Nabalawag

Nabalawag
Municipality
Municipality of Nabalawag
Barangay Hall of Olandang
Map of Cotabato with Nabalawag highlighted
Country	Philippines
Region	Bangsamoro (Special Geographic Area)
Province	Cotabato
Founded	April 13, 2024
Government
• Mayor	Anwar Zumbaga Saluwang (OIC)
• Vice Mayor	Zaid Utto Pakiladatu (OIC)
Area
• Total	86.05 km^2 (33.22 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,239
• Density	330/km^2 (850/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)

Nabalawag, officially the Municipality of Nabalawag (Maguindanaon: Inged nu Nabalawag, Jawi:  ; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Nabalawag; Cebuano: Lungsod sa Nabalawag; Tagalog: Bayan ng Nabalawag), is a municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. The municipality is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao despite Cotabato being part of Soccsksargen.

History

When the Bangsamoro was created in 2019 to supplant the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 63 barangays in the province of Cotabato were grouped with the newer autonomous region in the second part of the plebiscite held in February 6.[1] The mother municipalities and Cotabato province remained part of Soccsksargen.[2]

By March 2020, these barangays were designated as a Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro region.[3]

On August 17, 2023, the bills consolidating the SGA barangays into eight municipalities were approved by the Bangsamoro Parliament,[4] The particular bill creating Nabalawag was Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 131.[5] The town was originally proposed to be named as Kabalukan.[6]

A plebiscite was held on April 13, 2024, and voters approved all eight bills reconstituting the SGA barangays to eight municipalities including Nabalawag, where 7,442 voted in favor of its creation while 14 voted against. The Bangsamoro regional government will provide P2.5 million in funding for the municipal government until it gets its share of income from the National Tax Allotment.[7] Nabalawag was created from six barangays of Midsayap and a single barangay from Aleosan.[5]

Geography

Barangays

Nabalawag is politically subdivided into seven barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Damatulan
• Dungguan
• Kadigasan
• Kadingilan
• Kudarangan
• Nabalawag
• Olangdang

Government

Officers-in-charge (OIC) was selected by BARMM Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim to fill positions in the municipal government pending regular elections in 2025. The municipality remains under the jurisdiction of the Special Geographic Area pending the creation of a new province.[8][9]

Anwar Zumbaga Saluwang is the OIC mayor of Nabalawag since July 9, 2024,[10]

References

1. Santos, Tina (February 15, 2019). "63 Cotabato barangays now part of BARMM". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
2. Layug, Margaret Claire (February 8, 2019). "What happens to Cotabato barangays not part of new Bangsamoro region?". GMA News (in English and Tagalog). Retrieved May 22, 2019.
3. Fernandez, Edwin (March 21, 2020). "BARMM records 2 Covid-19 deaths, 2 infected". Retrieved June 30, 2020.
4. "BARMM approves creation of 8 new towns". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
5. "Bills creating 8 municipalities in SGA-BARMM approved by BTA Parliament". Luwaran. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
6. "Parliament Bill No. 131 - An Act Creating the Municipality of Kabalukan, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes" (PDF). 14 December 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
7. Bolledo, Jairo (13 April 2024). "BARMM residents approve creation of 8 more towns". Rappler. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
8. "81% voter turnout on BARMM special geographic area plebiscite". Daily Tribune. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
9. "BARMM eyes new province for eight newly created towns". Rappler. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
10. "CM Ebrahim names OIC local officials in new eight SGA towns - BARMM Official Website". Bangsamoro Information Office. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.