MUNICIPALITY OF PARANG

HISTORY

Parang is one of the original municipalities of the Cotabato Province, the largest province of the in the early 1920s. To transients, Parang’s name connotes little significance. Originally, the native call it “PADANG-PADANG”, to mean rugged ridges. But the Maguindanaons and Christians simply call the place PARANG. In the 1960s, the Municipality of Parang was a vast area, which included the former municipal districts of Bugason, Buldon, , and Bongo Island. Lanao Province, the north, bounded it on the east by Midsayap, on the south by Nuling and on the west by Illana Bay. During back to the 15th century, Shariff Mohammad Kabungsuan, an Arab-Malay missionary first set foot in this place, brings with him seal and ardor his Islam Faith to the natives who later embraced Islam. In 1854, the first Spanish Conquistadors implanted the Castilian flag at Parang. Their moldy Forts at the entrance of Parang’s wharf and the scratches of their walls made by crude weapons of war should have given traces of their resistance by the natives. They established their naval base at Polloc Point, converting this then peaceful place to a worship war. The actual occupation of Parang however tool place in 1896. A Spanish olonel by the name of Zoro led a regiment of soldiers to take over the . The garita (jail bastion) was constructed at the entrance of Parang’s wharf, and also the Alfonso XIII waterworks. In 1900s, the first batch of American soldiers landed under the command of Lt. R.G. Mygot, who immediately formed a semblance of a local government with himself as mayor, Asisclo Gimenez as Vice-Mayor and Claro Dela Cruz, Aurelio Acosta, Euginio Gepte, and Domingo Duruin as councilors. Also this time, the first public school was opened with Mr. Yadao and Mr. Pepe Torres as teachers. In 1909, the same lineup of officials ran the affairs of the government with the exception of Pedro Jimenez who became Vice-Mayor. Beginning in 1910, Justice of Peace had been appointed. Three (3) Filipinos who occupied the position are still remembered Eugenio Gepte, Domingo Duruin and Anatolio Manalas. Changes were made again in 1914 when Cipriano Alanis became Municipal Mayor and Luis Francisco as his Vice-Mayor. The council was composed of Jose Nunez, Claro Dela Cruz and Domingo Duruin. Antonio Colonel was Chief of Police and after him came Fidel Liberar. Constantino Ibanez was the new justice of peace of the many Spaniards and Americans wholanded in Parang, only a few had stayed to see better times. Among them were the Roaleses who prospected at Bongo Island, the Gimenezes who acquired the Bacolod Plantation, the Manions and Merritts who developed Sagasab Plantation. The Islamic population continued to be ruled by their original datus. Among the few datu’s who ruled their people were Datu Dimarao of Parang, Datu Camdan Andas of , Datu Pandapatan of Buldon, Datu Anton Capitan of Simuay, Datu Balabagan of Balut, Datu Alimpang of Buldon, and Datu Mamarancas of Parang. From these lineages, are descended Datu Biruar, Mamarinta, Malambot, Ragondo, Macabangen, Macaraub, Kassabangan, Ayunan, Mamalacat, Bura, Tamarumpong and the present sons of these datu’s. The greater portion of the land overlooking the Parang harbor was as military reservation, first named after General Pershing who once established his base here in the early days of the American occupation. A few years before World War II, Col. Fidel Segundo led the first Brigade of the Filipinos Scouts with station of Parang. The training camp was renamed Camp General Antonio Luna which served as training ground for trainees in Mindanao who saw action during the war. In 1945, the 10th Corps U.S. Army Liberation Force used Parang as an anchorage for its drive against the enemy towards Davao. But since then, the camp had been abandoned for active military purposes and a portion of it was turned to the civil government as a town site for Parang by the virtue of Proclamation No. 132. Christian settlers have tried their hands in the remote places only to be driven by lawless elements. Among these settlements is the barrio of Langcong, near Lanao boundary, which was already a thriving settlement before World War II. The early settlers were Ilonggos from Antique led by Mr. Belandres, an enterprising pioneer. The Bugasan Plantation, which was started in the early 1920’s, encouraged the natives to live in-groups either as workers of the plantation from Datu Lidasan of Bugasan. The Roaleses started and developed the Bongo coconut Hacienda and Cattle Ranch. Natives began to settle in the place and grouped themselves under Datu Biruar in Litayen. In Orandang, the Dela Rosas and Evangelistas started the Orandang Ranch and Plantation. The native likewise settled nearby and profited from employment in the plantations. Later, some industrious farmers began to cultivate their own farms. In Cuba and Sagasab, the Manions and Molinas planted coconut. Here too, the native settled nearby and got the best experience out of living groups. The Venturas Gentles and Montezons settled at Dagarungan and Amadeo. So did the Albores at Simuay and Dagarungan. The natives of Bugasan, Buldon, and Barira are Iranons while the Maguindanaos live in the barrio of Parang district. Parang’s land area drastically reduced when its former districts of Buldon, and Barrira created into separate municipalities in the 1970’s.