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Kutawato Caves | |
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![]() Inside the Kutawato Cave | |
Location | Cotabato City, Maguindanao Philippines |
Coordinates | 7°13′11.04″N124°14′30.47″E / 7.2197333°N 124.2417972°E |
Geology | Limestone formation |
Entrances | Four |
Difficulty | Easy |
Hazards | Wet cave floor |
Access | Public |
Kutawato Caves or Kutang Bato Cave is a cave in Cotabato City, Philippines and is the only cave system in the country. Situated within the city proper, the Kutawato Caves is located at the foot of Pedro Colina Hill. It has numerous hidden underground passageways, one of these is the tunnel connecting to Tamontaka Church, the oldest church in Cotabato City. [1]
This cave is also the source of the city's present name, wherein kuta means fort and wato means stone, forming the phrase 'fort of stone', which later on became Cotabato. The cave has given sanctuary to the natives when the Spaniards tried to convert them into the Castillan faith and has served the purpose when Filipino guerillas fought the invading force of Japanese Imperial army during the World War II. When the Japanese firepower proved superior to that of the natives, the cave was then used as an armory and even a garrison. There are four entrances, namely : the provincial Capitol Cave, Bagua Cave, Caverna Espanol and the Kuweba ni Satur. [2]
Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of the same name that also includes its adjacent islands, notably the Sulu Archipelago. According to the 2020 census, Mindanao had a population of 26,252,442, while the entire island group had an estimated population of 27,021,036.
Maguindanao was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 to 2022, its provincial capital was Buluan, but the legislative branch of government, the Maguindanao Provincial Board, convened at the old provincial capitol in Sultan Kudarat. It bordered Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, Sultan Kudarat to the south, and Illana Bay to the west.
South Cotabato, officially the Province of South Cotabato, is a province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal, and it borders Sultan Kudarat to the north and west, Sarangani to the south and northeast, and Davao del Sur to the far northeast. To the southeast lies Sarangani Bay.
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Cotabato, formerly and still commonly referred to as North Cotabato and officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen region in Mindanao. Its capital is the city of Kidapawan, the most populous in the province. Some of its municipalities are under the jurisdiction of the nearby Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Cotabato City, officially the City of Cotabato, is a independent component city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 325,079 people, making it as the most populated city under the independent component city status.
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Biak-na-Bato National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located almost entirely within Barangay Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan from where it derives its name. The park also extends to the nearby municipalities of San Ildefonso and Doña Remedios Trinidad covering a total area of 2,117 hectares. It was declared a national park in 1937 by President Manuel L. Quezon by virtue of its association with the history and site of the Biak-na-Bato Republic. The park consists of a cave network and a system of rivers and trails of both historical and ecological importance. Situated only 80 kilometers (50 mi) northeast from Manila, it is fast becoming a popular weekend eco-adventure destination for the city dwellers.
Angelito Rendon Lampon is a Philippine prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the Archbishop of Cotabato since 2019. He was Apostolic Vicar of Jolo from 1997 to 2018.
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