self-reliance and sustainability to its people through agro-industrial development anchored on cooperative efforts and prudent use of its resources. The province of Cotabato has a total land area of 6,958 square kilometers with a population of 763,995. Of the total land area, 37% are fertile agricultural lands that can support cash crops, vegetables, bananas, sugarcane, rubber and a variety of tropical fruits. Cotabato depends on its marshes and rivers for its aquatic resources. At present, there are 44,885 hectares of privately owned fishponds operating in the province. Mineral deposits include metallic and non-metallic resources.

Cotabato is linked by first class roads to growth areas such as General Santos City, Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City. Access to these areas not only provides Cotabato markets for its raw materials but also the use of business services such as international seaports and airports. The power needs of Cotabato comes from two local electric cooperatives while water supply comes from formal water system and augmented by communal faucets, artisan well, and springs. The province has 2 modern telephone systems with access to international network and hosts a banking industry composed of 13 commercial banks, 9 rural banks, and 2 cooperative banks.

The trade and investment opportunities in Cotabato include transportation, especially luxury buses, cargo trucks, and railways; and energy development, specifically coal-fired power plants, and alternative energy sources. Other industries open to new investors are rubber, furniture, essential oils, ceramics, handicrafts, fruit production and cutflowers. Cotabato currently has 27 processing plants for rubber and an abundance of raw materials for processing like bamboo, buri, cirtonella, white clay, and tropical fruits. Local tourist attractions, including caves, forested mountains, gigantic waterfalls, lakes, springs and historical sites may also be developed to attract local and foreign tourists.

It has been decades since the strategy of Integrated Area Development was first used but it was only recently that such a paradigm resulted to concrete benefits for the LGUs in Arakan Valley in Cotabato. Hindered by political differences and problems in coordination among government agencies, each municipality had previously charted separate development strategies, which resulted in duplication of efforts and an unbalanced distribution of resources. However, believing that partnership would not only reduce optimize resources and result to their greater impact but would also attract more private investments and national government support, the five LGUs forged an alliance.

Among the results of this cooperation was the Arakan Valley Complex Development Master Plan, a 20 year blueprint addressing poverty alleviation, economic development, sustainable agriculture and environment, and equitable wealth and opportunity distribution. While the master plan does have its detractors and the lack of funds and political will has hindered project implementation for many years, the LGU partnership remained steadfast. With new funding support from a donor agency, there is renewed hope that a better tomorrow for the residents of Arakan Valley may not be far behind.

Development Initiative Highlights: