Soccsksargen

The region is bounded on the north by Northern Mindanao, on the east by the Davao Region, and on the southwest by the Celebes Sea. The region also shares a maritime border with Gorontalo and North Sulawesi provinces of Indonesia. The province of Maguindanao is situated between Cotabato City, North Cotabato province, and Sultan Kudarat.

The region has extensive coastlines, valleys and mountain ranges. Known for its river system, the region is the drainage basin of Mindanao, particularly at the Cotabato Basin, a large depression surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides.^[4][5] Within the basin runs the Rio Grande de Mindanao, the longest river in Mindanao and the second longest in the Philippines. The river empties into Illana Bay of the larger Moro Gulf at the west of Cotabato City.

At the south of the basin lie the Tiruray Highlands, a moderately high mountain range blocking the basin from the southern coastline.^[4] Southeast of the mountains lie the Sarangani Bay.

Administrative divisions

Provinces

Soccsksargen comprises 4 provinces, 1 highly urbanized city, 3 component cities, 45 municipalities and 1,195 barangays.

Province or City		Capital	Population (2015)[1]		Area[6][7]		Density		Cities	Muni.	Barangay
					km2	sq mi	/km2	/sq mi
Cotabato		Kidapawan City	30.4%	1,379,747	9,008.90	3,478.36	150	390	1	17	543 [8]
Sarangani		Alabel	12.0%	544,261	3,601.25	1,390.45	150	390	0	7	141
South Cotabato		Koronadal City	20.1%	915,289	3,935.95	1,519.68	230	600	1	10	199
Sultan Kudarat		Isulan	17.9%	812,095	5,298.34	2,045.70	150	390	1	11	249
General Santos	†	—	13.1%	594,446	492.86	190.29	1,200	3,100	—	—	26
Total				4,545,276	22,786.08	8,797.75	200	520	5	45	1,195 [9][10]
†  General Santos is a highly urbanized city; figures are excluded from South Cotabato.

Governors and vice governors

Province	Image	Governor	Political Party		Vice Governor
Cotabato		Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza		Nacionalista	Efren Piñol
Sarangani		Rogelio Pacquiao		PCM	Elmer de Peralta
South Cotabato		Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.		PFP	Arthur Yusay Pingoy
Sultan Kudarat		Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu		Lakas	Raden Camlian Sakaluran

Cities

Component cities

• Kidapawan — the only city of Cotabato province
• † Koronadal — the political regional center of Soccsksargen
• Tacurong — only city of Sultan Kudarat

Highly urbanized city

• General Santos — a highly urbanized city, it serves as the center of the Metropolitan and Regional Center for trade and industry of Soccsksargen.

The oldest civilization in the region is located in Maitum, Sarangani, where the Maitum Anthropomorphic Pottery were found. The jars have been declared as National Cultural Treasures, and are subject to the high protections ensured by Philippine and international laws.

From the middle of the 14th century to 1905, the Sultanate of Buayan dominated the Soccsksargen region, influencing the local datus in the area as well as having General Santos City under its direct control as a port.

Central Mindanao

The region used to be named Central Mindanao. Prior to the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), it comprised the following provinces:

• Maguindanao
• North Cotabato
• Sultan Kudarat
• Lanao del Norte
• Lanao del Sur

With the creation of ARMM, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao (excluding Cotabato City), and Sultan Kudarat were removed from the region, leaving Lanao del Norte and Cotabato, and Iligan, Marawi and Cotabato City as constituent provinces and cities.^[12] Lanao del Norte and Iligan were later transferred to Northern Mindanao, while Marawi became part of the ARMM.

On December 18, 1998, Sultan Kudarat was transferred back to Central Mindanao through Republic Act No. 8744.^[13]

Soccsksargen

In September 2001, Executive Order No. 36 was signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo transferring South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos (also known as the SocSarGen District), from Southern Mindanao to Region XII, and renaming the region, from Central Mindanao, to Soccsksargen.^[3][14]

Koronadal as new regional center

By virtue of Executive Order No. 304 signed by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Koronadal was named as the regional political and socio-economic center of Soccsksargen on March 30, 2004. Regional departments, bureaus and offices were ordered to move from Cotabato City, the former regional center of the region.

Special Cotabato barangays and Cotabato City exit

Traditionally resisting efforts for inclusion to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao despite serving as the government center of the ARMM, the January 21, 2019 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region creation plebiscite resulted in the surprise ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in Cotabato City. This means the city may now formally serve as the capital of the region and the offices of the former ARMM will be retained for use by the Bangsamoro Regional Government and now formally no longer constitutes part of the Soccsksargen Region.

In addition to Cotabato City, 63 barangays in Cotabato province opted to join Bangsamoro, thus exiting the region as well.

The region contributes to the national GDP with 2.6% with 5% growth compared to 2016. 18.3% of Mindanao Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP).^[22]

The artistic cultural heritage of the native Maguindanao people, among other regional groups—both Muslims and Catholics—revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music. Unique to the Soccsksargen, elements of kulintang may be loosely compared to Indonesia’s gamelan music, and other related traditional performance arts.

• Cotabato – Gov. Nancy A. Catamco (PDP-Laban)
• South Cotabato – Gov. Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP)
• Sultan Kudarat – Gov. Datu Suharto "Teng" T. Mangudadatu (NUP)
• Sarangani – Gov. Ruel D. Pacquiao (PCM)
• General Santos (HUC) – Mayor Lorelie "Lor" Pacquiao

• Media related to Soccsksargen at Wikimedia Commons
• Soccsksargen travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Geographic data related to Soccsksargen at OpenStreetMap