MUNICIPALITY OF DATU PAGLAS HISTORY About nearly three (3) decades past from today, the Municipality of Datu Paglas in the province of Maguindanao came into existence as a full pledged Local Government Unit (LGU) via the issuance of its “CREATION CHARTER” otherwise known as Presidential Decree #340 on November 22nd of 1973. In compliance to the mandate of the above-described statute, Datu Paglas town was then officially carved out from the North-Western portion of its mother-Municipality of Columbio of the now province of Sultan Kudarat. Old records revealed that the Municipality derived its present name from the name of a certainly widely-respected prominent local leader in the humble person then of HADJI DATU IBRAHIM PAGLAS, SR., as an attribute and in honor of his good deeds and service to community and fellow-men when he was then the deputy-Governor at-large assigned to over-see the local government affairs in the Municipal district of Buluan. One of his most-remembered achievements in those days was for his being an instrumental figure in the celebrated opening of the MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN SETTLEMENTS in these areas sometime in the early part of 1935. It is therefore, in whose own flesh and blood ad honorable ascendancy that a son was born to carry-on his good name and dedication to serve onward DATU IBRAHIM PAGLAS, JR., by the genre of a true-leader’s blood running thru his vein, became both the first appointed and elected Mayor of this newly created town – when he was also at the same time then the duly-elected Mayor of the Mother-Municipality of Columbio. By his own will and unselfish-decision, I later on, relinquished his post as mayor of the latter and instead chose his own pre- charted destiny of becoming Datu Paglas’ first chief executive when it became a separate/district and independent municipality on that very momentous 22nd day of November, 1973. He served with remarkable record as mayor of Datu Paglas for about eight (8) long fruitful years from 1973 to 1980, before his own better-half, the HON BAI AGA P. PAGLAS, succeeded him by winning in the local elections held in the early part of 1980. From then on, leadership has been passed on the siblings as the second generations of Paglases. After the EDSA People Power when Revolutionary Government prevailed as opening salvo of President Corazon C. Aquino’s administration, BAI NONNETTE PAGLAS-PIANG was appointed as Officer In- Charge of the LGU. By December of 1988, DATU IBRAHIM P. PAGLAS, III was elected as Mayor of the Municipality. The legacy of leadership of Datu Ibrahim P. Paglas III has become a household word even up to now both in the local and national level. His political stewardship has left a milestone which finally permeated the carving of the municipality from “WAR ZONE TO ECONOMIC ZONE.” “BAWAL ANG TAMAD SA DATU PAGLAS” (Laziness is abhorred), a slogan her popularized was also a trademark of the Municipality which he instilled to the minds of even the young ones. And after his term has ended in June 1998, the leadership was passed on to his younger brother DATU ABUBAKAR P. PAGLAS, who is equally dynamic. The Municipality of Datu Paglas has never been relinquished to be ruled by anyone as another able and young-blood leader who bears the same name of the Municipality like before stays on at the helm of this Municipal Government Hierarchy. As a living proof of the love of its people to Paglas’ family-legacy, the incumbent Mayor of Datu Paglas, HON. DATU ABUBAKAR P. PAGLAS, a younger brother in the family-lineage enjoyed a very strong mandate to submit the future of Datu Paglas under his able stewardship. He had begun what to begin for the development of Datu Paglas – and this was apparently shown by his serious efforts and determination to cause the preparation of this humble planning document to serve as his local leadership’s panorama of guiding principles and policies to transform the Municipality into a self-sufficient and self-reliant entity for good local governance. Phase I of this noble work had already been done and by the smooth pavement of its long road to development and growth guided by a definite plan, all projects for development were successfully implemented with the full cooperation of strong-willed people for Datu Paglas’ better tomorrow in the years to come. HON. DATU MOHAMAD P. PAGLAS, SR. AL-HADJ, the younger brother of the incumbent mayor, the municipality of Datu Paglas has drastically transformed into an organized and systematic institution. He has set vision which could pave for the development of Datu Paglas municipality as a “booming town” ahead. With the will power and unrivaled leadership of the new mayor to lead his people in taking steps towards innovations, and prosperity without taking aside the greatness of ISLAM belief, DATU Paglas is a picture of a progressive place conducive to live in. His basic principle of “Government for the people, by the people, of the people” in his driving force that enlivens the spirit of genuine service to the constituency of the municipality of Datu Paglas, a developed and peaceful place ahead. Recent change of administration DATU ABUBAKAR P. PAGLAS was elected anew to handle that management of the Local Government of Datu Paglas. The newly elected Mayor like his other siblings who governed Datu Paglas, established a new center piece program of his administration which is “GOBYERNONG MALAPIT SA MAMAMAYAN KAUNLARAN MAASAHAN”. His governance will be reaching out to the people so that mandated basic services due to the constituents will be readily be available. .