The very rich and exotic cultural heritage of the city and
the colorful history it possess makes Cotabato City an ideal destination for
culture and history.
These qualities of the city did not happen overnight. It
dawned in the year 1515 when Shariff Mohammad Kabunsuan, a religious missionary and
prince from Johore, set foot on the mouth of the Masla Pulangi that eventually
led to the conversion of the natives into the Islamic faith, led by its chief
Tabunaway. This marked an unending flow
of events that marked its fate as a center of civilization in Central
Mindanao.
These conversion led to the establishment of the Sultanate
form of government, the establishment of Royal Houses, a vigourous trade and
commerce, the introduction of the Madrasah form of education, and other that
soon led to the Golden Age of the Royal House of Maguindanao under the rule of
Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat. Regarded as its
golden age as the Sultanate extended its domain and powers up to the areas of
Davao and some areas of Zamboanga.
Later, the arrival of the Jesuits in 1871 added another
facet to this colorful history. They did
not only introduced the Christian faith, but established a formation house and
church that started the growth of Christian family in this part of the country.
Today, Cotabato City is known to be the only place in the
country where the seed of the world’s greatest faith was planted, grew and
nourished. The existence of these two
religion that side by side continued to flourish molded the Cotabateno, into
what he is now.
Presently, being the only Tagalog speaking city in
Mindanao, the visitor will never be alienated by language, nor by the ways
people speak and act. The only place where Islam and Christianity is
understood, respected, appreciated and accepted by its people.
The Cotabato City of today, is a bustling and exciting
place that continuously pulsates in all aspects of human existence; be it trade
and commerce, education, religion, information, social and cultural activities.
Cotabato City is a typhoon-free city enjoying sunlight the
whole day with slight to heavy rainshowers during late in the afternoon or
early evening. Temperature is from 26 –
32 degrees celcius particularly in the months of May to July.
Composed of 37 baranggays, carved out of the original five
(5) mother baranggay, namely: Poblacion, Rosary Heights, Bagua, Tamontaka and
Kalanganan, it is criss-crossed by 38 bodies of water making it an ideal
investment site for a water transport system.
The city boasts of amenities of urban living, sixteen (16)
banking institutions including a Central Bank complete with a cash division,
hotels, restaurants, recreational facilities, business centers, radio stations,
communication centers, and a list of natural and man-made attractions topped
with a hospitality that only Cotabato City offers.(Benjie N. Abarca- City Tourism Office)
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