ARMM

AUTONOMOUS
REGION IN
MUSLIM
MINDANAO
A
R
M
M
Created by virtue of Republic
Act 6734 otherwise known as
the Organic Act of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM), which was
signed into law by then
President Corazon C. Aquino
on August 1, 1989 and ratified
through a plebiscite in
November 19, 1989.
It was originally composed of
the four (4) provinces of Lanao
del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu,
and Tawi-Tawi.
The region was strengthened and
expanded through the passage of
Republic Act 9054 in 2001 as an
offshoot of the signing of the 1996
Final Peace Agreement (FPA)
between the Government of the
Republic of the Philippines (GRP)
and the Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF).The plebiscite was
conducted on September 2001 and
resulted to the inclusion of the
province of Basilan and Marawi
City in the area of autonomous
region.
ARMM is home of 4.1
million population as of
2007 and has a total land
area of 27,581.79
square kilometers,
mostly devoted to
agriculture.
The economy of the region is
dominantly agriculture and
fishery and most of the
people are fisherfolks and
farmers. Some of them are
engaged in small and medium
entrepreneurship and few
industries, mostly in the
processing of agricultural
outputs like starch
manufacturing.
The region has per capita
gross regional domestic
product of only
P3,433.00 in 2005, which
is 75.8 percent lower
than the national average
of P14,186.00. It is the
lowest compared to the
other regions in the
country.
It is the country's poorest
region, where average
annual income was just
P89,000 pesos in 2006,
less than 1/3 of Metro
Manila level.
GEOGRAPHY
The ARMM spans two geographical areas:
Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao (except
Cotabato City) in south western Mindanao,
and the island provinces of Basilan (except
Isabela City), Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in
the Sulu Archipelago. The region covers a
total of 12,288 km²
The ARMM is
politically subdivided
into five (5) provinces,
two (2) component
cities, one hundred
eighteen (118)
municipalities and
two thousand four
hundred fifty nine
(2,459) barangays.
HISTORY
 For the most part of Philippines' history, the region and
most of Mindanao has been a separate territory, which
enabled it to develop its own culture and identity. The
region has been the traditional homeland of Muslim
Filipinos since the 15th century, even before the arrival
of the Spanish who began to colonize most of
the Philippines in 1565. Muslim missionaries arrived
in Tawi-Tawi in 1380 and started the conversion of the
native population to Islam. In 1457, the Sultanate of
Sulu was founded, and not long after that the sultanates
of Maguindanao and Buayan were also established. At
the time when most of the Philippines was
under Spanish rule.
These sultanates maintained their independence and
regularly challenged Spanish domination of
the Philippines by conducting raids on Spanish coastal
towns in the north and repulsing repeated Spanish
incursions in their territory. It was not until the last
quarter of the 19th century that the Sultanate of Sulu
formally recognized Spanish sovereignty, but these areas
remained loosely controlled by the Spanish as their
sovereignty was limited to military stations and
garrisons and pockets of civilian settlements in
Zamboanga and Cotabato, until they had to abandon
the region as a consequence of their defeat in
the Spanish-American War.
POPULATION Area Pop.
SEAL PROVINCE CAPITAL (2010) (km²) density
(per km²)
Basilan IsabelaCity 293,222 1,994.1 147.0
Lanao del Sur Marawi 933,260 12,051.9 77.4
Maguindanao Shariff
Aguak 944,718 7,142.0 132.2
Sulu Jolo 719,290 2,135.3 336.4
Tawi-Tawi Bongao 366,550 3,426.6 107.0

BASILAN
Basilan is home to three main ethnic groups, the
indigenous Yakans and the later-
arriving Tausugs and Chavacanos. The Yakans and
Tausugs are predominantly Muslim, while
the Chavacanos are mainly Christian. There are also
a number of smaller groups. Although the official
languages are Filipinoand English, the major
language is Yakan, but other languages are well
represented, including Tausug, Samal,
and Zamboangueño Chavacano
GEOGRAPHY
Basilan is located between latitudes 6°15' and 7°00',
and longitudes 121°15' and 122°30'. The island is
bordered by the Basilan Strait to the north,
the Sulu Sea to the northwest and west, the Moro
Gulf to the northeast, and the Celebes Sea to the
south, southeast and east. It is one of the 7,107
islands that make up the Philippine archipelago.
PROVINCE OF LANAO DEL SUR
Lanao del Sur is a province of
the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The capital is
the Islamic City of Marawi and it borders Lanao del
Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and
Maguindanao and Cotabato to the south. To the
southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf.
Found in the interior of Lanao del Sur is Lanao
Lake, the largest lake in Mindanao.
SULTANATE OF LANAO
Lanao comes from the word ranao, meaning "lake."
Lanao centers on the basin of Lake Lanao; thus, it is
the land of the Maranaos, the "people of the lake."
Lanao is the seat of the Sultanate of Lanao.
When the Spaniards first explored Lanao in 1689,
they found a well-settled community named
Dansalan at the lake's northern end. Dansalan
became a municipality in 1907 and a city in 1940
JOINING THE ARMM
In a 1989 plebiscite, Lanao del Sur voted to join
the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM), but Marawi City elected to
remain outside ARMM. It later joined ARMM in
2001 following the plebiscite that sought to expand
the autonomous region.
TAWI-TAWI
is an island province of the Philippines located in
the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM). The capitals of Tawi-Tawi
are Bongao and PanglimaSugala. The province is the
southernmost of the country sharing sea borders
with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the
Indonesian North Kalimantan province. To the
northeast lies the province of Sulu and to the west
is Sabah in Malaysia. Tawi-Tawi also covers some
islands in the Sulu Sea to the northwest,
the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi Island and theTurtle
Islands, just 20 kilometers away from Sabah.
Tawi-Tawi was previously part of the province
of Sulu. On September 11, 1973, pursuant
to Presidential Decree No. 302, the new province
of Tawi-Tawi was officially created, separate from
Sulu. The seat of the provincial government was
established in Bongao.
The name of Tawi-Tawi is a projection of the Malay
word "jauh" meaning "far." Prehistoric travelers
from the Asian mainland would repeat the word as
"jaui-jaui" to mean "far away" because of the
distance of the islands from the continent of Asia.
The word "Tawi-Tawi" was picked up to later
become the official name of the province.
ECONOMY
Agriculture, fishing, and agar-agar farming are
the leading source of livelihood of the
people of Tawi-Tawi, with quite a number
engaged in the barter trade business. Copra
is the top agricultural product, followed by
root crops, fruits, and vegetables
MAGUINDANAO
Maguindanao is a province of
the Philippines located in the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its
capital is ShariffAguak. It borders Lanao del
Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east,
and Sultan Kudarat to the south
GOVERNMENT
Maguindanao is divided into two congressional
districts, which elect members to the House of
Representatives. For the brief period that the
province of Shariff Kabunsuan existed, Maguindanao
became a lone-district province. Since the
appointment of a new set of provincial officials for
the reunified province of Maguindanao by the
ARMM Governor in January 2009.
The provincial government has reverted to the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan setup (coterminous with
the restored 1st and 2nd Congressional districts of
Maguindanao) from before Shariff Kabunsuan was
created.
Having elected to join the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Maguindanao also sends
six representatives (three per district) to
the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly that
convenes in Cotabato City.
2009 ELECTION VIOLENCE
On November 23, 2009, a 2010 gubernatorial
election caravan supporting Esmael
Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan, was
attacked.Fifty-seven people were killed, including
Mangudadatu's wife and sisters, supporters, local
journalists, and bystanders.On December 4, 2009 a
number of homes belonging to the Ampatuan
political family were raided in connection with the
massacre.
SULU
is an autonomous island province of
the Philippines located in the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its
capital is Jolo and occupies the middle group
of islands of the Sulu Archipelago,
between Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.
HISTORY
The peaceful advent of Islam around 1138
through merchants and traders had a distinct
influence on Southeast Asia. The coming
of Arabs, Persians and other Muslims paved
the way for the arrival of religious
missionaries, traders, scholars and travelers
to Sulu and Mindanao in the 12th century.
ECONOMY
The province of Sulu is predominantly
agricultural with farming and fishing as its
main livelihood activities. Its fertile soil and
ideal climate can grow a variety of crops
such as abaca, coconuts, oranges,
and lanzones as well as exotic fruits seldom
found elsewhere in the country such
as durian and mangosteen.
Fishing is the most important industry since
the Sulu Sea is one of the richest fishing
grounds in the country. The province also
have an extensive pearl industry. Pearls are
extensively gathered and a pearl farm is
established at Marungas Island. The backs
of sea turtlesare made into beautiful trays
and combs. During breaks from fishing, the
people build boats and weave mats. Other
industries include coffee processing and fruit
preservation.
Tourist spots of
ARMM
Houses on Stilts
A typical fishermen’s village at

Sapa-Sapa, Tawi-Tawi. The Sama
and Tausug houses are built on
stilts.
Bajau Kids
Are an indigenous ethnic

group of Maritime Southeast Asia.
Bajau continue to live a seaborne
lifestyle.
Benolen Hot
Spring
Ligawasan Marsh
Ligawasan Marsh is the largest swamp and

marsh area in Mindanao and one of the largest in
the Philippines.
Seit Lake, Panamao, Sulu
Bunbun Beach
Powdery white beach sand, pristine

waters and a breathtaking view at
Bunbun Beach, Patikul, Sulu.

ARMM

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AUTONOMOUS

Basilan IsabelaCity 293,222 1,994.1 147.0

Lanao del Sur Marawi 933,260 12,051.9 77.4

Sulu Jolo 719,290 2,135.3 336.4

Tawi-Tawi Bongao 366,550 3,426.6 107.0

A typical fishermen’s village at

Are an indigenous ethnic

Ligawasan Marsh is the largest swamp and

Powdery white beach sand, pristine

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