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Province

Cotabato

Cotabato is a province in the SOCCSKSARGEN region of Mindanao, Philippines. Its population was 1,286,142 in the 2024 census, and it has 1 city and 17 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 8, 2026
Dozens of thin waterfalls streaming down a curved cliff thickly hung with green vines, onto dark boulders and a rushing white stream.
Asik-Asik Falls, in Alamada.Photo: “Asik-Asik Falls, Alamada, Cotabato” by Jyppe A. Quidores, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized by Scene. Scene's copy is shared under the same licence.

  • PeopleSources

    1,286,142

    people counted in the 2024 censusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary

    Up 19.2% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    1st

    of the 4 provinces of SOCCSKSARGEN by population, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary

    About 29 of every 100 people in SOCCSKSARGEN lived in Cotabato in 2024 (28.82%)

  • Inside itSources

    18

    cities and municipalities

    480 barangays

  • LandSources

    6,155.62 km²

    of land, 2019 masterlistLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.Explained by Scene: Cotabato's land would fill a square about 78.5 km on each side. That is only a way to picture its size: its real shape is on the map.More in the glossary

    Average density, 2024: 209 people per km²Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.Explained by Scene: About 2 people per hectare if everyone were spread evenly across the land. In fact people live closer together in towns and farther apart in the countryside.More in the glossary

  • HomesSources

    338,157

    households in 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary

    3.8 people in each, on average, in 2024

  • Town or countrySources

    36.1%

    About 36 of every 100 people lived in urban barangays in 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary

PSGC codePSGC codeThe code the Philippine Statistics Authority gives every place, so each one is known exactly, even when two share a name.More in the glossary
1204700000[4]Formerly 124700000

People

Cotabato had 1,286,142 people in the 2024 census, up 19.2% from 2010.
People at each census since 1960

Counts from 2000 on are on today’s borders; earlier counts are as the place was then, so the line may step where a border moved.

Cotabato had the most people of the 4 provinces of SOCCSKSARGEN in 2024[1]
  1. 1Cotabato1,286,142
  2. 2South Cotabato1,010,009
  3. 3Sultan Kudarat863,651
  4. 4Sarangani580,915
All 4 provinces of SOCCSKSARGEN
Of every 100 people in Cotabato in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 29 of every 100 are children under 15 (29.2%)
  • About 65 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (64.7%)
  • About 6 of every 100 are 65 or older (6.1%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 5108,20455,96252,242
5 - 9128,25066,63461,616
10 - 14138,94571,64167,304
15 - 19128,97866,47162,507
20 - 24112,29557,55354,742
25 - 2999,47251,47447,998
30 - 3498,17050,59447,576
35 - 3988,78246,86141,921
40 - 4478,00341,14636,857
45 - 4969,63536,58833,047
50 - 5461,36031,72229,638
55 - 5951,54826,06725,481
60 - 6442,72020,86921,851
65 - 6932,04115,18516,856
70 - 7421,8629,60612,256
75 - 7912,1314,8267,305
80 - 847,2702,6344,636
85 and over5,2361,6843,552

Every figure, census by census

People, 2024 CensusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary
1,286,142[1, 2]
Households, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary
338,157[1, 2]
People in each household, 2024
3.8 on average[1, 2]
Share of SOCCSKSARGEN, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary
28.82%[1]
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary
36.1% (464,801 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
657,517 men, 627,385 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 20241,286,142[1, 2]0.21% a year338,1573.8
2020as of May 1, 20201,275,185[1]1.51% a year——
2015as of August 1, 20151,187,423[1]1.84% a year——
2010as of May 1, 20101,078,897[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then1,121,974[37]2.19% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders958,643[37, 38]2.29% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then862,666[37]2.30% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then763,995[37]3.07% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then564,599[37]3.63% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then472,302[37]0.17% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then468,354[37]5.18% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then279,478[37]———

Cities and municipalities

Cotabato is made up of 17 municipalities and 1 city, with 480 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Cotabato by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
BukidnonDavao del SurLanao del SurMaguindanao del NorteMaguindanao del SurSpecial Geographic AreaSultan KudaratAlamada: 71,523 people, 90 per km², 0.98% a yearAleosan: 38,023 people, 222 per km², 0.73% a yearAntipas: 26,946 people, 234 per km², 0.12% a yearArakan: 51,584 people, 97 per km², 0.48% a yearBanisilan: 48,013 people, 165 per km², 0.52% a yearCarmen: 79,741 people, 170 per km², 0.18% a yearKidapawan City: 160,864 people, 473 per km², 0.01% a yearKabacan: 77,945 people, 373 per km², 0.24% a yearLibungan: 57,776 people, 302 per km², 0.64% a yearM'Lang: 98,646 people, 237 per km², 0.11% a yearMagpet: 55,255 people, 108 per km², 0.64% a yearMakilala: 88,522 people, 238 per km², 0.16% a yearMatalam: 81,610 people, 200 per km², 0.08% a yearMidsayap: 115,735 people, 671 per km², −0.33% a yearPigkawayan: 53,593 people, 270 per km², 0.38% a yearPikit: 67,220 people, 391 per km², 0.07% a yearPresident Roxas: 51,245 people, 128 per km², −0.58% a yearTulunan: 61,901 people, 157 per km², 0.36% a year

People · 2024 Census

  • Under 20,000
  • 20,000 to 31,000
  • 31,000 to 45,000
  • 45,000 to 76,000
  • 76,000 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Density · people per km², 2024

  • Under 140
  • 140 to 250
  • 250 to 390
  • 390 to 750
  • 750 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Growth a year · 2020–2024

  • Fell by more than 1% a year
  • Fell, by up to 1% a year
  • Grew, by under 1% a year
  • Grew by 1 to 2% a year
  • Grew by 2% a year or more

Each place's yearly change between the 2020 and 2024 censuses, on the same steps as every map in the Atlas.

Borders from UN OCHA (PSA and NAMRIA), a guide and not the legal boundary[3]Open in OpenStreetMap
Cities and municipalities of Cotabato. Each column heading sorts the table.
Kind[1, 7]Share (2024)
AlamadaMunicipality71,5235.56%0.98% a year792.04 km²
AleosanMunicipality38,0232.96%0.73% a year171.31 km²
AntipasMunicipality26,9462.1%0.12% a year115.28 km²
ArakanMunicipality51,5844.01%0.48% a year530.44 km²
BanisilanMunicipality48,0133.73%0.52% a year290.20 km²
CarmenMunicipality79,7416.2%0.18% a year469.92 km²
Kidapawan CityComponent city160,86412.51%0.01% a year340.07 km²
KabacanMunicipality77,9456.06%0.24% a year208.89 km²
LibunganMunicipality57,7764.49%0.64% a year191.57 km²
M'LangMunicipality98,6467.67%0.11% a year416.56 km²
MagpetMunicipality55,2554.3%0.64% a year513.39 km²
MakilalaMunicipality88,5226.88%0.16% a year371.22 km²
MatalamMunicipality81,6106.35%0.08% a year407.44 km²
MidsayapMunicipality115,7359%−0.33% a year172.51 km²
PigkawayanMunicipality53,5934.17%0.38% a year198.19 km²
PikitMunicipality67,2205.23%0.07% a year171.74 km²
President RoxasMunicipality51,2453.98%−0.58% a year401.36 km²
TulunanMunicipality61,9014.81%0.36% a year393.49 km²

Land & Environment

Cotabato covers 6,155.62 km² of land, 209 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 2,431 m above the sea and it lies inland.
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary
6,155.62 km²[7]As listed in the 2019 Masterlist of Land Areas (LMB, DENR)
Average density, 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary
209 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
7.00225° N, 125.01254° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[34]
Lowest
1 m
Average
310 m
Highest
2,431 m

Heights from the Copernicus DEM, a 30 m model of the surface: it reads the tops of trees and roofs, not the bare ground, over the land inside the border, the sea left out. Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.

Water, coast and peaks

No coastline: it lies inland.

Rivers[35]

  1. Kabacan River80.5 of 82.7 km
  2. Libungan River72.9 of 103.3 km
  3. Malitubog River65.0 of 86.1 km
  4. Arakan River62.9 km
  5. Malasila River58.6 of 60.9 km
  6. Marbel River56.3 of 57.1 km
  7. Kulaman River50.7 of 68.2 km
  8. Maradugao River48.5 of 150.6 km

The longest inside it: 57 in all.

Lakes[35]

  1. Mal-Mar Reservoirreservoir2.2 km²
  2. Lake Javier0.06 km²
  3. Lake Sagan0.05 km²

Peaks[35]

  1. Mount Tinanan1,810 m
  2. Mount Mariyugvolcano1,490 m
  3. Mount Sinaka1,470 m
  4. Mount Gapvolcano1,070 m
  5. Mount Kitubodvolcano980 m
  6. Mount Akir Akir970 m

The highest: 16 in all.

Named rivers, lakes and peaks as OpenStreetMap mapped them on 30 September 2026, and the coast within 150 m of the border. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Climate

Climate typeClimate typePAGASA sorts the country's climate into four types by when the rain falls. Type I has a dry season from November to April and a wet one for the rest of the year; Type II has no dry season, with the most rain from December to February; Type III has a short dry season; Type IV has rain spread through the year.More in the glossary

Type III[36]

No clear rainiest time of year, and a short dry season of one to three months, in December to February or in March to May.

Covers about 84 of every 100 parts of its land. Read by Scene off PAGASA's climate map, so approximate: the type that covers most of the place's land.

Life & Economy

Cotabato's economy made ₱168.8 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱125,600 for each person. About 24 of every 100 people lived below the poverty line in 2023.
Economy, 2025Gross domestic productThe value of all the goods and services made in a place in a year: the size of its economy. The PSA measures it for every region, province and highly urbanized city. Counted at 2018 prices, it leaves out the rise in prices, so one year can be set beside another.More in the glossary
₱168.8 billion[21]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱136.0 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
3.6%[22]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱125,600[23]Its economy divided by its projected population, at current prices, as the PSA works it out.
Poverty, 2023Poverty incidenceHow many of every 100 people live in families whose income is below the poverty line: what a person needs in a year for food and other basic needs, as the PSA sets it for each province. It is an estimate, from a survey or, for a town, a statistical model, so the PSA gives a range it is likely to fall in.More in the glossary
23.9% of people[24]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
Income classIncome classThe Department of Finance sorts provinces, cities and municipalities into classes by their average yearly income over recent years: 1st class has the most. It measures the local government's income, not how well off its people are.More in the glossary
1st class[4]
About 24 of every 100 people in Cotabato lived below the poverty line in 2023 (23.9%)[24]

The PSA's survey puts it between 17.9% and 30.0%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱31,276 a person for the year.

The PSA notes: Those with CVs higher than 10% in 2023 poverty incidence among population should be used with caution.

Public places

  • 137government offices
  • 47hospitals and health centres
  • 795schools
  • 76places of worship
  • 18markets
  • 13stations and terminals
  • 11parks
  • 1monument or memorial

Counted from OpenStreetMap[3, 8]. Each town's page lists its own; this page lists the stations, parks, beaches and monuments.

Where a kind has more than 8, this page shows 6: first those with “Cotabato” in their name, then one in each of its most populous cities and municipalities.

Stations and terminals13

7 more stations and terminals are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 18 cities and municipalities of Cotabato

Parks11

5 more parks are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 18 cities and municipalities of Cotabato

Monuments and memorials1

As OpenStreetMap maps them on September 30, 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Government & Leaders

A governor leads Cotabato. Its local laws, called ordinances, are passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (the provincial board), led by the vice governor. The governor, the vice governor and the board's elected members serve three-year terms, and none may serve more than three in a row.[18, 19]

Capital
Kidapawan City[4]

3 legislative districtsLegislative districtThe area that elects one member of the House of Representatives. A big province or city may have several.More in the glossary[20]

Each district elects one member of the House of Representatives. These are the districts as the laws drew them for the 2025 elections.

1st district

2nd district

3rd district

Leaders

The governor and vice governor elected at each election since 2001, as COMELEC's lists of the elected name them, and those in office now, as the DILG's directory lists them.

  1. 2025–2028In office as of February 2026

    Governor
    Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[25]
    Vice governor
    Rochella Marie Taliño Taray[25]

  2. 2022–2025

    Governor
    Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[26]
    Vice governor
    Efren Fantin Piñol[26]

  3. 2019–2022

    Governor
    Nancy Alaan Catamco[27]
    Vice governor
    Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[27]

  4. 2016–2019

    Governor
    Emmylou Jacolo Taliño-Mendoza[28]
    Vice governor
    Gregorio Tocmo Ipong[28]

  5. 2013–2016

    Governor
    Emmylou Jacolo Taliño-Mendoza[29]
    Vice governor
    Gregorio Tocmo Ipong[29]

  6. 2010–2013

    Governor
    Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[30]
    Vice governor
    Gregorio Tocmo Ipong[30]

  7. 2007–2010

    Governor
    Jesus Nonato Sacdalan[31]
    Vice governor
    Emmanuel Fantin Piñol[31]

  8. 2004–2007

    Governor
    Emmanuel Fantin Piñol[32]
    Vice governor
    Jesus Nonato Sacdalan[32]

  9. 2001–2004

    Governor
    Emmanuel F. Piñol[33]
    Vice governor
    Jesus N. Sacdalan[33]
Governors and vice governors of Cotabato, by term
TermGovernorVice governor
2025–2028In office as of February 2026Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[25]Rochella Marie Taliño Taray[25]
2022–2025Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[26]Efren Fantin Piñol[26]
2019–2022Nancy Alaan Catamco[27]Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[27]
2016–2019Emmylou Jacolo Taliño-Mendoza[28]Gregorio Tocmo Ipong[28]
2013–2016Emmylou Jacolo Taliño-Mendoza[29]Gregorio Tocmo Ipong[29]
2010–2013Emmylou Taliño Mendoza[30]Gregorio Tocmo Ipong[30]
2007–2010Jesus Nonato Sacdalan[31]Emmanuel Fantin Piñol[31]
2004–2007Emmanuel Fantin Piñol[32]Jesus Nonato Sacdalan[32]
2001–2004Emmanuel F. Piñol[33]Jesus N. Sacdalan[33]

History & Identity

Cotabato's fiesta and days

Everything listed for Cotabato in Now

Former name
North Cotabato[4]
Created
A province from 1 September 1914 under Act No. 2408; constituted as North Cotabato by Presidential Decree No. 341, 22 November 1973, and renamed Cotabato by Batas Pambansa Blg. 660, approved 7 March 1984[9, 10, 11, 12]

How it got its name

Cotabato comes from the Maguindanao kuta wato, stone fort, as both the province and an American gazetteer of 1902 explain it; the province reads in it the long tradition of courage and resistance of the Pulangi River basin.[10, 13]

Its story

Manobo, Bagobo and Muslim peoples lived on the land by about 1500, long before settlers came from Luzon and the Visayas.[10]

Local traditionA Manobo creation myth makes the flood plain between the Kulaman and Pulangi rivers the birthplace of life on earth, built of soil stolen from another world: pinamua, the land of the beginning.[10]

Sources differThe province's history dates the Spaniards' arrival both to 1696 and to 1 February 1596, when Captain Rodriguez de Figueroa left Iloilo and landed at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Mindanao, where Cotabato City is today. From there they reached as far as Pikit, where a Spanish fort still stands. The district of Cotabato was formed in 1860, and after the Sultan of Maguindanao acceded to Spanish sovereignty in 1861 several districts were organized over the Pulangi plain.[10]

Under American rule it was a district of the Moro Province from 1903, and the first Christian settlers, mostly from Cebu, came to Pikit on 17 June 1913. It became a province on 1 September 1914, with Cotabato town as its capital and its only municipality.[9, 10, 14]

The vast first province was later divided: South Cotabato was taken out in 1966, and in 1973 Presidential Decree No. 341 split the rest into North Cotabato, with Kidapawan as its capital, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 renamed North Cotabato simply Cotabato.[10, 11, 12, 15]

In 1989 the province declined to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In a plebiscite on 6 February 2019, 63 of its barangays voted to join the Bangsamoro region.[10, 16]

The province counts its years from 1914: its 2026 Kalivungan Festival was held under the theme "Cotabato @112".[10, 17]Calculated by Scene: 2026 − 112 = 1914 (the 2026 Kalivungan Festival's theme was "Cotabato @112"); the province's page dates the start of the original province to 1 September 1914.

Timeline

  1. 1596

    Rodriguez de Figueroa's expedition reaches the mouth of the Rio Grande de Mindanao.[10]

  2. 1 June 1903

    Act No. 787 makes Cotabato a district of the Moro Province.[14]

  3. 17 June 1913

    The first Christian settlers arrive at Pikit.[10]

  4. 23 July 1914

    Act No. 2408 provides a civil provincial government for Cotabato.[9]

  5. 1 September 1914

    The Province of Cotabato begins to operate.[10]

  6. 18 July 1966

    Republic Act No. 4849 creates South Cotabato out of its southern towns.[15]

  7. 22 November 1973

    Presidential Decree No. 341 divides it into North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.[11]

  8. 7 March 1984

    Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 renames North Cotabato as Cotabato.[12]

  9. 6 February 2019

    63 of its barangays vote to join the Bangsamoro region.[16]

Nearby

Cotabato shares a border with 7 places.

How it compares

Cotabato beside SOCCSKSARGEN, and where it stands among the provinces of SOCCSKSARGEN.

Cotabato beside SOCCSKSARGEN
FigureCotabatoSOCCSKSARGENRank among the provinces of SOCCSKSARGEN
People, 2024CensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary1,286,142[1, 2]4,462,7761st of 4
Growth a year, 2020–2024Growth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary0.21% a year[1, 2]slower0.55% a year4th of 4
People per km², 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary209[7]less crowded2202nd of 4
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary6,155.62 km²[7]20,262.71 km²1st of 4
People in each household, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary3.8[1, 2]about the same3.8not ranked
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary36.1%[6]lower56.1%not ranked

Sources

Page updated October 8, 2026. Sources checked by Scene October 8, 2026.
  1. 1.Philippine Statistics Authority. Population and Annual Population Growth Rate of the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities Based on the 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024 Population Census (OpenSTAT table 0211A6DAPG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  2. 2.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population, Household Population, and Number of Households by Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay as of 01 July 2024 : Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) (OpenSTAT table 0121A6DTHP1). Published August 3, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  3. 3.UN OCHA, from the PSA and NAMRIA. Philippines: Subnational Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB), barangay layer. Published February 13, 2025. Read by Scene September 25, 2026. CC BY-IGO 3.0. Open the source
  4. 4.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Publication Datafile. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene September 24, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  5. 5.Philippine Statistics Authority. Household Population by Age-Group Region, Province, and Highly Urbanized City: Philippines, 2024 Census of Population (OpenSTAT table 0201A6DPAG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  6. 6.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population and Urban Population by Urban Classification and Region, Province, Highly Urbanized City, City/Municipality and Barangay: Philippines, 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0231A6DPUP0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  7. 7.Philippine Statistics Authority, from the Land Management Bureau (DENR). Population, Land Area, Population Density, and Percent Change in Population Density by Region, Province/Highly Urbanized City, and City/Municipality: 2015, 2020, and 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0221A6DLPD0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  8. 8.OpenStreetMap contributors. Named public places in OpenStreetMap: schools, hospitals and health centres, places of worship, government offices, markets, stations, parks, beaches and monuments, from Geofabrik's extract of the Philippines. Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  9. 9.Philippine Commission. Act No. 2408: An Act Providing a Temporary Form of Government for the Territory Known as the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, Making Applicable thereto, with Certain Exceptions, the Provisions of General Laws Now in Force in the Philippine Islands, and for Other Purposes. Published July 23, 1914. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Provincial Government of Cotabato. Our Province. Published November 21, 2018. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  11. 11.Office of the President of the Philippines (Ferdinand E. Marcos). Presidential Decree No. 341: Creating the Provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. Published November 22, 1973. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  12. 12.Batasang Pambansa. Batas Pambansa Blg. 660: An Act Changing the Name of the Province of North Cotabato to Cotabato. Published March 7, 1984. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  13. 13.United States Bureau of Insular Affairs, War Department (Government Printing Office, Washington). A Pronouncing Gazetteer and Geographical Dictionary of the Philippine Islands. Published 1902. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain (a United States government work, published 1902), read in the Internet Archive's scan and its text. Open the source
  14. 14.Philippine Commission. Act No. 787: An Act Providing for the Organization and Government of the Moro Province. Published June 1, 1903. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  15. 15.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 4849: An Act Creating the Province of South Cotabato. Published July 18, 1966. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  16. 16.Supreme Court of the Philippines (text from the Supreme Court E-Library). G.R. No. 242255, Province of Sulu v. Medialdea and others: decision of the Court en banc on the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Published September 9, 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  17. 17.Provincial Government of Cotabato, Information and Development Communication Division. Yaman ng Cotabato, tampok sa pagbubukas ng Kalivungan Festival 2026. Published August 26, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  18. 18.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7160: the Local Government Code of 1991. Published October 10, 1991. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  19. 19.1986 Constitutional Commission. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Published February 2, 1987. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  20. 20.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 10177: An Act reapportioning the Province of Cotabato into three (3) legislative districts. Published September 14, 2012. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  21. 21.Philippine Statistics Authority. Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC (OpenSTAT table 0012A5FPPA0). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  22. 22.Philippine Statistics Authority. Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC, Growth Rates (OpenSTAT table 0032A5FPPA2). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  23. 23.Philippine Statistics Authority. Per Capita Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC (OpenSTAT table 0092A5FPPA8). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  24. 24.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Table 2a. Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Among Population with Measures of Precision, by Region, Province and Highly Urbanized Cities: 2018, 2021, and 2023 (OpenSTAT table 0041F3DF02A). Published August 15, 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  25. 25.Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Directory of LGU Elective Officials for Term 2025-2028 as of February 2026 (its sheet: Consolidated List of Officials for Election Terms (2025-2028)), released through the FOI portal. Published February 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: RA 8293, Section 176 (no copyright subsists in it; exploiting it for profit needs the agency's prior approval). Open the source
  26. 26.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections. Published December 23, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  27. 27.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections. Published December 23, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  28. 28.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections. Published January 12, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  29. 29.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 13, 2013 National and Local Elections. Published January 12, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  30. 30.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections. Published January 10, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  31. 31.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections. Published January 14, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  32. 32.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 10, 2004 National and Local Elections. Published January 8, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  33. 33.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 14, 2001 National and Local Elections (its pages are headed "LIST OF ELECTED MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES"). Published January 8, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  34. 34.European Union and the European Space Agency (Copernicus), from DLR and Airbus Defence and Space (WorldDEM). Copernicus DEM GLO-30: global digital surface model at 30 m, one-degree tiles (2021 release). Published 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Copernicus DEM GLO-30 licence: free, any use including commercial, with the Copernicus notice. Open the source
  35. 35.OpenStreetMap contributors, extract by Geofabrik. Named rivers, lakes, reservoirs, peaks and the coastline of the Philippines in OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extract, cut by osmium). Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  36. 36.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Climatology and Agrometeorology Division. Climate Map of the Philippines (1951-2010), Modified Coronas Climate Classification. Published August 2014. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: no copyright (RA 8293 s.176.1); PAGASA's approval is needed to use it for profit. Open the source
  37. 37.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2015 Census of Population, Statistical Tables, Table 1: Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by City/Municipality, 1960-2015 (one workbook for each province, highly urbanized city and region). Published 2017. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  38. 38.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2020 Census of Population and Housing: Table A (Population and Annual Growth Rate for the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces and Highly Urbanized Cities) and Table B (Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City and Municipality, by Region). Published July 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene adds what the sources do not print themselves: growth rates, shares, barangay areas and densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances, each computed from the figures and borders above. How each is made.

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Cite this page

Scene.ph. “Cotabato.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 8, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/cotabato