Region 12:

SOCCSKSARGEN

Provinces and

Capital

Provinces

Capitals

South Cotabato KoronodalNorth Cotobato/Cotobato Kidapawan

Sultan Kudarat Isulan

Sarangani AlabelGeneral Santos General Santos City

South Cotobatois the home province of the T'boli tribe, who are known for their colorful costumes, intricate beadwork, woven

baskets, and traditional brass ornaments..

TRADEMARKS:

Lake Sebu.

Cotabato/North Cotobato

derives its name from the Maguindanao kuta wato,

meaning "stone fort", referring to the stone fort

which served as the seat of the great Sultan Kudarat in what is now Cotabato City.

TRADEMARKS:

Mt. Apo

Sultan Kudarat The name

given to the province was derived from a Muslim ruler, the late Sultan Muhammad

Dipatuan Kudarat who begun to assert his leadership in the

year 1619.

Statue of Sultan Kudarat

TRADEMARKS:

SaranganiIt was named by Villalobos as

Antonia, in honor of Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, the Viceroy of

New Spain who commissioned Villalobos expedition to the

Philippines. The early inhabitants who first inhabited Sarangani were

the indigenous natives, called "MunaTo," a native term for "first

people."

TRADEMARKS:

Maitum water Tubing.

Genaral SantosThe Blaan people are the original settlers of GenSan which they called Dadiangasduring the time. The B’laans live a nomadic way of

life in and around GenSan. Evidence of their early occupancy are the names of the places in the city which were derived from their native terms. One significant name is Dadiangas, their native call for a tree which has thorns on its trunk and stems that abundantly thrive in GenSan during

the time. And named after GENERAL PAULINO SANTOS.

Lamge(Bilaan Song)

Lamge ha, lamha wadu,Wonde gende wukelo

genhaFambo ha wakela tun ha

Wadu wadene mande wagene han akeba han

haHubalyo han ha wadene mande hononka yon ha

Nangat hu kong dende wukilak gengen ha

Wanalu han aladjuaman ha

Ogumupgon indi undigo han along a fon ha hay

ha.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

(Translated by Lilia Tolentino, SPC)

What can we do? Oh, what can we do?

This are work, this we should do.

Oh my, how, oh how is this to go on?

Continue, then come back when you reach the top

“Tis not here!” they said.

We’ll try till we can make it.

It’s not here, according to them, but don’t relax

Don’t be surprised. Thy’re still far. Let’s hurry!

THE TALE OF THE FAITHFUL WIFE

(Maguindanao Literature)

Once there lived in the Sultanate of Bandiarmasir an aged

man who had an only son. They lived comfortably together

until the time came for the boy to marry. He loved a girl from

the same town before he could make any arrangements. His

father fell ill and was soon near death. He called his son and

said: “My son, never marry a balo (widow) but a raga (young

lady).

After his father died, the son made up his mind to find the

meaning of his father’s advice and forthwith married raga.

But he married two other women as well, a balo and bituanem

(divorced). As all three lived harmoniously together, he kept

puzzling over the advice left to him by his father.

One day, a new sultan ascended the throne as the old

one had died. This new sultan turned loose his magnificent

rooster and then, proclaimed that whoever touched it would

be killed.

When the son heard of this decree, he was very glad

because now he had a way of testing his father’s advice. He

caught the royal rooster and brought it home. Then he called

his three wives, showed them the rooster and said, “Kill the

rooster and cook it for my dinner.”

The three women turned pale when they realized the

meaning of what he said. The balo and the bituanem

immediately refused and hurriedly left the house not

wanting to be implicated in the crime.

The raga took the rooster, killed it and served it to her

husband.

Then he knew what his father meant by his dying words.

Only the raga could be faithful.