BTA Parliament member wants Maguindanao del Sur renamed as province of Buayan
RIVERSIDE community in Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur. (Keith Bacongco)
DAVAO CITY – A member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) urged Congress to enact a law renaming Maguindanao del Sur as the province of Buayan.
In a resolution filed before the Bangsamoro parliament on Monday, Jan.26, Member of Parliament Abdulbasit Benito proposed that the province of Maguindanao del Sur be renamed Buayan due to its unique distinct history.
Benito said that historical records, including the seminal works of historian Reynaldo lleto, documented that the Sultanate of Buayan was the dominant power in the Sa-raya (Upper Pulangi Valley), which is a territory that corresponds generally to the present-day jurisdiction of Maguindanao del Sur.
“The dominion of the Sultanate of Buayan was vast and historically recognized as extending from the marshlands of the Liguasan all the way to Sarangani Bay, historically known in the tarsilas (genealogies) as 'Suguda Buayan' (The Harbor of Buayan), which served as the Sultanate's strategic backdoor for trade and external relations during the Spanish blockade of the Rio Grande,” he said.
In a plebiscite in 2022, Maguindanao was divided into two provinces – Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
With the seat of government in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur is composed of the towns of Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Datu Montawal, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Shariff Aguak, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, South Upi, Sultan sa Barongis, and Talayan.
These towns sit on the periphery of the Ligawasan Marsh.
The towns of Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, Talitay (Sultan Sumagka), and Upi form the province of Maguindanao del Norte.
According to historical narratives, the Sultanate of Buayan was said to be founded in the 14th century and is located in present-day Datu Piang, which strategically sits on the middle of the Cotabato basin onthe Rio Grande de Mindanao.