Piagapo
Piagapo, officially the Municipality of Piagapo, is a municipality in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,132 people.
History
The municipality was named Piagapo as the word relates closely to several royal houses of the Pat A Pangampong a Ranao. It is believed that during the ancient time, Piagapo was territorial land originally ruled by a queen ruler "Dayang Labi", a direct descendant of Sharief Kabungsuan, the first Muslim missionary who landed in Maguindanao to spread the religion Islam. Being queen ruler of the land, she was popularly enthroned and widely known as the "Bai sa Radapan". Furthermore, to retain her name and legacy in the history of Piagapo, one of the Barangays was named after her title as the Bai sa Radapan. It was called Radapan. This is the place where most of her descendants reside. Moreover, claimants of the sultanate leadership in the different areas of Piagapo usually trace up their genealogical origin from the progenitor, the Bai sa Radapan. Only her progeny can claim a royal title. The Municipality of Piagapo was once a component of the Municipality of Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur. On June 9, 1961, the president signed Executive Order No. 431 creating Piagapo into a municipal district which took effect effectively. The name Piagapo was proposed by a group of leaders from Sendigan led by Sultan a Diamla and presented by Mangompia S. Gunting. The name Piagapo was unanimously adopted as the name of the municipal district. Piagapo was then converted into a regular municipality on July 1, 1965, by virtue of Executive Order No. 166 signed on August 27, 1965. Piagapo is divided into three districts: Sundigan A Piagapo, Pat a Panoroganan, Bubonga Marantao and composed of 37 barangay.Martial law
Piagapo is one of the municipalities suffered and receiving evacuees from municipality of Munai and municipality of Tangcal during Martial Law in 1972. Almost all evacuees living in Munai at the time abandoned their home, livestock, and land, moving to the boundary of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.Most of the people stay meanwhile to Barangay Lininding of Munai, a boundary of Municipality of Piagapo, Lanao del Sur. The only remaining people that time of evacuation process were the Moro Fighter and one of their Leader Commander was Commander Tagoranao "AKA James Bond" Macapaar bin Sabbar, a MNLF Top Commander for Lanao del Norte. Late Commander James Bond is the sibling of MILF Top Commander Abdullah Macapaar "Commander Bravo". Moro Rebels from Munai had a fight side by side with the Moro Rebels from neighboring Tangkal against Philippines Constabulary Army.
After peaceful was process in the middle of 1980s, the team of MILF Commander Sultan Saifudin Romandiar Tomawis and MILF Commander Sultan Tagoranao Goldiano Macapaar bin Sabbar along with the MILF Commander Sansarona from Maguindanao had stay and made a temporary "MILF Camp Bansayan" in Bansayan, a barangay of Piagapo until end of EDSA Revolution on 1986. During the stay, there were enormous battle between MILF forces and Government Forces. Both MILF Commanders had gone to Afghanistan to join the war against Russian on 1984. The said Camp was abandoned by MILF Soldiers when civilian had given the map and provide with guide the Government Forces when that MILF Camp on early EDSA Revolution. On the Attack of Government Forces, they come secretly at night in barangay bansayan and they stay at the near of the MILF Camp Bansayan for almost 10hrs until 3:00AM and strike the Camp. One of the field commander who stayed long and withdrew later to fight is Commander Abiden Dimacuta Umpar because he handled a.30 machine gun.
Contemporary era
On December 3, 2023, a bombing incident occurred at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, with the two main suspects later being identified by the Philippine National Police as residents of Barangay Gacap, Piagapo.Geography
It is located in the first district of the province of Lanao del Sur, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and has total land area of 340.09 square kilometers distributed over the 37 barangays that are predominantly populated by Maranao people.Barangays
Piagapo is politically subdivided into 37 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.These barangays are further grouped into 3 districts.
;Bubonga Marantao:
- Aposong
- Bubo
- Bualan
- Bubonga Ilian
- Bubonga Mamaanun
- Bubonga Tawaan
- Ilian Proper
- Ilian Poblacion
- Lumbaca Mamaanun
- Mamaanun
- Mentring
- Palao
- Paling
- Paridi
- Pindolonan
- Rantian
- Sapingit
- Bangco
- Basak
- Gacap
- Katumbacan
- Olango
- Pantaon
- Pantar
- Radapan Poblacion
- Radapan Proper
- Tambo
- Tapocan
- Tawaan
- Bagoingud
- Bansayan
- Kalungnan
- Lininding
- Palacat
- Talao
- Taporug
- Udalo
Terrain and natural resources
Climate
Piagapo being part of Lanao del Sur has predominantly cold climate. The climate observed in the community is very unpredictable where rainfalls are mostly observed during the month of July, August, September and October. Dry season is observed during summer the month of March, April and May. The Municipality is hilly and mountainous. The beautiful mountains with vast trees in the area serve as natural barriers against typhoon and strong wind and other natural calamities.Demographics
The Municipality of Piagapo is a Muslim area that is predominantly populated by Maranao tribe who are culturally bounded people. Its people, majority of which, do not accept birth control, birth spacing and other methods. They believe it is against their religious belief. However, majority of them learned to accept other health intervention particularly to maintain and improve health status. This belief and value of the people of Piagapo had caused an increase in its population from time to time. This is revealed by the different census conducted by NSO in different year. The latest and current population of the municipality as distributed to its 37 barangays is 21,974 as shown in the table below. The average household size is 3.78 or 4 persons per household. But based on 2007 census of population, Piagapo has 5,417 household and the average household size is 6.42.Population growth rate
The population of Piagapo varies according to the different population census conducted by the NSO, at an increasing trend. In 1995, its total population was 19,198. It increased by about 4,705 or 24.50% in a span of five years. Hence, the annual growth rate between the 1995 and 2000 was 4.5%. In 2007, another census was conducted by the NSO. That census that revealed that Piagapo's population was increased to 34,792. Between 2000 and 2007, the population increased by 10,889 or 45.5% for a span of 7 years. Hence, the population growth rates is 6.5% annually, which is very high. However, it was somehow unbelievable and unrealistic, that between 2007 and 2010, The population of Piagapo tremendously declined from 34,792 to 21,974 in just a span of 3 years. The decrease was unusual and very abrupt. The constituents of Piagapo could not believe it, even when some of the residents migrated to other areas in the Philippines temporarily after occurrence of the all-out war against the MILF in the previous years.Economy
Poverty Incidence of