|Region||SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII)|
|Mayor||Fernando Q. Miguel|
|Area|| 277.00 km²|
|Total (2000)|| 133,786|
Koronadal City, popularly known to locals as Marbel, is the capital of the province of South Cotabato, Philippines. It became a component city by virtue of Republic Act 8803 on October 8, 2000, and the regional center of SOCCSKSARGEN by virtue of Executive Order No. 304, dated March 30, 2004. It was recognized as the "Most Competitive Small-Sized City in the Philippines" in 2003, and one of the “Top 10 Most Competitive Cities in the Philippines” in 2005.
From a population of 53, 563 at the time of its creation in 1948, the population of Koronadal increased over the years to 140,026 by 2001.
Koronadal has seven urban barangays and twenty rural barangays. As of the 2000 census, the population of the urban barangays was 62, 654 which comprised 46.8% of its total population of 133, 786. The population of the rural barangays was 71,132 or 53.2%.
The projected population composition of Koronadal for 2001 by age group showed that 55, 898, or 39.91%, of the city’s population was composed of children 14 years old and below. The 5-to-9-year-old age group had the highest population of 18,554 or about 13% of the total population, while the next age group of 10-to-14-year-olds had the next highest population of 17,056 or about 12%. Males slightly outnumbered females, with a male population of 71, 482, or 51% of the total population; females numbered 68,544, accounting for the remaining 49%. Persons aged 50 years old and above numbered 15,502, comprising 11% of the city’s total population. However, few babies were born, as infants not yet a year old numbered only 4,284, or 3% of the total population.
Koronadal has a literacy rate of 96%, due to the presence of many educational institutions. The city has 50 primary and elementary schools, 12 secondary schools, 11 vocational schools, 7 colleges and one university.
The major dialect spoken in the city is Hiligaynon, due to the fact that the first settlers in the area were Ilonggos from the Visayas. Other languages spoken in the city are Cebuano and Ilocano, as well as Maguindanaon, Maranao and B'laan. English and Filipino (still referred to in the area as “Tagalog”) are the languages used for official transactions. Most of Koronadal’s citizens are Roman Catholic; other religions are Iglesia ni Cristo and Evangelical.
Koronadal City (6’24 to 6’34 N, 124’47 to 124’58 E) is located in the northeastern part of the province of South Cotabato. It lies in a valley between two mountain ranges, the Roxas Mountain Range on the southwest and the Quezon Mountain Range on the northeast. It is bounded by the municipalities of Tantangan on the northwest, Lutayan on the northeast, Banga on the southwest and Tupi and Tampakan on the southeast. Over 50% of Koronadal’s terrain is level to gently sloping, while 42.24% is gently sloping to hilly. Only about 7.58% is steep terrain. Koronadal’s soil is mostly sandy loam, except in Barangay Paraiso which has mostly clay loam soil.
Koronadal has three rivers and many creeks which feed its irrigation system and contribute to the city’s productivity. Marbel River, the city’s main reservoir, supplies the barangays of Namnama, Caloocan, General Paulino Santos, and Sto. Nino, Concepcion, Carpenter Hill, San Roque, and Saravia. Topland River originates in the Quezon mountain range and passes through certain areas of Zulueta, Magsaysay, Conception and New Pangasinan. Main River, also originating from Quezon Range, cuts across the barangays of Cacub, Namnama, San Isidro, San Jose and empties at Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat. Bulok Creek, originating in the Roxas mountains, passes through Sta. Cruz and Poblacion and moves towards Morales. During rainy season, land along the Bulok Creek is a flood-prone area, as well as the National Highway at Barangay Carpenter Hill.
Of Koronadal’s total land area of 27,700 hectares, 11% is suitable for urban use, while 53.53% is classified as good soil suitable for rice crops and 17.44% is classified as fair soil suitable for diversified crops. On the other hand, 73.50% of Koronadal’s land is classified by the Department of Agriculture as land suitable for cultivation. 8.47% is pasture land, 10.64% is forest land, and 7.39% is reserved for wildlife.
The city is approximately 56 kilometers from General Santos City and 136 kilometers from Cotabato City. Travel by land is made easier and faster by the Dadiangas-Alah Valley-Cotabato National Highway, constructed in the 1950’s as a joint project of the Philippine Committee on United States Aid (PHILCOSA) and the International Cooperation Administration (ICA).
The average annual temperature of Koronadal from 2002 to 2007 is 27.70 degrees centigrade. Rainfall distribution is more or less even throughout the year. Because of its location, the city is rarely affected by tropical depressions or typhoons.
The name “Koronadal” is believed to have been derived from two B'laan words- "koron" or "kolon" meaning “cogon grass”, and "nadal" or "datal" meaning “plain” which aptly described the place to the natives. On the other hand, “Marbel”, another name for the poblacion, is a B'laan term "Marb-El" which means "murky waters", probably referring to what is now called the Marbel River.
The area that became the present City of Koronadal was once a plain populated by members of the B’laan and Maguindanao tribes. It was settled before World War II by people from Luzon and the Visayas in search of new homes, under the auspices of the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA), administered by General Paulino Santos as the general manager and Albert Morrow as the assistant manager.
On August 18, 1947, President Manuel Roxas signed Executive Order No. 82 creating the municipalities of what would later become the province of South Cotabato. One of these municipalities was Koronadal, covering the area extending from the banks of Lake Buluan to the north to Barangay Polonoling in the municipality of Tupi to the south from Quezon mountain range to the northeast to the municipality of T'Boli to the southeast.
As mandated by the law of its creation, the municipal government of Koronadal began its official function on January 1, 1948 with an approved Annual Estimated Budget of P30,000.00. The land area of the municipality by then covered the present municipalities of Tampakan, Tupi, Banga, Lake Sebu, Surallah, T'Boli, Sto. Niño, Norala, and Isulan.
Municipal Council Resolution No. 32, Series of 1948 mandated and proclaimed January 10 of each year as the Municipal Town Fiesta commemorating the foundation of Marbel Settlement District of the National Land Settlement.
Koronadal’s rapid growth helped to make it the capital town of South Cotabato when the province was created on July 18, 1966. Republic Act No. 8803 converted the municipality of Koronadal into a component city of South Cotabato, now known as the City of Koronadal, on October 8, 2000.
Government and Politics
Koronadal City is politically subdivided into twenty-seven barangays.
Koronadal’s first municipal officials, elected in 1947, were:
- Municipal Mayor: Datu Kudanding Kamsa
- Vice Mayor: Perfecto Sueno Sr.
- Porferio Cuenca
- Felix Suscano
- Alejandro Poticar
- Gregorio Hechanova
- Zacarias Cadule
- Dencio Sarate.
- Municipal Judge: Braulio Hurtado
- Health Officer: Dr. Felimon de Jesus
- Chief of Police: Cornelio Mariveles
- Municipal Secretary: Godofredo Gazo
2007-2010 City Officials<ref name="test1">City Government Directory of Koronadal (accessed February 16, 2008).</ref>
- City Mayor: Fernando Q. Miguel
- Vice Mayor: Vicente R. de Jesus
- ABC President: Hernane E. Bignayan
- SK President: Jonari Javellana
Koronadal has an eclectic culture, a product of its tripartite people. Christian Filipinos from Iloilo, Cebu and the Ilocos brought the customs of their own ethnic groups when they settled in the area. However, they also gradually absorbed some of the culture of the major Muslim tribe in the area, the Maguindanaos, as well as the culture of the Lumad tribe in the area, the B’laans. Children in the province learn not only the songs and dances of their own ethnic group, but also those of the Maguindanao and B’laan tribes. Malongs have replaced blankets in many households, and public service announcements may be made on a radio program “Radyo Agong”, a reference to the village gong of the Muslim tribes. In return, Maguindanaos and B’laans have also learned to speak Hiligaynon and intermingle with other cultures.
Economy and Tourism
The major agricultural products of Koronadal are rice, corn, coconut and palm oil, and its industrial products are wood and bamboo crafts, agricultural machineries, and cutflowers. There are 50 internet cafes, 3 mobile phone service providers, and 3 landline phone service providers in the city. The South Cotabato Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO) supplies the city’s electricity while the Koronadal Water District supplies its water. The city is also home to 3 bus companies, including the Yellow Bus Lines, Inc., the major bus line plying the SOCCSKSARGEN-Davao del Sur routes. Other means of transportation in the city are passenger vans, jeepneys, multicabs and tricycles, as well as skylabs.
- Charter Anniversary of the City of Koronadal – October 8
- Foundation Anniversary of the Marbel Settlement (Hinugyaw Festival) – January 3 to 10
- Foundation Anniversary of the Province of South Cotabato (T’nalak Festival) – July 18
- Kawayan Festival of the Province of South Cotabato - February 17
- KCC Mall of Marbel - Gensan Drive, Koronadal City
- Gaisano Grand Mall - Gensan Drive, Koronadal City
- Ace Centerpoint - Osmeña St., Koronadal City
- Fitmart Mall - Osmeña St., Koronadal City
Hotels, Resorts and Facilities
- Marvella Plaza Hotel
- El Gawel Resort
- South Cotabato Sports Complex (formerly SMRAA Sports Complex) - venue of the 1996 Palarong Pambansa
- South Cotabato Cultural Center and Gymnasium - Venue of the Espinosa-Rios boxing bout in 1997
- Cadidang Caves
- Millenium Falls
- South Cotabato Wildlife and Nature Preserve
Awards and Honors
- 2005/2006 Most Business Friendly City in Mindanao
- 2005 Top 10 Most Competitive City in the Philippines
- 2005 Hall of Famer in Nutrition Program
- 2005 Most Outstanding PNP in Region XII
- 2005 Most Outstanding Bureau of Fire Protection in Region XII
- 2003 Most Competitive Small-sized City in the Philippines