Special Geographic Area
Ligawasan Province[1] | |
|---|---|
 A barangay hall in Gli-Gli in Ligawasan | |
.svg) Territory in Cotabato province under the Special Geographic Area | |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Region |  Bangsamoro |
| Province | Cotabato (geographically only) |
| Municipalities | |
| Barangays | 63 |
| Plebiscite of Cotabato barangays to join Bangsamoro | February 6, 2019 |
| Foundation date | February 14, 2019[2][3] |
| Turnover to Bangsamoro | November 20, 2019 |
| Municipality creation plebicites | April 13, 2024 |
| Government | |
| • Body | Special Geographic Area Development Authority[4] |
| • Administrator | Butch Panigel Malang |
| Area | |
• Total | 824.311 km2 (318.268 sq mi) |
| Population (2020 census)[5] | |
• Total | 215,433 |
| • Density | 260/km2 (680/sq mi) |
The Special Geographic Area (SGA) is a loose collection of 63 barangays in six municipalities of the province of Cotabato in the Philippines. It is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, despite the province of Cotabato itself being part of a separate neighboring region, Soccsksargen.
These barangays were partitioned from Soccsksargen following a two-part plebiscite held in January and February 2019 that formed Bangsamoro after residents of said barangays consented to their localities' inclusion in the new autonomous region. The municipalities these barangays are a part of, as well as the barangays themselves, remain part of Cotabato. These barangays could be reorganized into one or more new municipalities or merged with any of the neighboring municipalities in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, which are part of Bangsamoro.
The Bangsamoro regional government started effective governance over these barangays since the official turnover of these localities to the region by the Cotabato provincial government on November 20, 2019.
Some of these barangays are exclaves, which means they are entirely surrounded by localities that are not part of Bangsamoro.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
newprovincewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "SGA folks exemplify unity amidst geographical challenge on 5th founding anniversary - BARMM Official Website". Bangsamoro Information Office. February 15, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Fuerzas, Garry (February 14, 2023). "Cotabato Gov Mendoza nakiisa sa SGA 4th founding anniversary ng 63 Barangay na sakop na ng BARMM". Bombo Radyo News (in Filipino). Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 13". Bangsamoro Parliament. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ Census of Population (2020). "Region XII (Soccsksargen)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.