MUNICIPALITY OF SHARIFF AGUAK

HISTORY

Maganoy was the birth of Shariff Aguak when separated as new municipality from Datu Piang, the oldest municipality of Province. “Mangganoyganoy” was the origin of the name Maganoy which means movable. According to folklores, the one referred to as movable “Mangganoyganoy” was an islet (small islang) floating on a large inland body of stagnant water somewhere in the vicinities of Brgy. Old Maganoy, now Poblacion, , Maguindanao. Other native historians believe that the one described movable “Mangganoyganoy” was the attitude of the inhabitants who kept wandering from one place to another as their way of life. Either, the floating islet or the attitude of the inhabitants was referred to by local historians as movable, the community was known by that name “Mangganoyganoy”. As time passed-by, “Mangganoyganoy” was gradually abbreviated by its natives to Maganoy, its officially registered name as a barrio () when Datu Piang Municipality was still under Cotabato Province. In September 11, 1963 President Diosdado Macapagal, issued Executive Order No. 47, creating the municipality of Maganoy, Cotabato. After a decade, in November 22, 1973, Cotabato Province was divided into three provinces, such as North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao. This time, Maganoy was included among the municipalities under Maguindanao Province. Three decades later, the Municipality of Maganoy was renamed Shariff Aguak Manisipality, a name after a great son Shariff Ampatuan, by virtue of a Muslim Autonomy Act, dated February 22, 1996. Such historic event transpired during the incumbency of Datu Andal S. Ampatuan, Sr., as Municipal Mayor of Maganoy, now Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.